INDIANA, Pa. – Todd Garzarelli, a veteran leader with over 20 years of experience in intercollegiate athletics, has been named Indiana University of Pennsylvania Director of Athletics, IUP President Dr. Michael Driscoll announced Wednesday morning. 

Garzarelli comes to IUP after spending the last two academic years in the same position at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. He has a strong background in athletic administration, serving in a leadership capacity at five schools for the last 14 combined years.

"Todd brings an incredible depth and breadth of experience to the Athletic Director position at IUP," Dr. Driscoll said. "His record of success at so many diverse universities made him the favored candidate in a very strong pool, and position him well to continue the forward momentum of an already strong program.  Under Todd's leadership, IUP Athletics will be ready to move to the next level of success."

"My family and I are excited to be headed back to western Pennsylvania and to become part of the IUP family and Indiana community," Garzarelli said. "IUP athletics has had a rich tradition of academic and athletic success throughout the years and I am humbled and honored to serve as the next director of athletics of this great university and continue to build upon that tradition.

"With tremendous student-athletes, coaches, and community-alumni support in place, I am convinced we can compete for and win championships at a national level and provide our student-athletes with a great educational and social experience," he said.
 
While at Whitewater, Garzarelli served as an executive staff member of the Chancellor's cabinet, providing leadership and guidance on university matters, with direct oversight of the division of intercollegiate athletics and campus recreation services. 
 
He was directly responsible for administering, managing and leading all facets of both the athletic department and campus recreation services, including budgeting, strategic planning, creation of facility master plans, personnel management, revenue development and policy development. He also worked to foster strong collaborative relationships with other university and community entities to advance the university and both units locally, regionally and nationally.
 
Whitewater was one of the top NCAA Division III athletic programs during the 2017-18 academic year, finishing 20th in the Learfield Directors Cup standings. Whitewater athletic programs combined for seven conference championships, nine conference player of the year/meet honors, two NCAA Division III player of the year honors and over 50 All-American honors in either the academic or athletic categories.
 
Whitewater is currently 30th in this year's Learfield Directors Cup standings.
 
Academically, three Whitewater student-athletes earned conference scholar athlete of the year honors and over 40 percent landed on the conference's academic honor roll.
 
Garzarelli oversaw $5.1 million in new facility construction, including the renovation of the football locker room, state of the art football athletic training room, baseball clubhouse and office complex and the tennis bleachers project. He also assisted in the $130 million athletic and campus recreation facility master plan design, which included a weight room addition, indoor turf facility, new convocation center, natatorium, athletic training room and locker room renovations.
 
In Garzarelli's first year in 2017-18, the athletics department saw an increase of more than $950,000 in fundraising as well as a 50 percent increase in revenue from corporate sponsorship. He also improved the department's operating budget by 5 percent and reduced its debt by $500,000.
 
Garzarelli joined Wisconsin-Whitewater in 2017 after spending the previous four years as the Senior Associate Athletic Director for External Affairs at the State University of New York at Buffalo.  
 
At Buffalo, Garzarelli oversaw athletics communications and branding, corporate sales, ticket sales and operations, promotions, gameday experience and community relations. He secured the department's first six-figure sponsorship, and in the last fiscal year helped raise a record $1.75 million in corporate sponsorships. Attendance, ticket sales and brand awareness at Buffalo all significantly increased during his tenure.
 
Before arriving at Buffalo, Garzarelli served as associate athletic director for external affairs and director of the athletic association at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. He previously served as associate director of external affairs and major gifts at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, and as associate athletic director for marketing at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois.
 
Garzarelli earned a Bachelor of Science in sport management from Slippery Rock University and a Master of Science in sport management from Northern Illinois University.
 
Garzarelli will start his new position at IUP Monday, May 13. He takes over for Steve Roach, who left in September to take over as the Executive Director of Athletics and Recreation at Texas A&M-Kingsville. Samantha Traver has served as the interim since the fall.
 
"As we welcome Todd, I want to thank Samantha Traver for her work as acting director," Driscoll said. "She's done an excellent job and we appreciate her leadership during this time."
 
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