New AD Brings Excitement, Vision To Stony Brook Athletics

Stony Brook – Contagious excitement. If you spend a few minutes with new Stony Brook Director of Athletics Shawn Heilbron, that’s going to be one of your takeaways, if not your biggest.

Heilbron joined the Stony Brook University staff as Director of Athletics (AD) back in May, after a nationwide search commenced last fall with the departure of his predecessor. He joins the Stony Brook University staff after his tenure at Oregon State University in Corvalis, Oregon, where he served as Senior Associate A

thletics Director. His resume’ also boasts significant experience with fundraising.

Sitting in his office this past week, Heilbron discussed the journey from Corvalis to Stony Brook, his decision-making process, and his vision for all of the sports programs competing at Stony Brook.

Heilbron’s knowledge of Stony Brook University was limited. “When I first got a call, I certainly knew of Stony Brook and actually, it went back to my time at SMU (Southern Methodist University) when our men’s basketball team played Stony Brook back in 1999. So, that was my first introduction to Stony Brook, but certainly the 2012 College World Series put Stony Brook on the map”, said Heilbron.

Brookhaven Town’s D-1 Stony Brook University, a SUNY school, is a young program, as college programs go, however, they’ve garnered 48 conference championships and they’ve experienced a tremendous amount of recent success, most notably, upsetting collegiate baseball powerhouse LSU (Louisiana State University) in the 2012 College World Series.

Stony Brook’s football team recently transitioned into the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA), a premiere D-I, FCS conference boasting members such as Towson University, a perenial FCS contender. The Seawolves held the lead against Towson last season in their CAA opener with just minutes to go, but fell just short of a victory. Towson went on to lose to North Dakota State in the national championship game.

Stony Brook competes in the America East Conference with its other sports.

Heilbron conducted his due diligence while considering the position being offered to him by the university. “The more I looked into it, the more I liked it. I felt like it would be a good fit for me professionally, and for my family, and it just matched everything I was looking for in terms of making a move, from the academic reputation of the school, the aspirational nature of the school, and the success that the athletics program has had. It had all of the elements, and in my mind, assured the ability to grow the program in the right way”.

“My interest and desire to come here only increased as time passed”, added Heilbron.

One of Heilbron’s main considerations in weighing his decision was making sure not only that those elements were in place, but “I could come in, see my vision through, work with a staff in place, and most important a place that my family could live and thrive”. Heilbron and his wife Bevin, have three children.

In an odd coincidence, Heilbron was part of the interview process of former Stony Brook athletics staff member Todd Phelps, just days before being contacted about the Stony Brook AD position. Phelps ended up joining the staff at Oregon State just prior to Heilbron accepting his new position here, at SBU.

As part of his research on Stony Brook, Heilbron reached out to colleagues, and in additon, delved into the school’s strategic plan, liking just about everything he discovered. The influence of Stony Brook University president Samuel L. Stanley was also key.

“There’s no question that President Stanley, his leadership, his vision, and where Stony Brook is positioned, it assured me that athletics would have the opportunity to achieve great success”.

Heilbron is excited about the prospects for Stony Brook’s athletics, not just in the long-term, but short-term as well. “I think the fact that the athletic department has achieved a certain level of success did tell me that anything is possible. With our market, our proximity to New York City, our location here on Long Island, I felt this was a place that we can recruit to, not only for the location, but the academic reputation of the university”.

“We’re poised for great things”, was how Heilbron responded when asked to describe the Stony Brook athletics programs in one sentence.

He added, “Our vision is, and we will formalize this in a strategic plan that we are working on, is to positively transform the life of each student-athlete. We want student-athletes that come here to be impacted in such a meaningful way that they otherwise wouldn’t have, if they’d have gone somewhere else. I believe in doing so, we will be able to achieve competitive success”.

Watching Heilbron interact with his student-athletes, you can see the genuine connection he’s able to easily establish. He goes out of his way to reach out to them as they encounter each other while he goes through his day.

Arriving at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium for a photo shoot for this story, he made a beeline toward a couple of student-athletes whom he had yet to meet, and introduced himself, before turning his attention to the tightly-scheduled shoot. It was obvious that was a natural priority for the guy; kids first, business second, despite the tight schedule. He knew he had not met them, and it was important to him. He picked them out of a small crowd of 17 athletes who had assembled for the shot.

He wants, and expects student-athletes to “…earn their degrees, and assume leadership positions on this campus”. He wants their time at Stony Brook to be well-spent, preparing for success in their futures, and his vision is to also provide an experience for them that will change lives. He wants them to be challenged, strengthened and transformed, to be prepared for their future.

In discussing the growth of the athletics programs at Stony Brook, Heilbron is looking to shore up private investment, from the community, from alumni, and from corporate supporters. “We have an amazing football stadium, arena and some great facilities as a result of state funding, and support from the president, and university. To take the next step, we’re going to have to generate more revenue”.

The Stony Brook Arena will open this fall, after undergoing a multi-year, $21 million renovation. The Harlem Globetrotters will open the arena with the first event. The home-openers for the successful men’s and women’s basketball programs will follow, in November.

Heilbron’s goal is to have his athletic programs contending for conference championships and NCAA post-season appearances. “I definitely would like to be in a position where one or more of our teams can win an NCAA championship within the next five years. I think that’s very doable, but we have to provide the resources and the administrative support to give them the chance”.

Recruiting students locally, as well as nationwide is something Heilbron feels is necessary, and needs to be improved upon. “Do people understand the value of a degree from Stony Brook University? I don’t think they do. We’ve had a lot of success and we need to share that story. It comes down to establishing a national reputation, not just for athletics, but for the entire university”.

Athletics programs in the northeast don’t have anywhere near the following enjoyed in the south and other parts of the country. The at times, anemic attendance at football games is a clear example. Heilbron recognizes this but is committed to changing that trend.

“We have to create a program that people want to be connected to. It means creating excitement, and drawing people in. We have to build relationships in the community, and at the university”. Heilbron expects to change that perception the “old-fashioned way”, by winning, and engaging the local community at a grassroots level, as well as with statewide and national outreach.

“We’re a young university and we don’t have the alumni base (as big as older, larger universities), but I do think it’s possible. I know it is”.

When he was introduced at a press conference this past spring, Heilbron made it clear that the football program is a priority because nationally, it is the sport which draws in the crowds and the support, not just from an attendance perspective, but from a financial perspective. He reiterated that focus last week but also went out of his way to express the importance of every athletic program at the university, stressing they, too, benefit from success in football. Again, here, his genuine desire to be all-inclusive with every sport, was clear.

Having a Division-I program in Brookhaven Town has tremendous benefits to town residents. The university campus isn’t more much than a 20-minute drive from the furthest point in Brookhaven. On an almost daily basis, student-athletes, many local, are continuing their athletic careers on a collegiate level and competing locally.

Most sporting events are free and those with a fee are extremely reasonable. An entire family can attend a Seawolves football or basketball game with a trip or two to the concession stands, for the cost of less than one ticket to most professional sporting events.

Traveling to Stony Brook’s campus for town residents is free of traffic, tolls, bridges and tunnels. Winter sports at the university definitely make the long, cold winters pass faster, and the Seawolves offer extremely reasonably-priced season tickets for both men’s and women’s basketball.

Shawn Heilbron arrived on the campus of Stony Brook University with a clear vision for success, and growth. His resume’ clearly demonstrate his ability as both an administrator, and a fundraiser. He’s got the full support of President Stanley, and is quickly becoming part of the fabric of the university.

Brookhaven Town residents, those with kids participating in sports, and those who simply enjoy NCAA athletics have an opportunity in Heilbron’s arrival as well. They have the opportunity to embrace the school, its athletics programs, and academic opportunities and become a part of the success of a young university by attending games and matches on a consistent basis. The time spent with kids goes a long way, and helps to establish goals for them with respect to furthering their education, and competing at a higher level.

Fall sports are well underway, and there’s no better time than now. Visit the Seawolves Athletics website at GoSeawolves.org, and check out schedules and rosters. If your kids currently participate in high school volleyball, soccer, tennis, cross country, football or any other sport offered at Stony Brook, they will love hitting the campus on a regular basis to watch college athletes compete.

It’s very likely that new AD Shawn Heilbron’s contagious excitement will be spreading, and with it, the continued success of Stony Brook’s outstanding student-athletes.

Brookhaven Reader News Tips: Have you wanted to find new methods to reduce your expenses and improve cash flow? See here for more information .