Sept. 6, 2011
Stony Brook University Athletics has announced the hiring of two new assistant athletic directors, who combine to have tremendous experience in their respective fields. Joining the Seawolves as Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Administration is Patrick Muffley, who has worked in collegiate athletics for eight years, and coming to Stony Brook as Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Medicine is Elizabeth Zanolli, who has spent the last 11 years as an athletic trainer across four collegiate institutions.
"We are fortunate to be adding two highly talented people in Elizabeth and Patrick," Stony Brook University Director of Athletics Jim Fiore said. "They both have a wealth of experience, and they have bought into the vision we have for this department. I believe they will do a great job in helping us reach our goals."
Muffley will oversee the women's soccer, volleyball, softball and men's & women's tennis programs at Stony Brook and will also serve as the department's championship administrator. He comes to Stony Brook after four years as an administrator at the Patriot League. He joined the staff there in August 2007 as Assistant Director for Sports Management and Compliance before being promoted to Associate Director in 2009 and to Assistant Executive Director for Sport Management and Governance in 2010.
In his latest role at the Patriot League, Muffley directed all league sport operations, including serving as the director of officiating, liaison to member institution athletic directors, senior woman administrators and financial aid and admissions directors, developing future league schedules and overseeing development of the Patriot League Leadership Academy.
Muffley also was a member of the NCAA Legislative Council and the FCS Football Legislative Subcommittee.
Prior to working at the Patriot League, Muffley spent two years as Athletic Administration Coordinator at Brown University, where he coordinated team travel for all 37 varsity programs, served as the director of football operations, assisted the compliance department and acted as site coordinator for all home events.
Muffley earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Law & Public Policy from Syracuse in 2001 and then received his Juris Doctorate from the New England School of Law in 2004.
"I am extremely excited to join one of the nation's premier academic and athletic institutions," Muffley said. "It is an honor to be able to call myself a member of the Stony Brook family, and I appreciate the opportunity that Jim Fiore, Donna Woodruff and Matt Larsen have given me."
Zanolli will oversee Stony Brook's comprehensive sports medicine department, which includes six full-time assistants. She has spent the last four years as the Head Athletic Trainer at C.W. Post, where she oversaw prevention, evaluation, rehabilitation and physician referral of athletic injuries and illnesses for all 15 athletic programs with primary coverage of football and men's & women's basketball. She was responsible for the budget, managing and scheduling all athletic training personnel, developing policies and procedures and coordinating drug testing in accordance with university and NCAA regulations.
Prior to her work at C.W. Post, Zanolli was the Assistant Athletic Trainer at Duke for two years (2005-07) and at St. John's for two years (2003-05). She also was a Graduate Assistant Certified Athletic Trainer at Tennessee from 2000-03. While at St. John's, she assisted in the inventory and design of a new athletic training facility for the men's & women's basketball teams.
Zanolli is certified by the National Athletic Trainers Association. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Kinesiology from Chapman University in 1999, and earned her Master of Science in Human Performance and Sport Studies from the University of Tennessee in 2003.
"I'd like to thank Jim Fiore, Donna Woodruff and Matt Larsen for this opportunity," Zanolli said. "I'm delighted to be part of such a quality athletics department and can't wait to get started. I am looking forward to working with Stony Brook's highly talented group of student-athletes and providing them every opportunity to be successful."
