St. Lawrence coach retires

St. Lawrence coach Tom Fay has announced his retirement after a 38-year career as a coach.

Fay, who holds the St. Lawrence record for career coaching victories with 522 in his 37 seasons, joined the St. Lawrence staff as baseball coach and an assistant football coach in the fall of 1972. A 1968 graduate of Ithaca, where he was a three-sport athlete, he earned his master's degree at St. Lawrence in 1970 and the Ph.D. from Boston University in 1982, a year in which he took a sabbatical from coaching. Fay also holds the rank of full professor on the university faculty and played a significant role in developing and refining the majors program in sport studies and exercise science.

During his tenure at St. Lawrence, Fay served for more than 20 years as the defensive coordinator for the football team and had a two-year stint as an assistant basketball coach. In addition to coaching, he served as regional chair and a member of the NCAA Division III baseball committee from 1990-98. A new St. Lawrence baseball field was dedicated in his honor in fall of 2002.

"Tom has influenced the lives of countless St. Lawrence students as both a coach and a teacher," said athletic director Margie Strait. "He has been a tremendous asset to the university as a teaching coach and has made significant contributions to the field of physical education."

Fay was a chair and co-author of the "New York State Learning Standards for Health and Physical Education," for the New York State Education Department, and co-author of the New York State Physical Education Profile, an assessment protocol for high school physical education programs.

"We will miss his leadership and wisdom as a member of the department, but we wish him all the best in the next chapter of his life. Tom Fay Field remains a symbol of his success as a coach. Multiple generations of players and students were positively influenced by his dedication and skill as a teacher and mentor," Strait added.

Fay finishes his coaching career with a record of 522-517-7 in 37 seasons and was among the top 30 Division III baseball coaches in wins among active coaches at the time of his retirement. He ranks among the top 50 coaches in win totals in Division III, all-time.

A search for a replacement for Fay as head baseball coach will begin immediately.