STANDISH, Maine – Saint Joseph's College has announced that Brian Curtin has stepped down from his position as Senior Director of Athletics after leading the department for 14 years.

Curtin, who became the fifth Director of Athletics in Saint Joseph's College Athletics history when he was hired to fill the post in May of 2006, has accepted a position with the United States Center for SafeSport, an independent 501c(3) non-profit organization focused on ending all forms of abuse in sport. The organization endeavors to make athlete well-being the centerpiece of the nation's sports culture through abuse prevention, education, and accountability.

Selected by his peers as the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Executive of the Year in 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2019, Curtin led the SJC Athletics department to a period of unprecedented growth and success during his tenure. When he arrived on campus in 2006, Saint Joseph's sponsored 11 sports. Four teams, men's and women's lacrosse and men's and women's swimming, were added to the SJC offering in the fall of 2007, and indoor and outdoor men's and women's track and field teams were added in 2012. Last winter, men's and women's alpine skiing teams were introduced to the docket, increasing the varsity sports total to 21 programs.

Curtin was instrumental in the College's transition into the GNAC in 2007 following a four-year stint as an NCAA DIII Independent institution. A highly respected leader both on campus and at the conference levels, Curtin sat on numerous committees in both realms and assisted in the GNAC's growth and development over the last 14 years.

"Brian has been an exceptional Director of Athletics who also contributed in many significant ways to the greater College community," adds Saint Joseph's President Jim Dlugos. "He will be sorely missed at Saint Joseph's, but we are proud that he has chosen to commit his talent and energy to the important work of the Center for SafeSport. We wish him all the best."

Curtin spearheaded numerous efforts to improve the athletic facilities at the College, including the construction of the Monks' $5 million lighted turf and track athletics complex, which opened in the fall of 2017. Most recently, Curtin served as a driver behind the planning and announcement of the "Mike McDevitt Court" fundraising campaign, which was revealed to the public in early December.

In 2006, Curtin revived the SJC Athletics Hall of Fame, which had not inducted a class in the four years prior to his arrival. Under his watch, the Hall of Fame membership has grown from 23 members to 93 accomplished athletes, teams, coaches, administrators and philanthropists, and greatly impacted alumni engagement in the process. Curtin also oversaw the planning process for, and building of, the Saint Joseph's College Hall of Fame Room, which was revealed to the public in the fall of 2014.

Fostering an environment centered on the values of the College along with the continued development of exceptional leaders, Curtin helped Saint Joseph's attain previously unseen success both on the field of play and in the classroom over the last 14 years.

Under Curtin's watch, Saint Joseph's claimed the GNAC Men's Commissioner's Cup in 2012 and 2019. The GNAC Commissioner's Cups annually recognize the member institution achieving the highest level of athletic success throughout the academic year. It is based upon a point system and standings are determined by percentages in order to reflect the number of GNAC sports that each member sponsors. The SJC women's teams finished as the runner-up in 2019.

During his time at the helm, the Monks captured 31 conference titles with 25 runner-up finishes and 32 NCAA Tournament appearances while posting an incredible 2125-1271-50 (.626) overall record, including a 1103-468-28 (.702) mark in conference play. The Monks' 10 record-bearing programs combined to make 121 conference tournament appearances (and missed the playoffs just 10 times) while playing in 243 conference tournament contests, including 127 at home.

Saint Joseph's also successfully hosted numerous tournament and championship events, including eight GNAC Cross Country Championships and two GNAC Golf Tournaments. St. Joe's hosted 22 conference championship contests as well as the 2009, 2011, 2014, and 2018 GNAC Baseball Tournaments and the 2014 GNAC Softball Tournament.

Boasting one of the best coaching staffs in the region, the Monks' 12 skippers – through the completion of the 2018-19 campaign - combined to coach for 174 collegiate seasons while posting a collective 2538-1359-21 (.648) overall record with 61 championships during their time as a college clipboard carrier.

With 32 'Coach of the Year' honorees since joining the GNAC in the fall of 2007, Saint Joseph's has garnered more top coach awards than any other institution in the conference over the last 13 years.

In the classroom, the Monks have increased their number of GNAC Academic All-Conference honorees in each of the last nine years with 115 student-athletes (most in the GNAC) maintaining a 3.25 cumulative grade point average through the 2019 spring semester. Overall, St. Joe's athletes have boasted nearly 1,100 academic honors since 2006, including 925 GNAC All-Academic accolades.

The United States Center for SafeSport opened its doors in Denver, Colorado, in March 2017, and soon after became federally authorized under the Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act of 2017 (which became Public Law No: 115-126 on February 14, 2018). Under this law, the organization develops resources and policies to safeguard athletes from bullying, harassment, hazing, physical, emotional, sexual abuse, and sexual misconduct. The law entrusts the Center as the exclusive authority to respond to reports of allegations of sexual abuse and sexual misconduct within the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee and their recognized National Governing Bodies (NGBs).

The Center is a trusted educational resource for all sport entities at all levels of sport from grassroots amateur sports organizations to professional leagues. For more information on the US Center for SafeSport, click HERE