Stuart Robinson was the last interview of the day for the athletic director search committee at SUNY New Paltz.
Although the candidates who were interviewed that day had more administrative experience as either directors or associate directors of athletics, when Robinson completed his interview, there wasn’t much of a question who the next face of Hawks Athletics would be.
“The other two finalists had the credentials, but Stuart knew New Paltz,” said Richard Bodenschatz, retired associate dean of admissions and a member of the athletic director search committee that hired Robinson 19 years ago. “He had assisted then President Alice Chandler and had taught freshman composition here and at Dutchess Community College, and was our soccer coach. He knew the athletic and academic situation at New Paltz and he had prepared a multi-year plan for success that took into account that knowledge. It was a thoughtful, realistic year-by-year plan that built upon the success of each succeeding year. It wouldn’t be a quick fix, like a few other candidates seemed to believe. It would take time and it would take effort to change the perception of athletics, both within the department and most importantly, the College. Stuart had a true vision of where New Paltz athletics could go and how ‘we,’ not ‘I’ could get us there.”
After serving as the Hawks’ men’s soccer coach for nine seasons, working his way to assistant director, and then associate director of athletics, and a brief stint as interim director, Robinson was hired as the ninth Director of Athletics, Wellness & Recreation at SUNY New Paltz in 2001.