Retirement Goal in Sight for Durocher After a Championship Career
Senior Associate Vice President for Athletics Bob Durocher M’94, P’13 is retiring after nine years leading the Athletics Department and a 35-year career with Saints Athletics. He will remain in the position until a successor is selected after a national search.
Durocher joined St. Lawrence as assistant men’s and women’s soccer coach in 1989 and head men’s coach in 1990 before becoming an assistant athletic director in 2000. He was then selected to lead Athletics in 2015, and has served in the role ever since.
The highlights of his tenure as head of the Athletics Department include two phases of renovation at Appleton Arena. The first phase included a multi-million dollar renovation of the arena, thanks to a lead $10 million gift from Tom Dolan ’74 and the Dolan Family Foundation. The completely donor-funded project provided renovated players lounges, locker rooms, and an updated ice rink, as well as a new entrance, additional social spaces such as the Legends of Appleton Room, and improved broadcast and livestreaming technologies.
Phase two, currently underway, will mark the addition of the George W. Karpus ’68 Athletic Center at Appleton Arena on St. Lawrence’s campus. The new facility includes an expansion of the Michael “Buddy” Cornacchia ’74 Strength and Conditioning Center for all student-athletes, as well as new locker rooms and team facilities for the field hockey and softball teams, and the men’s and women’s lacrosse and rowing teams. The Haehl Family Athletic Training and Treatment Center for Division III student-athletes, the Dotty and John Hall Coaches Strategy Room, The Reisenberger Family Players Lounge, and the McGinn Video and Media Room are also part of the project.
St. Lawrence expanded its varsity sport members during Durocher’s tenure, adding Esports in 2021. He was also instrumental in enhancing the Robert J. Sheldon Hall of Fame, which honors former Saints for their outstanding athletic accomplishments, other undergraduate activities and honors, and success following graduation in one’s profession or community.
Saints Athletics programs hit many milestones under the leadership of their coaches during Durocher’s tenure. They have won 38 conference and regional championships, and 88 student-athletes earned All-America honors. Durocher became the third men’s soccer coach in St. Lawrence University history in 1990 and established the Saints as one of the premier programs in the nation.
In 1999, his Saints became the first team in NCAA Division III history to go undefeated and untied en route to the program’s first national championship, and Durocher was named NSCAA Division III Coach of the Year for his efforts. In total, the Saints made 17 appearances in the NCAA Tournament under Durocher, including nine straight from 1998-2006.
He completed his St. Lawrence soccer coaching career with a 323-101-45 record. In addition to his national Coach of the Year award, Durocher earned Northeast Regional Coach of the Year recognition seven times and was named the conference Coach of the Year 12 times.
