BROOKLYN, N.Y. – St. Joseph's University, New York (Brooklyn) has appointed veteran athletic administrator Dionne Dodson as the new Director of Athletics and Recreation. Dodson brings over two decades of collegiate athletics experience spanning NCAA Division I, Division III, and NJCAA leadership.
"Dionne brings an outstanding blend of coaching and administrative experience, along with a genuine passion for collegiate athletics," said Melody Cope, Executive Director of Athletics and Recreation. "As a former NCAA Division III student-athlete, she understands the importance of providing an exceptional student-athlete experience. We are excited to welcome her to St. Joseph's University, New York, and look forward to the leadership, energy, and enthusiasm she will bring to our Brooklyn athletics department."
"I am so incredibly honored, excited, and humbled to be named the Director of Athletics and Recreation at St. Joseph's Brooklyn. I would like to thank President Boomgaarden, Executive Director of Athletics Melody Cope, and the search committee for this appointment. St. Joseph's provides their student-athletes a unique experience; living and learning in two of Brooklyn's most recognized neighborhoods while continuing to pursue their passion for sports."
Dodson arrives at St. Joseph's following her tenure as Director of Athletics at Bronx Community College (BCC). She supervised 25 full- and part-time athletic department staff members, managed budget allocation, scheduled athletic contests, and achieved a 100% increase in revenue generation. Under her guidance, the Broncos women's basketball team earned a national ranking in the NJCAA for the first time in program history—climbing to No. 11 in NJCAA Division III—and secured the program's first-ever at-large bid to the NJCAA National Tournament. Her tenure at BCC also produced 17 CUNY Athletic Award winners, eight Region XV Athletic Award winners, and numerous CUNY Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll recipients.
Beyond overseeing the Broncos' athletic operations, Dodson was active in several institutional and regional leadership initiatives. She served on BCC's Middle States Working Group for Standard III, Strategic Planning Committee and Auxiliary Enterprises Corporation Board, and the Presidential Search Committee for Chairs, Administrators and Staff. At the regional level, Dodson chaired the Region XV DEI Committee, served as vice president of the Region XV Women's Volleyball Sports Committee and held the role of CUNY Community College Men's Basketball Sport Chair.
Prior to her role at BCC, Dodson spent 15 years at Division I St. Francis College in Brooklyn, serving most recently as Associate Director of Athletics for Business, Game Management, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. In her administrative roles at St. Francis, she served as the Athletics Diversity and Inclusion Designation officer, chaired the athletic department's DEI committee, and represented the institution on the Northeast Conference (NEC) DEI and Sport Management committees. She also acted as sport administrator for 10 Division I sports, including men's and women's volleyball, water polo, swimming and diving, cross country, and track and field.
Dodson's administrative success is backed by an extensive basketball coaching background. At St. Francis Brooklyn, she served as Associate Head Women's Basketball Coach and Recruiting Coordinator. During her tenure, she helped guide the Terriers to their first NEC Tournament Championship and automatic NCAA Tournament bid in program history. Her teams consistently excelled academically, earning inclusion on the WBCA Top 25 Academic Honor Roll multiple times and capturing the top GPA ranking among all 2015 NCAA Tournament teams.
Her coaching career also includes stints at Division I programs, including Fordham University, Manhattan College, Coastal Carolina University, and Saint Francis University (PA). She helped lead the Red Flash to two NEC regular-season and tournament titles in 2000 and 2002, accompanied by two NCAA Tournament appearances. Throughout her coaching career, her recruits achieved notable accolades, including NEC Player of the Year, NEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year, multiple All-Conference selections, and top-ten program scoring records.
Dodson earned a B.S. in Psychology from Muskingum University in 1997, where she was a Division III student-athlete, and holds a M.S. in Sport Management from Slippery Rock University. She maintains active involvement with several national organizations, including NACDA, NATYCAA, MOAA, We Coach, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association, and Women Leaders in Sports. She is also a graduate of the NCAA Women Coaches Academy, the NACDA Sport Administrator Leadership Institute, and Top Connect AD.
