At the Fairfield men’s basketball games at the Arena at Harbor Yard this season, you might have noticed our banner. It has a hand-drawn Stag next to cardinal red letters that carry a simple message; It’s Our Time.’
Fairfield athletics has come of age this decade. A collection of nationally ranked teams, multiple MAAC championships and NCAA berths from men’s and women’s soccer, men’s lacrosse, women’s volleyball and our women’s basketball program to name a few. And we would be remiss not to congratulate the recent MAAC championship victories of our women’s and men’s soccer team.’
The one team missing from that lineup, however, is men’s basketball, the University’s most visible program in Division I athletics. While the squad did receive a bid to the NIT in 2003, the last time the team competed in the NCAA tournament was in 1997. Unfortunately, consistent performance and a winning tradition haven’t always been hallmarks of the program.
This season, Ed Cooley is looking to change that. Motivated and hungry to build something special here at Fairfield, Cooley has breathed new life into the program.’
In just his first two years at the helm, he has led a young, relatively inexperienced team to achieve back-to-back seasons with a winning record in MAAC conference play, a testament to the new direction and promise the program holds.’ In what will be his third year as head coach and after a couple of solid recruiting classes, Cooley now leads a veteran-laden team that has some high expectations.
Having the opportunity to meet Cooley again at a recent university-sponsored dinner event where he discussed the state of the program confirmed our sense of optimism concerning the program. Our take is that while the early part of the season may have been tough as our Stags faced opponents such as NCAA runner-up Memphis, nationally powerhouse Connecticut, and always competitive Virginia Tech, we should be very solid in conference and play and could very likely be playing hoops deep into the madness of March for the first time in years.’
What we also liked about Cooley is that is he not just about winning. He also spoke of his commitment to developing his players off the court by helping them become young, responsible men, not afraid to discipline them for missing classes and not keeping up with their assignments ‘- the mark of a man of character and a person you really want running your basketball program.
Overall, this is truly an exciting time that can create a new generation of spirited Stags on a sports level but it also is a very exciting time because it reminds us how athletics can transcend the win-loss column and help play an important role in the administration’s broader mission to take this institution to new heights. The impact of successful sports teams goes well beyond the field in that it can change the dynamic of the campus, re-engage alumni with the university and offer Fairfield national exposure. Success in a marquee sport like men’s basketball and the media attention it would bring could do wonders in growing the university’s applicant pool and bolstering its academic profile, increasing alumni pride and enhancing the name recognition of the university.
That is why it’s critical to continue to fund our programs to the fullest extent possible by offering scholarships to student athletes and having first rate coaches and top notch facilities. It’s safe to say that some of our peer schools would not have actualized their potential and become the pre-eminent Jesuit institutions in the country to the extent that they have today if not for the success of their athletic programs.’
In closing, we look forward to the rest of the season and hope alumni, students and the university community at large come together to support the Stags at the Arena at Harbor Yard. Fellow season ticketholders, who are a bit older than us, often recount the golden years during the 1960’s and 1970’s, telling stories about the time hundreds of fans boarded trains bound for New York City on their way to Madison Square Garden to watch the Stags defeat Marshall in the NIT, or the time that Fairfield beat a nationally ranked Holy Cross team in front of a raucous Alumni Hall home crowd that literally shook the building. They reminisce and remember and wait to experience those days of Stag glory again.’
We believe that time has come.
-Anthony Catino ’04 and Thomas Catino ’08
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