Aaron Johnson – Sports Editor
Jay Moran sat back in his chair and needed only a single word to describe his style. A grin came across his face as the word, “passionate” came out his mouth. After 10 years at the University of Bridgeport, Moran was hired as the new athletic director at Southern Connecticut State University this past July.
“Southern has strong athletic history,” Moran said. “I think the goal wherever I’ve been is that you want student-athletes to graduate, be competitive, and do well in athletic competitions. But it is more important to me if they leave here better people.”
Moran is taking over for former athletic director Pat Nicol, who after ten years at the helm of Southern athletics, departed for Emerson College. Under Nicol, the Owls’ won a women’s basketball national title in 2007, 11 individual national championships, and last year student-athletes combined for a 3.02 grade-point average. Moran said that he hopes to continue to build on the success that Southern athletes have had both on the field and in the classroom.
“Pat did a great job. She’s a friend in the business and a colleague in the business,” Moran said. “I don’t think I have to fill her shoes. (I) just want to build on that and if I have some of the successes that she had here then I’m going to be successful too.”
While jumping at the opportunity to join the strong athletic history of Southern athletics, making the decision to come to Southern is also a homecoming for the new AD. A native of West Haven, Moran said that he considers himself to be a fiery and passionate individual, that brings an approach to the position that shows that mentality every single day.
“I wear everything on my sleeves,” he said. “I am the biggest fan. I’m just a passionate individual who believes so much in the human spirit and in people.”
During his time, Moran helped guide the University of Bridgeport to five National Titles in gymnastics, three ECC Championships, one NCAA regional Championship, 11 ECAC Championships, and 18 NCAA appearances. Moran also served as athletic director at Albertus Magnus College, as they reached the postseason in several sports for the first time, including a first-ever NCAA Regional appearance. An assistant athletic director for facilities, recreation and intramurals at St. Joseph College in Hartford, Conn. for nine years, Moran is also the newly elected mayor of Manchester, Conn.
“I want everyone who walks through this door to be proud of being a Southern Connecticut athlete and proud to be a Southern Connecticut coach,” Moran said. “I want student-athletes to look back and say my four years that I competed at Southern Connecticut were great years. I want them to go on Facebook 25 years from now and say that they had the best four years of their lives being a Southern Connecticut athlete. That’s the most important thing to me.”
For Moran, the satisfaction comes not from the success that the student-athletes earn on the fields and courts, but in the experiences that they have while wearing the blue and white of Southern.
“We want them to walk out of here saying that was the best four years of my life,” Moran said. “(That) it was a great choice to come to Southern, a great choice to be a student-athlete, and that they want to be a part of it for the rest of their lives. Every student-athlete should have a great experience as a student-athlete and if we do that, than we’ve done a great job.”