Colby Hires a New Harold Alfond Director of Athletics

Colby has hired Amanda V. DeMartino, executive director of athletics at The College of New Jersey, as the new Harold Alfond Director of Athletics, following a national search. DeMartino, who was named Athletic Director of the Year for Division III by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics in 2022, will begin her new role at Colby on Oct. 7.

“Amanda is a proven leader with an impressive history of success,” said President David A. Greene. “Colby has made important strides in athletics and recreation in recent years, and Amanda has the experience and skills to take our programs to the next level. We can’t wait to welcome her to campus.”

DeMartino became executive director of athletics at The College of New Jersey, a public university in Ewing Township, N.J., in 2017, where she oversaw 20 varsity programs whose successes included four individual national championships, five Final Four appearances, 147 NCAA appearances, and 65 conference regular season and tournament championships. She has also served as board chair of the New Jersey Athletic Conference and on the NCAA DIII Football Region Advisory Committee. Previously, she served as director of athletics at Raritan Valley Community College in New Jersey beginning in 2011 and as director of athletics and head women’s basketball coach of Northwood University in Florida starting in 2008.

A graduate of Brandeis University with a degree in economics, DeMartino was a four-year starter for the women’s basketball team and captain during her senior year. She earned her M.A. in organizational leadership from Gonzaga University. Her accomplishments earned her inclusion among the Top Women Leaders of New Jersey in 2022 and 2023, presented by the membership organization Women We Admire.

DeMartino became one of the youngest athletic directors in the country and has been involved in all aspects of intercollegiate athletics for 18 years. She said she was attracted to Colby because of its campus-wide commitment to student success and its unique student experiences, overall excellence, and top-grade facilities.

“Colby offered a unique opportunity. I can see how the College has transformed itself over the last 10 years, and it was evident to me that it is a place that cares about being the best,” she said.

She described the Harold Alfond Athletics and Recreation Center, which opened in 2020, as “hands down one of the best athletic and recreation facilities in the country at any level. But it’s more than the facility. It is what the facility represents. And that is a commitment not just to winning, but to providing the best student experience possible.”

The Harold Alfond Athletics and Recreation Center serves as a resource for the campus and community across the state and region. Designed to promote health, wellness, and the optimal performance of body and mind, the 354,000-square-foot center has transformed Colby athletics and recreation programs with its modern training facilities, spacious locker rooms, and superb competition venues. It includes Northern New England’s only 50-meter pool, an indoor competition center with a 200-meter track, and a multi-level, 13,500-square-foot fitness area.

It is also home to Peak Performance, a high-tech training program that optimizes student-athlete health and performance.

“I love DIII athletics because of the holistic student experience. Certainly, I am competitive and I love to win, but we have the opportunity to develop character and prepare students for life after college. I love that DIII athletes are serious about their sport, but they are able to balance that with their academics and their social life outside of school.”

- Amanda DeMartino

Val Ackerman, commissioner of the Big East Conference and a professional mentor to DeMartino, said Colby made a wise choice in hiring DeMartino as director of athletics. “The Mules have landed a winner,” Ackerman wrote in an email. “Amanda is a rising star in the college sports world, and I have no doubt that her experience, energy, and commitment to student-athlete welfare will be of immense benefit to the Colby College community and the many stakeholders she will serve in her new role.”

DeMartino arrives during a period of growth and excellence for Colby athletics, where this past year 22 varsity athletes earned All-American awards, the most in a single year, including five Academic All-Americans. In addition, Colby athletes won 286 NESCAC All-Academic and 48 All-NESCAC honors, both the most in College history.

Twelve varsity teams qualified for NCAA tournaments, and five coaches or members of the coaching staff received recognition. Additionally, Colby finished 55th in the Directors’ Cup rankings administered by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics, which measures overall success of athletic programs. Colby has finished in the top 60 among more than 400 DIII colleges in the past three years.

Colby’s recreation program also is thriving. There are 31 club teams with more than 900 participating students, and an estimated 80 percent of Colby students use the Harold Alfond Athletics and Recreation Center for fitness training and wellness programs, as well as recreation and club sports. Among the club teams with notable accomplishments in recent years are women’s rugby, women’s lacrosse, women’s volleyball, club hockey, and ultimate Frisbee, all of which performed in regional and national competitions.

“Amanda impressed the search committee with her unique combination of strategic vision, continual execution, and ability to support members of her team.”

- Matt Proto, Senior Vice President

DeMartino expects to build on that success. The College of New Jersey has one of the most successful NCAA DIII athletics departments in the country, and it has excelled under her leadership. In DeMartino’s first year, the department won its first New Jersey Athletic Conference Cup, awarded to the best all-around performance by a department in the conference. In 2018-19, the college was named the top-performing athletics program in New Jersey. In the years since, several teams and dozens of individual athletes from The College of New Jersey have qualified for conference and national competitions, and more than a dozen coaches have won coach of the year honors and other awards.

“I am very excited about this opportunity to continue my growth at Colby,” DeMartino said. “I love DIII athletics because of the holistic student experience. Certainly, I am competitive and I love to win, but we have the opportunity to develop character and prepare students for life after college. I love that DIII athletes are serious about their sport, but they are able to balance that with their academics and their social life outside of school.”

“Amanda impressed the search committee with her unique combination of strategic vision, continual execution, and ability to support members of her team,” said Matt Proto, Colby’s senior vice president and chair of the Harold Alfond Director of Athletics Search Committee. “Her work has been nationally recognized for her constant pursuit of excellence for both students and staff. We are very excited for her to join our community.”