General | 12/1/2023 10:00:00 AM
Dave Fontaine has served as Director of Athletics and Physical Education at Utica University since January, 2012 and is in his 23rd season over two stints as a member of the Utica Athletics Department. Fontaine provides leadership, management, and oversight of 25 intercollegiate sport teams, approximately 700 student-athletes and 60+ department employees. He has served as a past Empire 8 Vice President and 2nd Vice President.
A Utica legend, Fontaine starred as a four-year collegiate student-athlete, and member of the baseball pitching staff at Utica,. He captained the Pioneer baseball team in his senior season and led the team to an ECAC Upstate Co-Championship in 1989. After graduating that spring, Fontaine began his first tenure as a member of the Utica athletic department, served in a variety of roles until 2000 including: director of intramurals, head softball coach, physical education instructor, home event manager, compliance director, scheduling coordinator and assistant director of athletics. In his six years as the head softball coach, he led the Pioneers to three post-season tournament appearances.
Since returning to Utica as Director of Athletics in 2012, he has been involved in multiple facility upgrades including the installation of a video scoreboard at Gaetano Stadium, the construction of the Todd and Jen Hutton Sports and Recreation Center (a 135,000 sq. ft. air supported structure-one of the largest of its kind in North America), the construction of Casamento Field (an outdoor turf field with lights, stands, a press box, video scoreboard and eight lane track), upgrades to the university baseball field and Greenman softball field (a new infield, backstop, dugouts with power, bullpens, batting cages, sports information booth, scoreboard and video stream capability), upgrades to Clark Athletic Centers’ Miga Court (new branding, seating, and state of the art video score table) as well as several other branding enhancement efforts.
During his tenure, the Pioneers have enjoyed 16 team conference championships; countless individual conference championships (track and field/cross country); 13 team appearances in the NCAA tournament including three “Sweet 16” appearances (two for field hockey and one for football), three Quarter Final appearances (men’s ice hockey) and one Final Four appearance (men’s ice hockey); 46 individual NCAA appearances (track and field/cross country) and 57 students-athletes earning All-American honors. In addition, Utica has enjoyed several conference Coach of the Year, Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year accolades.
Fontaine is proud to share that Utica student-athletes have demonstrated success beyond the playing arenas as they have consistently achieved in the classroom and have earned an average department team GPA of 3.10. Hundreds of Utica student-athletes have been named to the Empire 8 President’s List for achieving an individual GPA of 3.75 or higher. They have also been involved in countless community service projects benefiting the greater Mohawk Valley and surrounding areas.
He is a member of the President’s Cabinet, Provost Cabinet, Joint Cabinet, Behavioral Intervention Team, Liberal Arts Colleges Race Equity Leadership Alliance (LACRELA) and 504 ADA Advisory Committee, the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and the National Association of Division III Athletic Administrators (NADIIIAA) to name a few. He is also a Title IX Deputy Coordinator and the Empire 8 AD/SWA Chair. He recently started a term on the NCAA Division III Baseball National Rules Committee that will run through 2027.
Empire 8 Executive Director
Chuck Mitrano says: "Dave has had a tremendous impact on the Empire 8. He is highly respected and trusted by the Presidents and Athletic Directors and provides invaluable leadership critical to our growth and collaborative culture. Dave has also built Utica into a highly competitive program across the board while emphasizing our shared values of competing with honor and integrity. We’re fortunate to have the impact of this great leader, he is most deserving of this distinguished honor."
Coach/Administrator Name: David Fontaine
School: Utica University
Title: Director of Athletics
Year at Current Institution/Total in College Athletics: 23 years at Utica and in college athletics over two stints - 1989-2000 and January 2012-present.
College Attended/Class Year: Utica College, Class of 1989
Years associated with the Empire 8 Conference: 13 years
Favorite Professional Athlete/Pro Team: Cal Ripken/New York Yankees
Favorite Movie: The Godfather
Last TV Show You Binge Watched: Band of Brothers
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: Pistachio
What Do You Enjoy Doing When Away From College Athletics? I enjoy spending time with my wife and family, working out, running the Utica Boilermaker 15K Road Race and doing woodworking projects.
Favorite or Dream Vacation Spot: My dream vacation is Italy.
Favorite Athletic Memory as a Coach/Administrator: As the head softball coach at Utica (1994-2000), my favorite memory was being part of the program’s first ever 20-win softball season (when the season was 28 games) and qualifying for post-season play. As an administrator, my favorite memories are watching student-athletes celebrate a great win or competing in conference championship play. To watch them celebrate with their teammates is a special feeling.
Who Was Your Greatest Mentor(s) and Why: My parents were two of my greatest mentors. They taught me the importance of having faith, putting in an honest day’s work, being resilient and having a moral compass. Another mentor was former Utica Athletic Director and head baseball coach Jim Spartano. He reinforced the importance of work ethic, being visible and supportive to our student-athletes, and doing everything possible to be fair and consistent.
Most Rewarding Aspect of Being a Coach/Administrator: Watching student-athletes succeed athletically and in their personal lives. It’s rewarding to see their successes and growth after they graduate. The hope is that in some small way, I had a positive impact on their Utica experience.
What is your favorite aspect of Division III Athletics? My favorite aspect of Division III is that student-athletes are truly playing for the love of the game. Division III athletics gives so many student-athletes the opportunity to continue to play the sport they love while forging life-long friendships and creating special memories.
What is your favorite memory from your time in the Empire 8 Conference? It’s very difficult to share one special memory of the Empire 8 Conference. Certainly, it’s very special to see our student-athletes and their teams have success in their respective sports. If they are fortunate enough, the opportunity to experience a championship environment is a memory that will last a long time.
How Does The Empire 8 Stand Out Among other Conferences? The Empire 8 has exceptional conference leadership, a group of athletic directors that are collegial and work very well together, and student-athletes that are inspirational.
In your opinion, what would you say the league has done a great job of during your association with the Empire 8 Conference? The Empire 8 Conference has done a great job of understanding the future of Division III college athletics and having a vision for the long-term sustainability of the conference. It has done an exceptional job of earning positive recognition on a national stage for its emphasis on sportsmanship. Finally, it recognizes and celebrates the accomplishments of our student-athletes and promotes them in a positive manner.
The Empire 8 Taught Me: The importance of working collaboratively with my colleagues across the conference to provide the best experience possible for the membership and the student-athletes we serve.
If you could use just one word to describe the Empire 8 Conference, what would it be? Respected
If you had to describe the Empire 8 to someone who knew nothing about it, what would you tell them? Empire 8 is an athletic conference that consists of a reputable group of institutions and administrators that work to always have the best interests of the student-athletes in mind.
Finally, 25 years from now, what do you hope people are saying about the Empire 8 Conference?
I hope people say the Empire 8 Conference has had the vision to remain viable and stable through challenging and changing times. I hope they say the E8 continues to have the student-athletes’ well-being as priority one and they continue to shape individuals into becoming productive members of our society.
Advice for Aspiring Student-Athletes (Youth/High School and Incoming Collegians):
Work hard and not take short cuts or look for the easy way. Instead, do the extra work, be respectful and responsible, know that the little things do matter and when you need help, ask for it. Everyone wants you to be successful.
Advice for Graduating Student-Athletes:
Your life will move quicker than you can imagine. Just look back at the past four years of your collegiate experience. As you begin the next phase of your life, take time to enjoy the journey. Make the sacrifices, put in honest work and be strong enough not to get caught up in the things that can steer you down the wrong path. Be sure you thank the people who have helped you along the way…and there will be many to thank. Above all, keep your moral compass, stay true to yourself, and help the next person coming along.
The Empire 8 is celebrating its 25th anniversary season in 2023-24 and will be celebrating various coaches, administrators and former student-athletes throughout the year as part of the Empire 8 25th Anniversary Legends series. In addition, the league will honor various championship teams and former Players of the Year on social media platforms throughout the 2023-24 season. The conference will also be using the #E825 and #E8Anniversary hashtags on its Twitter and Instagram platforms as a way for fans to follow along throughout the year.
ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE
The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit
www.empire8.com.
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