NYIT President Henry C. “Hank” Foley has announced that following an extensive national search, Dan Vélez has been selected as NYIT’s director of athletics and recreation, effective September 1. In this new role, Vélez, who has served as the interim athletic director since June, will oversee NYIT’s 13 NCAA Division II intercollegiate sports programs and a robust recreation program.

“Dan beat out quite a field of people for this position,” Foley said, noting that no other candidate matched the vision and strategic fit that Vélez offers. “Elevating and enhancing our athletics program is an institutional priority, as we recognize how important athletics is to our community, students, alumni, and beyond. We're going to work really hard to try to make athletics a jewel in the NYIT crown.”

Foley, who became president of NYIT on June 1, added, “I'd like our student-athletes to feel like they're D-I student-athletes — that what we're collectively doing matters and that they help to carry the NYIT banner everywhere they go. Dan will be integral in helping to make this happen.”

Vélez joined NYIT two years ago as associate director for intercollegiate athletics and chief of staff, responsible for the department’s day-to-day internal operations and business advancement. In that role, he served as the sports administrator for men’s lacrosse, women’s lacrosse, men’s basketball, women’s soccer, volleyball, and baseball, as well as recreation and intramurals, and also as the department’s liaison for human resources, finance, accounts payable, and facility services. He serves on the NCAA Division II Women’s Soccer Regional Advisory Committee. 

NYIT Athletics has thrived with Vélez as part of the leadership team. During the 2016-17 academic year, the department launched women's lacrosse. The volleyball, women's basketball, softball, women's lacrosse and both tennis teams reached NCAA tournaments, while the men's lacrosse team won the East Coast Conference (ECC) regular-season and postseason titles. NYIT student-athletes have also excelled academically. They achieved an average GPA of 3.21 during the 2016-17 academic year, outperforming the general student body, with 125 achieving a GPA of at least 3.25, which earned them spots on the ECC Commissioner's Honor Roll.

Vélez said, “I am honored and thrilled to have been chosen as the director of intercollegiate athletics and recreation at NYIT. Today marks the realization of a dream for me personally, and is just the beginning of what will be a wonderful journey. President Foley has outlined a vision that is easy to get behind, and I look forward to working with the NYIT community to reach unparalleled success for the Bears. Most importantly, I am eager to work with our athletics staff members to ensure we are providing the tools needed for NYIT student-athletes to succeed in the classroom, in athletic competition, and in life.”

Prior to joining NYIT, Vélez was the associate athletic director for operations at Siena College in Loudonville, N.Y. He was the sport administrator for field hockey, women’s swimming and diving, and men’s and women’s cross country. Additionally, he oversaw the financial and general reporting of Siena’s Department of Athletics and led Siena’s summer sports camps. He coordinated all team travel for Siena’s 22 NCAA Division I sports and served on the MAAC Swimming and Diving Championship Committee, and contributed to developing and executing Phase 1 of Siena’s Alumni Recreation Center renovation.

He also served as Seton Hall University’s assistant athletic director for facilities and operations, responsible for overseeing the daily operation of the Richie Regan Athletics and Recreation Center, which included managing the department’s work-study program.

Vélez has a B.S. in Education from Kutztown University and an M.S. in Sports Management from West Virginia University.

About New York Tech

New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) offers 90 undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs in more than 50 fields of study, including computer science, data, and cybersecurity; biology and biomedical studies; architecture and design; engineering; health professions and medicine; IT and digital technologies; management; communications and marketing; education and counseling; and energy and sustainability. A nonprofit, independent, private, and nonsectarian institute of higher education, New York Tech welcomes more than 9,000 students worldwide. The university has campuses in New York City (Manhattan) and Long Island (Old Westbury), New York; Jonesboro, Arkansas; and Vancouver, British Columbia, as well as programs around the world.

New York Tech embraces its mission to provide career-oriented professional education, give all qualified students access to opportunity, and support research and scholarship that benefit the larger world. More than 100,000 New York Tech alumni comprise an engaged network of doers, makers, and innovators prepared change the world, solve 21st-century challenges, and reinvent the future.

Media Contact

Elizabeth Sullivan
Director, Media Relations
516.686.3761