Currently: 59°F
Millersville University announced Kate Corcoran as its new director of athletics in February. After completing the year as vice president for athletics and student engagement at Cabrini University, Corcoran arrives on campus in July, ready to lead the Marauders in 2024-25.
What about Millersville University excites you to take this next step in your career?
Millersville from afar presented as an institution that can provide a student-athlete experience that aligns with my values and passion for college athletics. Intercollegiate athletics serves to educate our student-athletes through experiences outside of the classroom that round out the academic experience and prepare our students to be successful in their careers and future endeavors.
The Marauders are set up to be highly competitive both regionally and nationally. Competitive excellence and striving for championships are a pillar within the student-athlete experience that builds community for the athletic department and University as a whole. The academic success of our student-athletes and striving to excel in the classroom are pivotal to our department to achieve a well-rounded student-athlete experience. The students who I met while on campus have shown a commitment to their athletic and academic endeavors, and that excites me to work with student-athletes with that level of commitment.
Throughout the interview process, the individuals whom I had the opportunity to meet and interact with made the institution feel very welcoming and a community that was one I wanted to join. Millersville provides an opportunity for personal and professional growth and development. I have always worked at Division III institutions, and this allows me to learn and grow at the Division II level with a department that has shown a commitment to providing their student-athletes with a well-rounded academic and athletic experience.
What should Millersville alums and the community know about you?
I am coming to Millersville following eight years at Cabrini University, starting as an associate athletics director and finishing this year as the vice president for athletics and student engagement.
I am a proud graduate and former women’s basketball player at DeSales University, graduating with a sport management degree. I believe the lessons learned through that experience are what fuels my passion to provide a similar experience to student-athletes today.
I am excited to get to know the Marauder alums as they tell the story of the past, which I believe will help to shape the future. Don’t hesitate to introduce yourself when you see me at a game.
You’ve been a student-athlete, a coach, a sports information director and an administrator. How have all those roles and perspectives shaped your leadership?
The experiences and roles I have had during my career have allowed me to touch all areas within college athletics. These experiences have provided me with a perspective to appreciate the challenges, opportunities and stressors that are facing our coaches and staff. This
provides me with a foundation to communicate with my colleagues in a way to support them while hopefully pushing the department forward.
The experience that pushed me to this career path is one that showed what a transformational experience college athletics can be for young adults. It set the groundwork for my passion and continues to drive my commitment to providing and leading the student-athletes at the forefront.
I know that coaches, sports information directors, athletic trainers and support staff share a similar passion to make an impact on the lives of student-athletes. My roles have allowed me to understand on a limited scale the pressure, stress and commitment each of those roles entails. It positioned me to be able to communicate and relate in a way that shows understanding and empathy, as well as someone to work through those challenges with as well.
What do you value as the leader of the Millersville Athletics department?
It is our job as educators in the athletics department to develop student-athletes of high character. We will strive for excellence on and off the fields of play and represent the University with pride.
Student-athletes are leaders on the campus and are expected to be strong members of the campus community and beyond. The student-athletes are the representation of our athletics department. I know that comes with a great deal of responsibility, so I value being able to provide resources to support our student-athletes to manage that responsibility.
I want to provide a space within our department that is committed to diversity and inclusion. It is essential that student-athletes and our coaches feel comfortable being their complete and authentic selves for the betterment of our athletics department and University. It is also important as it pertains to equity that we deliver our programs in an equitable fashion so that our student-athletes all have a similar experience and level of support from staff and our community.
I believe in our teams winning and losing in all areas with humility and grace. This approach begins with our coaches leading by example and holding the teams accountable to this standard.
In the changing landscape of higher education and collegiate athletics, what are some of the challenges that you expect to face, and how will you help navigate Millersville Athletics through those challenges?
The NCAA and the collegiate athletics model are in the most transformational time that I have seen throughout my career. The impacts of the transformation committee at the Division I level, the transfer portal and NIL, while not impacting DII institutions on a large scale, have the ability to make impacts that trickle down to our level. I have seen firsthand the impacts of the challenges facing higher-education institutions with the looming enrollment cliff that has been talked about now for the past five years.
It is essential for me to work across campus to communicate the trends and challenges that the NCAA and the collegiate model continue to experience. This information is vital for individuals to know as I advocate and navigate these challenges for our department. With the rising cost of operation along with higher education continuing to see budget challenges, it will be essential to continue to identify alternative revenue streams for the department, and working closely with our advancement team to continue to grow in that area is vital for the student-athlete experience to thrive. My experience working on NCAA committees has always allowed me to gain valuable expertise and knowledge of changing landscapes and potential impacts to student-athletes and the University. Once I get settled into my role, I will look for these opportunities within the DII landscape.
How will you support the student-athlete experience?
Supporting the student-athlete experience, I believe, starts with engaging our student-athletes. Communicating with our student-athletes and utilizing our Student-Athlete Advisory Committee to get insight into their experience are vital to supporting the experience. This communication allows me to also share, from the department, conference and national perspective, issues that impact their experience as well.
I also believe in getting across campus to collaborate with other departments on campus to enhance the student-athlete experience. The development of our student-athletes means caring for the person as well as the athlete.
