Hartwick Recruits Athletic Director

From Hilbert College, Near Buffalo

ONEONTA – Hartwick College today announced the appointment of John P. Czarnecki as director of athletics and Physical Education Department chair, overseeing 16 NCAA Division III programs.

He starts July 16, and will report to President Margaret L. Drugovich.

Czarnecki comes to Hartwick College from Hilbert College in Hamburg, near Buffalo, where he served as its director of athletics for five years. At the time of that appointment, he was the youngest NCAA Division III athletic director in the country.

Coincidentally, both colleges have a hawk as their mascot.

“During my visits to Oneonta, I realized early on that athletics is a very important part of the Hartwick community,” said Czarnecki. “Whether it was the administration, faculty, staff, or students that I had the opportunity to meet with, they all exhibited a level of passion for Hartwick that made me feel very comfortable and excited to have this opportunity to work alongside them.”

Czarnecki started in 2007 as sports information director and assistant men’s basketball coach for SUNY Maritime College in The Bronx. In 2009, he joined Yeshiva University in New York City as assistant athletic director, taking on responsibilities that included NCAA compliance, fundraising, and marketing. He earned promotion to associate director, in charge of all men’s coaches, athletics staff, facilities, and event scheduling, before leaving for Hilbert in 2013.

“John is one of the emerging leaders in NCAA Division III athletic administration, and we look forward to him leading Hartwick’s athletic department into the future,” said Hartwick VP Gregg Fort, who led the search committee. “I am pleased that this national search yielded an athletic director with both New York roots and extensive knowledge of intercollegiate athletics in the Empire State.”

Born and raised in Poughkeepsie, Czarnecki graduated from SUNY Potsdam with a bachelor’s in Criminal Justice and SUNY Cortland with a master’s in sports management.