Hilbert will not only welcome in the college’s first woman to the director of athletics post but one with three decades worth of work at the intercollegiate level as an administrator, coach and teacher. Susan Viscomi will bring her more than 30 years of experience to Hilbert, becoming the first woman named to the position in Hilbert’s 53-year history, announced June 10 by the college.

Effective July 1, Viscomi will oversee the college’s 12 NCAA Division III men’s and women’s sports teams and provide administrative direction for the athletics program. She comes to Hilbert from Hamilton College where she most recently served as the associate athletics director, in addition to being a professor of physical education and senior woman administrator. Her record of success at the college level also extends two other stops along the way and extensive work on NCAA and conference committees.

“Susan’s depth of experience in successful NCAA Division III athletics programs distinguished her from other talented individuals (in a strong candidate pool) and she emerged in the search process as the ideal person to take on this leadership role,” Hilbert President Cynthia Zane recently stated in a press release announcing the hiring. “I look forward to working with her and I’m confident, under her direction, there will be positive changes made in the athletics program.”

In addition to helping oversee 28 intercollegiate programs, as well as intramurals and clubs, and teaching at Hamilton, Viscomi also worked in other capacities that included interim athletics director and chairperson of physical education and had a three-year stint as head women’s soccer coach.

She also served as the head women’s soccer team coach at both the State University of New York at Oswego and SUNY Plattsburgh. During her seven seasons with Oswego, she was twice named State University of New York Athletic Conference Coach of the Year. During her time at Plattsburgh, Viscomi also served as an assistant professor of physical education and assistant coach of the men’s and women’s track and field team.

She’s currently a member of the NCAA Championship Committee and liaison to the men’s and women’s track and field and ice hockey committees and is a past chairperson for the NCAA Women’s Soccer National Committee. Among her contributions at the conference level, she’s served as administrative liaison to the New England Small College Athletic Conference Women’s Tennis Coaches and NESCAC’s Women’s Ice Hockey and Softball Coaches.

At her new post, Viscomi said she is excited about the opportunity to work with what she sees as a dedicated administration, staff and student-athletes in moving the athletics program into a new era of excellence.

“It’s my goal to provide the leadership and enthusiasm that will build a program students, alumni and supporters can take pride in as we work toward creating future successes and improving the overall experience for student-athletes,” Viscomi said.

Viscomi, who received a master’s degree in counseling from Colgate University and a bachelor’s degree in physical education from SUNY Cortland, will take over for Richard Walsh, the college’s athletics director the past 12 years and also former Hilbert men’s basketball coach. Kara Rehbaum, Hilbert’s assistant athletics director, will serve in the interim role until Viscomi assumes the post.

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