Susan Zawacki

Associate Director of Athletics
203.932.7357
szawacki@newhaven.edu

Associate Director of Athletics Susan Zawacki began her tenure at the University of New Haven in 2000, and altogether has 29 years of experience as both a coach and administrator in collegiate athletics.

At UNH, Zawacki serves on the management team for developing departmental policy, as well as overseeing head coaches for a number of the Chargers' intercollegiate sports and the Athletic Media Relations office.  She coordinates the department's Performance Management Process, as well as the department's internal operations and projects, and oversees marketing and promotion of the department.  She also serves on various UNH university-wide committees, including a two-year term as the Chair of the Administrative Staff Council, with accompanying membership on the President's Council from 2004-06   She served on the University Affirmative Action Committee in 2005.

Prior to coming to UNH, Zawacki was the Assistant Director of Athletics and Assistant Department Chairperson at the University of Chicago from 1993 to 2000.  She was also an Associate Professor of Physical Education.  At Chicago, she was on the department's administrative group and helped establish policy, review gender equity issues and budget preparations.  She served as the assistant director overseeing Men’s Varsity Sports and also coordinated the fall preseason activities for seven different sports. She conducted the evaluation process for faculty and staff in the reappointment and promotion process and was the Department of Athletics liaison with Admissions.

She helped implement a successful women's basketball program in a highly-competitive conference, including budgeting, travel, scouting, game preparations, recruiting and supervision of assistant coaches.  Zawacki won 93 games in seven seasons at Chicago, including a 19-7 mark in her best season in 1995 - capturing the only NCAA berth in school history that year.

Zawacki was the Senior Woman Administrator, Director of Physical Education and Associate Professor of Physical Education at Amherst College from 1980 to 1993.  She directed the women's basketball and field hockey programs for 13 years, racking up 166 wins in basketball, including a 20-5 mark in 1988.  She also implemented physical education curriculum, budgeted the undergraduate physical education program and helped cultivate alumnae at the previously all-male institution.

She started her intercollegiate athletics career as Associate Director of Intramurals and Instructor in Physical Education at Hamilton College from 1978-80.  There, she assisted in the planning and scheduling of undergraduate intramural programs and served as coordinator of women's athletics.  She coached the women's basketball team for two seasons, recording 29 victories.

Overall, Zawacki won 288 games in 22 seasons as a women's basketball coach, with a .559 winning percentage.

Zawacki has served on a number of committees, including as national chairperson for the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Committee from 1986-93.  She was the Regional Chairperson from 1984-93, and has acted as on-site liaison at numerous regional and national NCAA tournaments.  She was Chairperson for the Frances Pomeroy Naismith National Award Committee from 1991-93 and from 1998-2000.  She also served on NCAA Regional committees for softball (2001) and volleyball (2002-04).

Zawacki earned her Bachelor's of Science degree from the State University of New York at Cortland, and later earned a Master's from Ithaca College.  She resides in Branford, Conn.