Wagner College - Athletics

Athletics

Wagner College offers athletic scholarships and competes at the NCAA Division I level in all intercollegiate athletics except for football, which competes at the NCAA Division I FCS (Formerly I-AA) level. Wagner is a full-time member of the Northeast Conference (NEC) along with Bryant University, Central Connecticut State University, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Long Island University, Monmouth University, Mount Saint Mary's University, Quinnipiac University, Robert Morris University, Sacred Heart University, Saint Francis College, and Saint Francis University. Wagner is the seventh smallest college in the country that participates in NCAA Division I athletics and the third smallest in the NEC. Men's varsity intercollegiate teams are fielded in baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, lacrosse, tennis, and track & field. Women's varsity intercollegiate teams are fielded in basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track & field, and water polo. The men's ice hockey team participates in an active club sport schedule. On March 12, 2009 - Wagner announced the discontinuation of the men's wrestling and women's volleyball programs.

The football and men's basketball teams are Wagner's most popular and prestigious athletic programs. Walt Hameline, in 29 years as the Director of Athletics and Head Football Coach at Wagner, won the school's only National Championship with a 19-3 victory over the University of Dayton in the 1987 NCAA Division III Championship game, also known as the 1987 Stagg Bowl. He was named NCAA Division III Coach of the Year in 1987. Hameline's 204-122-2 (.624) career record ranks in the top 10 among all Division I-FCS coaches in the United States.

From 2010-2012, Wagner Men's Basketball was coached by Dan Hurley, who led Wagner to a 38–23 (24–12 NEC) record in his two seasons before taking the Head Coaching Job at the University of Rhode Island. On April 7, 2010, Wagner hired former St. Benedicts Prep coach Dan Hurley to replace Mike Deane, who was relieved of his coaching duties after his 7th season at Wagner. In 2012, Wagner hired Bashir Mason as its new men's basketball coach. Mason is the youngest coach in NCAA Division I men's basketball.

Other notable Wagner coaches of the past include current Brooklyn Nets assistant coach P.J. Carlesimo (Head Basketball Coach 1976–1982), former Marquette University and Wagner Head Coach Mike Deane who is currently an Assistant Men's Basketball Coach at James Madison University, Jim Lee Howell (Head Football Coach 1947–1953), and current Mississippi State University Head Football Coach Dan Mullen (Assistant Football Coach 1994–1995). The football team's home venue is Wagner College Stadium, while the basketball team plays its home games at the Spiro Sports Center. Wagner College Men's Tennis currently has the longest losing streak in the history of NCAA Division I men's tennis at 59 games.

The Wagner College Athletic Department has been cited by the US News & World Report for having the 15th best graduation rate in intercollegiate athletics amongst more than 300 Division I colleges. Wagner also captured its second straight Northeast Conference Institutional Academic Award (Highest Student-Athlete GPA) for the 2007–08 athletic/academic seasons with an average GPA of 3.186 in 19 sports. On December 23, 2011 the Wagner Seahawks men's college basketball team beat the 13th-ranked Pittsburgh Panthers 59–54 for their first win against a ranked team in 33 years.