NORTH ANDOVER – Joe Foley was trying to wrap up another long day at his new job as Merrimack College’s Director of Athletics when he heard tapping on his office window.
“It was my son, Thomas, outside asking when I was coming home for dinner,” Foley said, still living in a campus-owned house. “Apparently, I hadn’t answered my wife’s texts. I got the message – it was time to shut down and go home.”
Foley’s long hours are warranted. He’s got a big job ahead. Not only is he replacing Jeremy Gibson, a popular predecessor now at Lehigh University, but he’s been tasked with raising millions for the Warriors’ sports programs – especially to bring Merrimack’s facilities up to par.
“I think it was my second day on the job, Commencement Day, and President (Christopher) Hopey and I were walking around campus. It was the first time I’d seen a lot of the space,” Foley recalled. “We both realized, wow, we’ve got some work to do on the facilities front.”
Merrimack’s master plan a decade ago centered on growing enrollment, and moving athletics to Division 1 was a key component. That mission was accomplished – and then some. Not only did the Warriors make the leap, but they joined a bigger conference, jumping from the Northeast Conference to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) in just five years.
Most of the coaches are in place. That brings us to Foley’s hiring four months after Gibson left for Lehigh last January.
A Worcester native, Foley attended St. John’s Shrewsbury before earning a track scholarship as a high jumper at Northeastern University, where he won five America East championships. His career in athletics administration took off in fundraising roles at Bowling Green, Richmond, and Ohio University, where he earned his master’s.
He returned “home” in his late 20s for nearly five years at Boston College.
“I was curious about being at a Power Five school,” said Foley, now 46. “The B.C. experience was more than I could’ve asked for. I loved the values there. Gene DeFilippo was the A.D. and treated me well. Our hockey team won a Frozen Four.”
Meeting his future wife, Emily, on a blind date set up by her uncle, was another highlight of his Boston years.
From there, Foley took on roles at Maryland, Penn State, and TCU. At Maryland, he played a key part in the school’s transition to the Big Ten. At Penn State, he was a leader in a $2.1 billion fundraising campaign. At TCU, he directed all aspects of major and annual giving, alumni relations, and marketing programs related to fundraising. The Horned Frogs football team made the FBS title game in 2024.
A national search firm contacted Foley about the Merrimack job. The timing and the school’s trajectory intrigued him.
“It felt right for a number of reasons, mostly the connection with President Hopey,” Foley said. “As I learned more about the college’s Catholic, Augustinian values, the service orientation, it just resonated with why I do this.”
With three young boys – Thomas (9), James (7), and Peter (5) – the chance to return “home” sealed the deal.
“My parents are getting older. My father-in-law passed away a year ago. My mother-in-law lives in Providence,” Foley said. “My wife and I realized raising our kids around their grandparents would be great for our family.”
President Hopey said Foley’s hiring had similarities to when he brought in Gibson in 2013, as part of Merrimack’s push to grow enrollment and academic reputation. Gibson was instrumental in the original jump to Division 1 and the move to the MAAC. Now, with Merrimack trending upward, Hopey knew it was time to focus on facilities and fundraising.
“We needed somebody who could engage our donor base and get them to invest in athletics,” said Hopey. “The game has changed. An AD’s job is now about revenue generation and brand marketing, not just working with athletes and the NCAA.”
Foley’s short- and long-term focus is on upgrading facilities, especially locker rooms. The Volpe Complex has been under construction for months. For the first time since football returned to the school in 1996, players have a single, renovated locker room. Nearly every team now has its own space.
“At Division 1, student-athletes are being recruited by a lot of schools. There are a number of things they’re looking at: academics, the campus, coaching fit – and facilities to help them reach their potential,” Foley said.
Today is Foley’s first major test as AD. With 13,000 to 15,000 people expected for Homecoming and the football game against Robert Morris University, his team has worked around the clock to make the on-campus experience the best in school history. They sold out 10 alumni tents at $1,000 to $1,500 each, and more than 10,000 will take part in tailgating.
Foley is introducing some “big-time school” traditions, including a game day walk for the football team from the campus church, after Mass, through campus to their new locker rooms, accompanied by the band and cheerleaders.
“We’re celebrating our Catholic identity and hopefully starting a new tradition,” Foley said.
Winning still matters. Foley has traveled to two of the road games thus far.
“We’ve got a good football team. This is a game we need to win. Two of our three losses are to FBS schools. If we get to .500, it’ll be a big boost for the program,” he said.
Foley has already had several “Merrimack moments” in his first five months, including a campus-wide effort to help a student-athlete earlier this week.
“No one batted an eye – everyone just pitched in. That doesn’t happen everywhere,” Foley said. “For me, it was like, ‘Wow, this place is great!’”
He foresees coaches and athletes stopping by his home, maybe even a few team meals, in hopes of getting that “extra” connection with people on campus.
“I went to women’s soccer scrimmage earlier in fall and a few days later I ran into a few of the players. They stopped me and thanked me,” said Foley. “I just thought, ‘That’s my job,’ but it struck me how appreciative people are around here.”
There are other plans in spicing things up, as in moving all of the men’s and women’s basketball games from Hammel Court to Lawler Arena. Both are expected to make runs at MAAC championships this winter.
And the men’s hockey team, the original Div. 1 program at the school remains a high priority.
“It still is one of our crown jewels and we expect that to continue,” Foley said, noting the men’s and women’s programs each added a full-time staff position. “Hockey has helped with our brand in the past and we need to compete with the best, which isn’t easy in arguably the best conference (Hockey East) in the country.”
President Hopey is also pleased with his new AD, saying, “He’s better than I thought he’d be, which isn’t easy. Transitions in athletics are usually brutal. This has been smooth. Joe’s personable, capable, and the staff loves him. He’s integrated like he’s always been here.”
“It’s easy to find someone focused on athletes, coaches, and the NCAA. It’s hard to find someone equally comfortable with students, parents, and major donors. Joe can do both.”
As for Hopey, thanks to Foley’s leadership, he can focus on other priorities, including Merrimack’s new R2 research university designation.
Or, as he put it: “I don’t have to think about athletics. I can go back to doing what I love – being a fan.”