THROGGS NECK, NY – After serving in an interim capacity since August 2019,
Mike Berkun has officially been announced as SUNY Maritime College's 10
th Director of Athletics. He formally moved into the position full-time on April 28, following a nationwide search. Berkun is also the head coach of the Privateers' men's basketball team, and he will continue in that position, as well.
"Thank you to Rear Admiral Michael A. Alfultis, Dr. Jennifer Waters, Dean of Student Affairs William Imbriale, and the entire search committee for your confidence in me," Berkun said. "We've been doing some great things here at Maritime, with more on the horizon. I'm excited by that growth and look forward to seeing it continue."
As the Director of Athletics, Berkun will oversee a department that features 16 varsity teams and more than 400 student-athletes competing at the NCAA Division III level in the Skyline Conference, Eastern Collegiate Football Conference, Intercollegiate Sailing Association and USA Rowing. He's also responsible for Maritime's three club programs, as well as all intramural sports.
Berkun took over as Interim Director of Athletics in August 2019 and helped to steer the Athletic Department through the COVID-19 pandemic. All athletic activity was shut down for nearly a full year, but effective protocols were put in place that allowed Maritime's spring teams to play a limited schedule in 2021, first without spectators, then with fans, before a full return to competition for all sports during the 2021-22 academic year.
"I am excited that Mike will be leading SUNY Maritime College Athletics into a new era," Dean of Student Affairs William Imbriale said. "His leadership throughout the pandemic and into resuming athletic activity was critical to the department's success. He is a staunch advocate for student-athletes, and I look forward to his contributions to SUNY Maritime College in the years ahead."
Under Berkun's leadership, three Maritime teams have won conference championships, both football and men's soccer in 2019 and men's lacrosse in 2021. He hired new head coaches in men's and women's soccer, women's lacrosse and volleyball, and was instrumental in the reintroduction of women's basketball as a varsity sport. Berkun also played a major role in the football team's upcoming move to the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) in 2023.
Originally hired as Head Men's Basketball Coach and Assistant Athletic Director in 2017-18, Berkun amassed a wealth of experience in different areas of the Maritime Athletic Department, from facilities to compliance to development, before taking over as Interim Athletic Director.
He came to Maritime after serving as the associate head men's basketball coach at Daemen College for three seasons, helping the Wildcats post a 59-29 record during his tenure. Prior to Daemen, Berkun spent four years as the associate head coach at his alma mater, Medaille College, with the Mavericks amassing 78 wins during that span. During his playing career, Berkun served as a team captain on Medaille's back-to-back Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Tournament championship squads in his junior and senior seasons.
A 2010 graduate of Medaille with a degree in Liberal Studies, Berkun received his Master's degree in Sport Administration from Canisius College in 2015.
