Roach Making Big Impact

During last week’s Orientation, first-years became acquainted with many important figures on the Colgate campus. Students now recognize President Rebecca Chopp as the bespectacled woman with short brown hair and crutches. Dean Charlotte Johnson is known to first-years as the lawyer from Michigan. However, in the midst of the official welcome of the class of 2010 and other events, a significant individual was not introduced to incoming first-years.

Athletics Director David Roach has been a member of the Colgate family for over two years. The Springfield College alum traveled a long and sinuous path to arrive in the Chenango Valley. After graduating with a Master of Science degree in physical education, Roach joined the United States Marine Corps where he earned the rank of captain. Once he left the Marine Corps in 1975, Roach bounced around the country for 15 years while coaching water polo, swimming and diving at three universities. Although his teams were very successful and won numerous conference championships, Roach hung up the whistle for good in 1990 when he became the 13th Athletics Director of Brown University. The Ivy League school won 62 conference championships and was named as one of the top 20 Athletic programs in the nation by US News and World Report in 2002 during Roach’s 14-year tenure as athletic director. However, the former swimming and diving star wanted