Steve Colfer, head coach of the men’s lacrosse team at Cabrini since 2001, was named assistant athletic director for recruitment and retention on Friday, July 7. Colfer will now be a full-time member of the athletics department while still maintaining his coaching position with men’s lacrosse.
“I’ve always wanted to get into athletic administration,” Colfer said. “The opportunity was right this year so I’m extremely appreciative of it and I’m happy to do it here.”
In his new role, Colfer will assist both full-time and part-time coaches in the recruitment of student-athletes while also serving as “a contact point for recruits and families.” In terms of retention, he will work to keep student-athletes at Cabrini by dealing with athletics as well as academics, residence life and financial awareness.
“He’ll really look to develop some programs and things that will help us keep track of our couple hundred student-athletes to just make sure they’re getting the assistance and attention that they need to improve their student-athlete experience and their overall experience at Cabrini,” Joe Giunta, director of athletics and recreation, said.
Colfer sees his new title in the athletics department as a continuation of his success with men’s lacrosse and is prepared to juggle the two jobs.
“I’ve hopefully achieved a certain work balance here at Cabrini, being able to be a successful head coach and running a successful program and contributing to the overall good of Cabrini College,” Colfer said.
Colfer’s new role with recruitment and retention will still keep him involved with the students at Cabrini; however, after many years spent in admissions, he will be switching from talking with prospective students to recruiting potential Cavalier athletes.
“His focus is now on helping our coaches in recruiting,” Giunta said. “How to recruit better, how to recruit more efficiently, using different recruiting strategies.”
Before accepting the head coaching position with the Cavaliers, Colfer was the offensive coordinator for the Cabrini men’s lacrosse from 1997-2000. With so many years at Cabrini under his belt, Colfer hopes to stay at the college in some type of role for many years to come.
“I love the mission of the college and I love the opportunity that I have to work with the students as well as the student-athletes,” Colfer said. “Cabrini is a special place and one that I’m so proud to be a part of.”
Beacham gets his foot in the door of athletic administration
After serving three years as Cabrini’s sports information director, Brian Beacham was promoted to assistant athletic director on Wednesday, July 20. Beacham will now be in charge of managing the athletics department’s facilities, scheduling and events while also overseeing business and travel operations.
“Brian clearly was one of the best sports information directors, not only in the conference but in the region,” Giunta said. “It’s sometimes difficult when someone is so good at a trade like that to lose them, but you always have to take into account the career goals of the person and that’s something he wanted to switch over to.”
A graduate of Temple University, Beacham has always hoped to work in athletic administration and now has the chance to do that at Cabrini.
“At some point I realized that I wanted to work in athletic administration,” Beacham said. “The question for me was ‘How do I get my foot in the door to learn the most?’”
Beacham’s previous role as sports information director provided him with a great insight into the world of public relations, but it ultimately led to something better: an answer to his question.
“Sports information was my foot in the door to see the bigger picture and to some point advance in the athletic department,” Beacham said. “Being in a department so small, I really got a chance to see a lot of the things that went on outside of sports information.”
Beacham cites the department’s small size as a key point in helping him succeed in his previous role. His familiarity with many staff members and Cavalier coaches will also be important as assistant athletic director at Cabrini.
“A big part of my job now is managing facilities, so I know the landscape well and the people who need to help me at times,” Beacham said. “Another part is working with the coaches; I’ve always had a really good relationship working with the coaches.”
As Giunta points out, Beacham’s work ethic and communication skills have helped him tremendously during his time here at Cabrini.
“He’s dedicated to Cabrini College and the athletic department,” Giunta said. “He understands sports, he understands the student-athletes and he understands the coaches. He’ll be phenomenal.”
A native of Norristown, Pa., Beacham has always been a fan of the Philadelphia area. Cabrini proved to be a school where he could stay in contact with family and friends while finding a job in the field that he wanted to work in.
“The people that work in here everyday are great people; I really can’t say enough about all of them,” Beacham said.
Now in his fourth year with Cabrini, Beacham may not be leaving his office in the Dixon Center anytime soon.
“I 100 percent see myself being here for the foreseeable future,” Beacham said.
