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Hofstra University Athletics

THE PRIDE OF LONG ISLAND
THE PRIDE OF LONG ISLAND
2021 Rick Cole Head Shot

Rick Cole Jr.

Rick Cole Jr. is in his eighth year at Hofstra in 2025-2026 and serves as vice president and director of athletics. An innovative leader with more than 30 years of experience at college sports programs across the New York metro area, Cole began his tenure at Hofstra University on May 21, 2018.

Cole, who has served as a director of athletics at three different institutions, is entering his 22nd year as an athletic director.

Cole has transformed Hofstra with successful fundraising efforts, with membership and revenue from the Hofstra Athletics Pride Club at record levels. Since his arrival, there has been a 125% increase in annual dollars raised, a 343% increase in total donors, and a 388% increase in sponsorships. In addition, revenues from facility rentals have gone up by 57% under his watch. Cole also negotiated the department’s first-ever head-to-toe apparel and shoe deal with Nike in March 2019, which was renewed in 2024.

Dedicated to building champions in academics, athletics, in the community, and in life, Hofstra student-athletes have flourished in the classroom over the past seven years, setting records for department-wide grade point averages. Pride student-athletes have had a combined 3.00 GPA or higher in each semester under Cole and for 25 consecutive semesters in total. Seventeen student-athletes have been named Academic All-American, with many others earning Academic All-District and coaches association academic accolades. Cole created, in conjunction with Hofstra’s Office of the Provost, the Hofstra Athletic Director Scholars Academic Honor Roll to recognize the outstanding scholarly accomplishments of Hofstra’s student-athletes.

As a member of Hofstra President Susan Poser’s Cabinet, Cole has overseen numerous initiatives to improve the student-athlete experience. This includes the addition of the Athletic Department’s first full-time mental health specialist to assist in the health and wellness of Pride student-athletes. Cole has also placed a greater emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, including the creation of Hofstra4All and the No Locker for Discrimination Committees.

Other aspects of the student-athlete experience that have been addressed under Cole’s leadership have been the construction of a student-athlete lounge in the David S. Mack Physical Education Center and renovations to team locker rooms.

He has also put an emphasis on the Pride’s community service endeavors, with the department setting records for its service hours each year, including more than 4,400 hours in 2024-2025.

During Cole’s tenure, Hofstra teams have had a great deal of success, winning 11 CAA Championships and making 12 team NCAA appearances. Women’s soccer has won four CAA titles (2018, 2019, 2021, 2022) and advanced to the NCAA Second Round in 2019 and 2021. Men’s soccer has won four conference championships (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024), earned national seeds in 2023 and 2024, and advanced to the NCAA Third Round in 2021 and 2023. Men’s basketball won the 2020 CAA Championship, while baseball earned its first-ever CAA championship and made its first appearance in the NCAA Regionals in 2022. The softball team won its first CAA title in five years in 2023 to advance to the NCAA Regionals. The women’s lacrosse team also made an NCAA appearance under Cole’s oversight, earning an at-large bid in 2021. Student-athletes on the men’s and women’s cross country and track teams have made several NCAA appearances, while Hofstra wrestling has had several NCAA Championship qualifiers over the past seven years, including a pair of EIWA championships in 2024-2025.

Since Cole’s arrival, Hofstra Athletics has produced 13 All-Americans, including four first team selections, as well as 268 All-CAA honorees and 42 CAA Players of the Year.

Other highlights of Cole’s seven years at Hofstra include facility upgrades in the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex with state-of-the-art video boards, lighting, and a sound system installed, as well as new branding and other cosmetic improvements. The men’s and women’s basketball locker rooms were upgraded, while the weight room in the Mack Sports Complex was renovated and refurbished with top-of-the-line equipment via a leadership gift from the Brodlieb Family. Hofstra Soccer Stadium, which was renamed Captains Field in 2024 thanks to generous support from the Dempster and Healy families, received a state-of-the-art video board as well as new turf, European-style goals, and updated branding. The Hofstra Field Hockey Stadium was renamed Cindy Lewis Stadium in 2024 and also received a turf replacement and updated branding. University Field, the home of Hofstra baseball, had its playing surface redone in 2024 with a new turf infield and a completely resodded outfield, and the Hofstra tennis courts were completely resurfaced in 2022. The David S. Mack Physical Education Center, home of the volleyball and wrestling teams, had new bleachers installed as well as updated branding. The construction of a student-athlete lounge and team locker room renovations were also completed in the Mack Physical Education Center. In addition to the upgrades to athletic facilities, improvements were made to office space and meeting rooms for teams and administrators.

In partnership with The Lawrence Herbert School of Communication, Cole spearheaded the construction of a state-of-the-art broadcast production facility located in the Herbert School as well as the purchase of equipment to upgrade Hofstra Athletics’ video streaming capabilities. The facility serves as the control room for Hofstra Athletics broadcasts. He also worked with Hofstra’s Information Technology Services to install fiber optic cables at all athletic competition facilities.

Cole has served on the CAA Rebranding Committee and the CAA President’s Committee during his tenure and is also an active member of NACDA. He is chair of the CAA’s Athletic Directors Council, which is responsible for making decisions and setting policy related to athletics within the conference. The council works to ensure the success of CAA athletic programs, with a focus on competitive excellence, student-athlete well-being, and the overall sustainability of the conference.

Prior to coming to Hofstra, Cole was vice president for athletics administration at Iona for five years. During his tenure at Iona, the Gaels programs set records in athletics, academics, community service, and revenue. Iona earned 18 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championships, including three straight MAAC tournament championships and NCAA Tournament appearances for men's basketball, and the first-ever MAAC tournament and NCAA appearance for women's basketball in 2015-2016. The number of student-athletes named to the MAAC academic honor roll increased annually, reaching the highest levels in program history, while revenue and fundraising also hit new peaks. He established the program's first corporate sponsorship program. 

At Iona, Cole helped to establish new community service programs for student-athletes and led efforts to transform athletic facilities with a series of capital projects, including the renovation of Hynes Athletic Center and the installation of jumbo state-of-the-art scoreboards. He also rebranded the athletics marks and website, negotiated an apparel and shoe deal with Adidas, launched Iona’s ESPN3 School Productions program, and increased academic support services for student-athletes.

Before his stint at Iona, Cole served as vice president of athletics and athletic director at Dowling College, senior associate athletic director for external affairs at St. John's University, and associate athletic director for external affairs and advancement at Stony Brook University. While at Dowling, he served on the NCAA Division II Management Council.

Cole holds a bachelor's degree in political science and a master's degree in higher education, both from the University at Buffalo. He resides in Oakdale, New York, with his wife, Brooke. The Coles have three children: Taylor, Mackenzie, and Trey. Each played collegiate volleyball – Taylor at Iona and Duke, Mackenzie at Duke and UCLA, and Trey at Pepperdine.


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