JERSEY CITY, NJ – Saint Peter's University today announced Director of Athletics
Bryan Felt, has been named the new Director of Athletics & Recreation at his
alma mater, Seton Hall University. Felt will remain at Saint Peter's until August 21.
"Bryan has been a tremendous asset to our University over the past two years," said Eugene J. Cornacchia, Ph.D., president of Saint Peter's University. "During his tenure he elevated our Division I program and his outstanding leadership has positioned our student-athletes and our program for future success. We are grateful for Bryan's contributions and wish him the very best in his new role at Seton Hall."
"I will forever be grateful to Saint Peter's University for the privilege it has been to serve as Director of Athletics," said Felt. "The progress we have made as an athletic department these past two years has been tremendous and the future for the Peacocks is extremely bright. Saint Peter's is a special place to me and always will be."
During Felt's two academic years in Jersey City, the Peacocks have witnessed success on the playing field, in the classroom, and in the community.
During Felt's tenure, he helped to create a long-term plan to renovate all athletics facilities, with recently completed projects of new scoreboards at the soccer, softball and baseball fields, a new varsity weight room, and renovations to the basketball locker rooms. Felt also instituted the department's first-ever season ticket plan. The excitement surrounding Peacocks basketball resulted in a 110 percent increase in ticket revenue and a 40 percent increase in home game attendance. Moreover, he contracted with Van Wagner Sports and Entertainment to further enhance the department's corporate partnership opportunities.
On the playing field under Felt's leadership, athletic teams experienced their respective program's most successful seasons in recent years with women's soccer posting their best season in 20 years, women's volleyball having their most success in 11 years, and men's soccer reaching the MAAC playoffs for the first time in eight seasons. Felt was also responsible for the hiring of both the current men's and women's basketball head coaches.
In the classroom, Saint Peter's student-athletes continued to flourish during Felt's time. The department reached a 92 percent NCAA Graduation Success Rate, the highest in program history, and the cumulative grade-point average sits at 3.16 at the end of the 2018-19 academic year with 45 percent of all student-athletes qualifying for the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Honor Roll.
To enhance Saint Peter's reach and visibility, Felt also made improvements to the Peacocks All-Access Digital Network with the purchase of a custom mobile production van that will allow the department to broadcast all home events through the MAAC's partnership with ESPN. With the purchase of this first-of-its-kind production van, Saint Peter's is set to stream live content the ESPN3 and ESPN+ platforms beginning in the fall of the 2019-20 academic seasons.
Saint Peter's University will conduct an accelerated national search for its next athletic director, who will continue to build on the positive student-athlete experience and excitement fans and supporters have for Saint Peter's Athletics.
