Jersey City, N.J. – September 4, 2017 – Saint Peter’s University today announced the hiring of Bryan Felt as the ninth Director of Athletics for the Division I athletics program. Felt brings notable credentials in fund raising to the athletics department. He comes to Jersey City after most recently serving as the Senior Associate Athletic Director at Seton Hall University.
Felt will be formally introduced at a press conference at Dinneen Hall in McIntyre Conference Center on Thursday, September 7 at 10:00 am. Felt will be available for the media immediately following the press conference. All members of the Saint Peter’s University community and media are invited to attend. The press conference also will be streamed live on the Saint Peter’s Athletics YouTube channel. His first official day in office will be September 21.
“The growth of our athletics program is a major area of focus for the University and Bryan Felt’s experience in this area makes him the ideal candidate to help lead us into this next chapter,” said Eugene J. Cornacchia, Ph.D., president of Saint Peter’s University. “As an accomplished professional in the fields of advancement and university athletics, we look forward to welcoming him to our campus and benefiting from his expertise.”
“Bryan Felt was chosen from an exceptional applicant pool of over 100 candidates,” said co-chair of the selection committee, Anthony Skevakis, Vice President for Student Life and Development. “The selection committee was impressed with his character, integrity, and keen focus on a holistic student experience. His enthusiasm, authenticity, and energy are a great fit for Saint Peter’s Athletics. We are looking forward to major growth and development of the program under his leadership.”
Felt began working at his alma mater, Seton Hall, in 2001 with the University Advancement Department overseeing the Seton Hall Fund. In 2004, he began working in the department of athletics as Executive Director for the Pirate Blue Athletic Fund. Under his guidance, athletic department fundraising reached record totals every year. During his tenure, the athletic department has successfully launched and completed two capital campaigns resulting in over $40 million of athletic facility improvements that included a new state-of-the art academic center, sports medicine center, strength & conditioning center, film room and locker rooms for each program.
For the past seven years, Felt has served as a senior administrator within the Seton Hall athletic department overseeing all external affairs, including fundraising, tickets, sports communications, digital media and marketing. He also has served as the department’s liaison with Learfield regarding corporate partnerships as well as University Licensing and Branding. Additionally, Felt has had sport oversight of the Seton Hall softball program.
With Felt as a member of the senior team, the department has continually flourished. Since 2011, Seton Hall has captured six BIG EAST championships and advanced to the NCAA Tournament nine times. In this time, the men’s basketball program has resurged with a BIG EAST Tournament championship in 2016 and back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2016 and 2017. The women’s basketball program has also experienced a renaissance with back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2015 and 2016 and a BIG EAST regular season title in 2015.
“I am honored to have been chosen to become the Director of Athletics at Saint Peter’s University,” Felt said. “I want to thank President Cornacchia, Dean Skevakis and the search committee for providing me this exciting opportunity. I am extremely eager to work with the Saint Peter’s community to reach new heights for the Peacocks. I look forward to helping our student-athletes attain their goals on the field of play and in the classroom.”
Prior to Seton Hall, Felt worked in the television production industry as a field producer for CNN where he covered the September 11th attacks in New York City. Prior to CNN, he was an Associate Producer for NBC News in the Special Reports division, producing coverage for several large events, ranging from political debates and national political conventions.
A native of New Jersey, Felt holds a B.A. in Communication and M.A. in Corporate and Public Communication from Seton Hall. He and his wife, Tara currently reside in New Providence, NJ with their three children, Tyler, Kyle and Kelsey.