SCHAFFER NAMED WOMEN’S AND MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY AND TRACK AND FIELD COACH

March 5, 2018

SCHAFFER NAMED WOMEN’S AND MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY AND TRACK AND FIELD COACH

Orangeburg, N.Y. (3/5/18) Dominican College Director of Athletics, Joseph S. Clinton, has announced the hiring of Eric Schaffer as the new head women’s and men’s cross country and track and field coach effective March 12TH, 2018.

Orangeburg, N.Y. (3/5/18) Dominican College Director of Athletics, Joseph S. Clinton, has announced the hiring of Eric Schaffer as the new head women's and men's cross country and track and field coach effective March 12^TH, 2018.

"We are looking forward to Eric joining our staff as our new cross country and track and field coach," said Clinton. "His passion for running, recruiting and building successful programs made him the perfect addition to the Charger staff.

Schaffer comes to Dominican from Manhattanville College where he has spent the last three years at the helm of the Valiants men's and women's cross country and track and field programs.

"I am extremely excited for this opportunity to become the head Coach of Dominican College women's and men's cross country and track & field programs," Schaffer said. "I would like to thank the search committee and Joe Clinton for entrusting me to fulfill the vision of Dominican College and the athletics department. I am excited to work with an extraordinary group of dedicated student-athletes, and continue to build Dominican College cross country and track & field as a prominent force in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference."

In his first season at Manhattanville, Schaffer helped the Valiant athletes to 35 program record-breaking performances on the track and in the field with 26 of them belonging to the women's track team. Under his guidance, he had a female student-athlete capture the Middle Atlantic Conference title in both the indoor and outdoor 200m dash and become the school's first-ever qualifier for the NCAA Division III Indoor Championships in the 200m dash.

Prior to his arrival at Manhattanville, Schaffer spent three years as an assistant coach and Director of Operations for the New Jersey-New York Track Club, where he worked with USTFCCCA Hall of Famer Francis X. Gagliano. He assisted in coordinating practice sessions and competitions, athlete meet entry, transportation, lodging and all other logistical operations for staff and athletes.

A 2010 graduate of Monmouth University, Schaffer spent four years as a member of the Hawk cross country and track teams, where he earned All-Northeast Conference honors. Schaffer was a part of four NEC Championship squads, including two outdoor champions in 2009 and 2010. He graduated with a degree in health studies.

Schaffer is also USTFCCCA Technical Coach Certified and a certified strength and conditioning specialist from the National Strength & Conditioning Association. He received his master's degree in exercise science from Montclair State University in 2015.

The aim of Dominican University New York is to promote educational excellence, leadership, and service in an environment characterized by respect for the individual and concern for the community and its needs. Founded by the Dominican Sisters of Blauvelt, the university is an independent institution of higher learning, Catholic in origin and heritage. In the Dominican tradition, it fosters the active, shared pursuit of truth and embodies an ideal of education rooted in the values of reflective understanding and compassionate involvement. Committed to building its programs upon a strong foundation in the liberal arts and sciences, the university maintains a student-centered climate and serves a diverse community of students in undergraduate and graduate programs. The university empowers this community of learners to excel, lead and serve with integrity and to engage responsibly in the pursuit of a more just, ethical and sustainable world. Dominican also sponsors 17 varsity intercollegiate sports that compete at the NCAA Division II level. To learn more about Dominican University New York, please visit www.duny.edu.