By Erin Casey
“The Northeast-10 Conference has the highest academic success rate of all Division II conferences, and Assumption is among the top in the conference,” shared Assumption’s new director of athletics, Jamie P. Marcoux, M.S., LATC, during her first week on campus. “Providing a diverse and holistic college experience for our student-athletes is paramount for us.”
Marcoux assumed her new position on June 4 and is honored to share her commitment to excellence athletically, academically, and in the community with the student-athletes and staff at Assumption. “It feels like the right fit,” Marcoux said.
Marcoux’s vision for Assumption athletics is to build on the institution’s recent successes and become a perennial contender in the NE10 and the NCAA, with the goal of finishing in the top five of the conference’s President’s Cup standings annually. The President’s Cup is presented each year to signify overall athletic excellence in the conference, and is awarded to the institution that compiles the most cumulative points based on finishes in the regular-season standings from all of its programs competing in league championships.
“We will also strive to remain one of the top academic programs in the NE10 and Division II,” Marcoux said. “We are looking at facility enhancements that will help us continue to improve our competitive varsity programs regionally and nationally. We will also monitor ourselves against our NE10 counterparts and other regional competitors to ensure we are striving to provide our student-athletes and staff with all the tools necessary to be successful, including facilities, staff and squad size, wages, operational needs, and fan experience.” Marcoux added that the department will also continue to actively work on building financial support networks through alumni, advancement, and sponsorship collaborations, while remaining fiscally responsible.
Marcoux most recently served at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, RI, where she was the director of athletics and managed 500 student-athletes, a full-time staff of 30, and 23 Division III varsity programs, as well as the University’s recreation, fitness, and intramural programs. Prior to her appointment as director of athletics at Johnson & Wales, Marcoux was an athletic trainer before being named associate director of athletics and a senior administrator, a position she held from 2002–2013. In addition to her vast administrative credentials, Marcoux also worked as head coach for the University’s volleyball team from 1996–2010. She holds a bachelor’s degree in community health education and athletic training from Rhode Island College and a master’s degree in athletic training from Indiana State University.
Drawn to the smaller campus and closer community at Assumption, Marcoux was impressed by the institution’s strong academic programs, as well as its vision and commitment to the community exemplified in Assumption’s Light the Way 2020: Building Foundations of Excellence strategic plan. “Among other things, the upgrades to the athletic facilities showed me that Assumption was executing their plan, and that was very exciting to me,” Marcoux said. “The Department of Athletics has had great success, especially in recent years. The enhancements to facilities, transition to full-time coaches, and growth in the student-athlete population, all of which are emphasized in the strategic plan, made Assumption’s commitment to athletics clear to me. There is a great deal of passion for athletics and the institution overall.”
There are several areas of the Department of Athletics that have been identified for enhancement to further reflect that passion, according to Marcoux. The 2019–20 academic year will see the addition of Blue and White Sports teams, including Women’s Ice Hockey, Men’s Swimming, and eSports. “These programs will not compete at the NCAA level, but will start at the club level and are an opportunity to assist with the recruitment and retention efforts of the institution,” Marcoux said. “We are excited to be adding these programs and continuing to enhance the co-curricular experience for our students. Once we have completed our strategic plan, we will begin to focus on our next steps to continue to provide Assumption athletes with an outstanding student-athlete experience. The plan will be to add more enhanced club sport offerings as we move forward.”
As Marcoux continues to acclimate to the campus and gets to know her staff, student-athletes, and the Assumption family, she is also studying the NE10 and Division II landscape and determining how to take Assumption in the best direction. “We will continue to strive to be NCAA regional and national contenders while also maintaining academic excellence and giving back to our community,” she said.
