Kristen Foley, an accomplished athletic administrator and coach for more than three decades, was appointed William Paterson University’s Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation in July of 2021.
In this newly-created role, Foley oversees all operations of both the Pioneers’ NCAA intercollegiate athletics program, and the University’s recreational services, intramurals and club sports offerings.
Foley served as WP’s Interim Director of Athletics for five months (February-June, 2021), after fulfilling the role of Associate Director of Athletics for the Pioneers since July of 2017. As interim director, she guided the Athletics Department through the COVID pandemic, and all 13 intercollegiate teams were able to compete during the spring of 2021.
Most recently an assistant women’s basketball coach at Division I Lafayette College for two seasons, Foley was an administrator for 15 years at Temple University after coaching stints at Temple, Drexel University, Rutgers University and Boston University.
Foley assisted the head coach with all aspects of the Lafayette women’s basketball program for two campaigns (2015-17), including recruiting, NCAA rules compliance, equipment procurement, game planning, fundraising, and student-athlete leadership and life skills development.
She served in a variety of positions at Temple, the last as the Senior Associate Athletic Director/Senior Woman Administrator from 2011-15 when she managed the day-to-day operations for eight programs and oversaw the teams’ budgeting, scheduling, fundraising, alumni and donor relations, purchasing, and personnel/coach development and evaluation. From 2005-11, Foley was the Owls’ Associate Athletic Director/Senior Woman Administrator and provided administrative oversight for 15 different programs, and she also served as Temple’s Assistant Athletic Director/SWA for five years (2000-05), overseeing 12 programs as well as the Office of Academic Support for Student-Athletes and the Office of Compliance. While in Philadelphia, Foley was involved with strategic planning and departmental policy creation and implementation, served as the University ombudsperson, revised and monitored the department’s five-year gender equity plan, and coordinated facility upgrades and renovations as a member of the senior management team.
Foley was the head women’s basketball coach at Temple (1995-2000) and Drexel (1992-95) after turns as an assistant coach at Rutgers (1989-92) and Boston University (1987-89).
A member of the NCAA Men’s Gymnastics (2013-15), Men’s Fencing (chair, 2004-06) and Women’s Basketball Rules (2002-06) Committees, she served as the tournament manager for the 2003 NCAA Men’s Gymnastics Championship and three times for the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championships (2011 and 2005 regionals, 2004 first/second rounds) while at Temple. Named the winner of the All-America Football Foundation’s 2005 Outstanding Associate Director Award, Foley was a floor coach for the East Region at the 1994 U.S. Olympic Festival Trials.
She helped lead Rutgers to the 1986 and 1987 NCAA Women’s Basketball Elite Eights as a team captain, was a 1987 GTE/College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) academic all-American and was awarded an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. She completed a bachelor’s degree in 1986, and a master’s in educational administration in 1991, On the Banks before being inducted into the Rutgers Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995.
