Saint Peter's University Introduces Katie Arcuri as 11th Director of Athletics

JERSEY CITY, NJ. - Saint Peter's Athletics introduced Katie Arcuri as the 11th Director of Athletics in school history Thursday in the Duncan Family Sky Room. 

Saint Peter's President Dr. Eugene Cornacchia and Saint Peter's Vice President of Student-Life & Development Erin McCann spoke at the beginning of the press conference before Katie Arcuri made remarks as the new Saint Peter's Athletic Director. 

"Thank you so much, I'm extremely grateful for this opportunity. I'd like to thank President Cornacchia whom I've had the pleasure of working with for the past ten years. As you near retirement at the end of this year, I thank you for being able to work alongside you and wish you and your family the best. I'd also like to thank Vice President for Student-Life & Development Erin McCann for her support of athletics and myself. A special thank you to the search committee for their time and efforts and to everyone for putting their trust in me to lead this department." Arcuri said. 

"Selfishly, I did not want to do this press conference. I don't believe this is just about me but rather the coaches, staff, student-athletes, and campus community that makes us Saint Peter's University. Saint Peter's is truly a unique and special place to work and I'm so incredibly lucky to work with all of you. With that being said, I do recognize that this is an accomplishment that should be celebrated, and I'm so happy to do that with all you here, and those watching today."

"To my family, friends, and colleagues that reached out to me, thank you for your support…To my parents who taught me to work hard and do the right thing and treat people the way you want to be treated, thank you. To my husband Zene, who is the best teammate and hype man I can ask for, thank you. I think I'm lucky to already have one of the best job titles and that's being a mom to our son Carter who is a seasoned Peacocks fan." 

"To the campus community - I'm committed to assisting our athletes in achieving academic and athletic success, keeping our rich traditions alive and representing Saint Peter's University Athletics to the best of my ability. To the coaches and staff, I'm committed to supporting you and your programs, and to our student-athletes, I'm committed to doing my best to provide you with a great student-athlete experience. I'm excited to get to work, thank you, and go Peacocks!" 

A photo gallery of the press conference can be found here. 

About Katie Arcuri
Arcuri has been part of the Saint Peter's Athletics Department since 2013, serving most recently as the Senior Associate Athletics Director for Compliance and Student Athlete Welfare and boasts nearly two decades of experience in college athletics. She has been an integral member of the Athletics Department's senior staff since coming to Jersey City and has been responsible for all NCAA and MAAC rules enforcement of Saint Peter's 16 Division I athletic programs, in addition to all areas of student-athlete welfare. In her role as Senior Associate AD, she also acted as a liaison with appropriate University departments, including Financial Aid, Admissions, Residence Life and the Faculty Athletics Representative. 

Arcuri has been at the forefront of several new athletic initiatives, including the award of a $100,000 NCAA Accelerating Academic Success Program grant that was dedicated to the professional and academic development of student-athletes. Her efforts have directly impacted graduation rates, which have soared to an all-time high for the department since her arrival. 

A native of Staten Island, New York, Arcuri graduated with a BA in Communications from Ramapo College. While there, she was a member of the women's basketball team, and was subsequently inducted into the Ramapo College Athletics Hall of Fame in April of 2017. Arcuri received her Master's in Sport Management from the United States Sports Academy in 2010. Katie and her husband Zene, reside in Staten Island with their son Carter.

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