Niagara hires Eastern Kentucky's Simon Gray to take over as athletic director
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Simon Gray is leaving Eastern Kentucky to take over as Niagara University's athletic director.
The 37-year-old was hired on Friday. Gray spent the past 10 years at EKU, where he most recently served as the school's acting athletic director. At Niagara, he fills a job that had been vacant since Tom Crowley's abrupt departure in September.
Gray has 15 years of athletic administration experience, including stops at Richmond, Tennessee State and Boston College.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Niagara president Rev. James Maher described Gray's hiring as the first step in invigorating a department that has been in transition.
In 2012, Niagara discontinued its women's hockey program to add track and field. Last year, Purple Eagles athletics lost its most high-profile figure after men's basketball coach Joe Mihalich left for Hofstra.