Oakdale, NY- Dowling Athletics has announced two staff changes for 2009, effective July 1st.
Melody Cope, previously the Senior Associative Athletic Director, was recently named the new Associate Vice President for Athletics by President Robert J. Gaffney.
Joining Dowling Athletics in October of 2004 as the Assistant Athletic Director,
Cope has helped transform the department. In her five years, she has been instrumental in initiating positive change at Dowling College. She spearheaded the construction of Golden Lions Field, a $12 million athletic facility located on the Brookhaven campus.
Melody takes on many roles in the department as she currently supervises Women's Soccer, Volleyball, Women's Lacrosse, and Baseball at Dowling. Serving as the department's Senior Women's Administrator, she also acts as a liason with the financial services staff.
Cope also facilitated a gender equity review, worked with the NCAA on a compliance evaluation and was instrumental in all phases of Dowling's sports sponsorship reformation which resulted in the addition of three varsity sports (Women's Soccer, Women's Lacrosse, and Men's Cross Country). In addition, she has developed programming for student-athletes to better prepare them for life after college.
Completing her undergraduate studies at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, Cope went on to finish her graduate work at Gardner Webb University.
Frank Pizzardi, Head Men's Rowing Coach, has officially resigned from his position after fourteen years of coaching at Dowling College.
Pizzardi, a former rower himself at Dowling College, took an assistant coaching position at Dowling in 1995 under then head coach, Jim Miller. After taking over as head coach, Frank went on to transform the Men's team. By using his wealth of rowing knowledge and heavily recruiting skilled local and international rowers, Pizzardi led his team to a first place finish in the Varsity 8+ event at the Dad Vail Regatta in 2002, snapping a thirteen year winning streak held by Temple University. Since that accomplishment, he has guided his team to numerous other achievements and first place finishes, including four straight Dad Vail gold medals by a single rower.
With this announcement, Frank will continue to act as Director of Admissions Operations for the institution.
Assuming the role of head coach for the Men's Rowing team is Peter Lee, who will also retain his position as head coach of the Women's Rowing team at Dowling. Lee brings much success and experience to the program, having coaches for over seven years at the collegiate level. During his time at Dowling, Peter has led his team to four consecutive NCAA National Championship Regattas, with the program's first ever appearance in 2006. His Varsity 8 has also placed first at the Dad Vail Regatta twice in the past three years.