Former Tiger Assistant Coach Jim Zalacca to Retire as SUNY Potsdam Athletic Director

December 18, 2017

Jim Zalacca, an assistant men's basketball coach at DePauw University from 1980-82 and athletic director at SUNY (State University of New York) Potsdam since 2000, has announced that he will retire September 1, 2018.

"Jim has been a tireless advocate for SUNY Potsdam's athletic program," said Rick Miller, executive vice president and chief student affairs officer at SUNY Potsdam. "His efforts to improve our athletic facilities and to promote academic excellence, volunteerism and civic engagement among our student athletes“ have been “truly remarkable."

An article notes, "Zalacca's career in college sports spans nearly 40 years, beginning in 1980 when he joined the basketball program DePauw University in Greencastle, Ind. as assistant coach. His first administrative post was as director of athletics and men's head basketball coach at Bethany College in West Virginia. From 1990-93, Zalacca was athletic director at Castleton University in Vermont. He first entered the State University of New York Athletic Conference in 1993 as director of athletics at SUNY New Paltz, where he guided the Hawks for seven seasons. Zalacca took the helm of Bears Athletics prior to the 2000-01 campaign. Zalacca's tenure at Potsdam has seen three team SUNYAC titles, nine individual SUNYAC titles, one NCAA Championship, two NCAA Tournament appearances and a Bears men's basketball advance to the Elite Eight. (at left: Tiger head coach Mike Steele with Zalacca in Bowman Gym in November 1981)

The text adds, "During his time Potsdam has also produced 11 All-Americans, 238 all-conference selections and multiple professional athletes ... In his time at Potsdam, Zalacca has overseen approximately $25 million in improvements to the college's sports facilities." He's also served two terms on the NCAA Men's Basketball Rules Committee.

Read more here.

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