Athletics News

Greg Amodio, named Duquesne University director of athletics on August 4, 2005, has made significant strides in moving DU's 20-team department forward in his first three years on the job.

Under Amodio's dynamic leadership, Duquesne's athletics department has experienced unprecedented growth including the completion of a $2 million renovation of the Palumbo Center in the spring of 2006 and an extensive upgrade of Rooney Field this summer. In addition, renovation work on the Rooney Field fieldhouse is planned to be completed prior to the 2009-10 school year.

On the personnel front, Amodio's tenure has been highlighted by the hiring of men's basketball coach Ron Everhart and women's basketball coach Suzie McConnell-Serio. Everhart guided the Dukes to their first winning season in 14 years in 2007-08 and McConnell-Serio saw the women's team improve from seven to 15 wins in her first season. In addition, Amodio has added full-time assistant coaches for six other sports.

The Long Island, N.Y. native aggressively pursued the establishment of an athletics marketing and promotions department and reached a comprehensive department-wide apparel agreement with adidas in the fall of 2007. The department of athletics has also established media partnerships with both Fox Sports Net Pittsburgh and Clear Channel-Pittsburgh under Amodio's watch. Amodio has also reshaped the look of the department with the introduction of a contemporary athletics logo in the summer of 2006.

In January 2007, Amodio spearheaded Duquesne's move to the Northeast Conference as an associate member in football. The move to the NEC coincided with the granting of 18 scholarships with that number increasing by two over each of the next three years. In addition, both the women's soccer and lacrosse teams have seen their available scholarship numbers increase.

This spring, Amodio oversaw the recertification of the athletic department by the NCAA. The certification, which is done every 10 years, confirms that an institution is guiding its athletics program in substantial conformity with operating principles adopted by the Division I membership.

In the classroom, Duquesne's athletics teams have posted a cumulative grade point average of better than 3.0 over the past three years, with over one-third of all student-athletes achieving a GPA of 3.5 or higher.

Amodio, 46, who came to the Bluff after a 10-year stay at Xavier University, was rewarded for the progress the department has made under his leadership with a contract extension signed in June of 2008. The agreement will keep him at Duquesne through the 2013-14 academic year.

In his decade at Xavier, Amodio moved from assistant director of marketing and promotions, to assistant athletic director and finally to associate athletic director. As associate AD, he managed a strategic, integrated program focused on increasing attendance, enhancing alumni participation in athletics and increasing fund-raising. During his last seven seasons at XU, men's basketball attendance reached 97 percent capacity and women's basketball attendance increased 150 percent. Amodio directed the corporate partner programs, season and group ticket sales strategy, advertising campaign, fund-raising initiatives and game operations for Xavier athletics. In addition, he served as administrator for the men's soccer program and participated in the Atlantic 10 Conference Men's Soccer Committee and the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators (NACMA).

Prior to his stint at Xavier, he served as the promotions manager for the Professional Golfers' Association of America, with a focus on national fund-raising programs and junior golf initiatives. He also served as coordinator of Community Programs and Educations with the American Heart Association in New York City and spent five years as a high school teacher/coach.

Amodio earned his master's degree in exercise physiology from the City University of New York, Queens College. While at Queens College, he served as a research assistant in the Department of Health & Physical Education. Amodio received his bachelor's degree in education in 1984 from Davis & Elkins College.

Active among the leaders of the Atlantic 10 Conference, Amodio is currently representing Duquesne on three A-10 committees: the conference standards committee, the television committee and basketball scheduling committee.

Amodio and his wife, Kerry, have two children: Jake (15) and Alexandra (13). The Amodio family resides in Pine Township.