When head coaching positions are endowed by wealthy donors, the Big Green receives additional support to pursue athletic success. On Monday, Dartmouth announced that four more teams — men’s hockey, women’s rowing, men’s heavyweight rowing and women’s alpine skiing — would receive similar funding, thanks to four alumni gifts totaling $7 million.
The announcement is the latest development in a fundraising effort by the athletics department to raise $20 million in endowments — of which $11.5 million has actually been raised — “to increase the competitiveness of its varsity teams.”
“We’re obviously thrilled,” director of athletics and recreation Harry Sheehy said. “To announce the latest $7 million from some of Dartmouth’s greatest friends and supporters was very encouraging. This was a big momentum boost and a big morale boost for us as a department.”
Sheehy inherited the endowment fundraising objective when he arrived at Dartmouth in 2010.
Endowed funds currently comprise 5 percent of the department’s $22.5 million budget, Sheehy said.
Although the average endowment rate for a coaching position is $1.15 million, the range of endowment rates varies by sport between $1 million and $2.5 million. Of the four newly endowed coaches, the men’s hockey coach received the largest endowment, Sheehy said. He declined to provide the exact amount until details are finalized.
The money donated toward these positions will support some part of the coach’s salary. That money then frees up previously allocated funds to be used for equipment, travel and other expenses, which can help boost the program, Sheehy said.
The athletics advancement department identifies those who may be willing to endow a coaching position and connects Sheehy with the potential donor. Most endowments occur because the advancement team reaches out to alumni, but they can step forward without solicitation.
The endowments have been in the works for several months, but plans became much clearer in recent weeks, Sheehy said.
Dartmouth now has 10 endowed head coaches, and will continue efforts to endow other coaching positions until the $20 million goal is achieved, Sheehy said.
The Koenig family endowed the men’s hockey position. Brad Koenig ’80 is the inaugural chair of Dartmouth’s Athletics Advisory Board, started in 2011 to strengthen Dartmouth athletics including coaching, facilities, training, injury prevention and academic support. He is also the cofounder and CEO of FoodyDirect.com, an online marketplace for customers to ship food from restaurants and bakeries to their homes.
Koenig pointed to his memorable experiences at Dartmouth hockey games as a factor in his decision to endow the men’s hockey coaching position and said he hopes it sets up the program well going forward while allowing the athletics director to address other areas.
“I can’t think of a more enjoyable and enduring experience at Dartmouth than taking a walk to Thompson Arena with all of my friends and fellow students and going to a jam-packed Thompson Arena,” he said.
The gift of Betsy and Mark Gates ’59 endowed the men’s heavyweight crew head coach. Mark Gates is also a member of the Dartmouth Athletics Advisory Board and is on the board of overseers for the Hood Museum. At the College, he competed on the crew team.
Christopher Jenny ’77 endowed the women’s alpine skiing head coach in memory of his grandmother, who won the first-ever National Ski Championship in 1905 in Glarus, Switzerland. Jenny is president and senior partner at the Parthenon Group and is vice chair of the Dartmouth Athletics Advisory Board.
The women’s rowing coach was endowed anonymously, and the donor has not yet determined the position’s name, a matter of personal preference, Sheehy said.
“There are many folks who are excited to have their family name on it, and there are many who want to honor someone they played for,” Sheehy said. “The binding factor is that they want to support the program and support athletics.”
The other six head coaching positions support the football head coach, the men’s track and field head coach, the women’s track and field head coach, the squash head coach and both golf head coach positions.
“I’m really excited about this endowed coaching position for the women’s alpine program and the ski program in general,” women’s alpine skiing head coach Chip Knight said. “It’s just a great source of ongoing support that we’ll all have going forward.”
Hank Paulson ’68 endowed the football coaching position in honor of Dartmouth’s legendary coach from the ’50s and ’60s, and Kathryn and Richard Kimball ’78 endowed the women’s golf coaching position.
