Staten Island, NY | The College of Staten Island Athletics Department has named Andrew Gangemi as its new head coach for Men’s & Women’s Cross-Country and Track & Field, a position that also carries duties as the program’s Manager of Athletics Operations.  Gangemi will officially begin his appointment on August 1, taking over a relatively young running program at the College and on the heels of the College’s recent move to NCAA Division II.

“We are happy to welcome Andrew back to Staten Island,” said Director of Athletics Charles Gomes.  “As a native of the area, his experience in the East Coast Conference as a student-athlete and coach, alongside his further experiences in college administration will be pivotal in this role.  We are excited to have him on board.”

A Staten Island native, Gangemi is a graduate of fellow ECC-member St. Thomas Aquinas College, and was a standout for the Spartans’ nationally-recognized cross-country and track and field program, specializing in long and middle-distance racing.  Following an outstanding playing career, Gangemi immediately joined the coaching ranks, serving as an assistant coach at his alma mater from 2009-17, and was a member of the 2015 women’s cross-country program that participated in the NCAA Division II National Championship.  Gangemi also enjoyed a pair of cross-country titles with the women’s program and a pair of men’s outdoor track championships as a coach during his tenure.  He is understandably excited to bring the winning pedigree over to the CSI programs as well.  

“I’m super excited to be back on Staten Island as head coach for the Dolphins’ cross-country and track & field programs,” said Gangemi.  “It’s very humbling to be a part of the great tradition that has been laid down here while also being a part of the recent jump to NCAA Division II.” 

The CSI programs will not be Gangemi’s first stop as a head coach.  In 2017, accepted the head coaching position for Cross-Country at the College of Mount Saint Vincent, a position that included duties as the Assistant Athletic Director for Strength & Conditioning as well.  Shortly after his arrival, Gangemi started the first track program in CMSV history, and in 2018, he was elevated to the position of Assistant Athletic Director for Facilities and Operations.  Building a program from the ground up was a calling card for Gangemi, experiences that should translate well to his appointment at CSI.

“When I first started at St. Thomas Aquinas as a student, we had a very small team, and we had a very small program at Mount Saint Vincent as well,” he said.  “The experiences around being a part of that growth is something that I hope to bring here to CSI.  To be able to build the roots and then grow the program is certainly a goal.  What’s great about our sport is that we can set realistic individual goals, put a plan in place to achieve them, and then track our progress, and we will do that to build a winning program.”

An ongoing student of the sport, Gangemi is a member of the United States Track and Field Cross Country Coaches Association.  He has earned his Collegiate Head Coach Certification through the USTFCCCA and is a recognized Certified Specialist in Endurance Events, Sprint, Hurdle and Relay Events, and Strength & Conditioning.  

“We are going to start right away by installing a championship-level commitment and attitude level that we will need at the Division II level,” Gangemi stated.  “It takes time to build teams the right way.  Getting the right people in place who have the same commitment level is instrumental.  Having that from student-athletes, coaches, and administration is very important, and based on what I have seen so far at CSI, we are certainly trending towards that.  It makes me very excited to get started.”  

A former runner locally for St. Peter’s High School in Staten Island, Gangemi holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Recreation and Leisure, Concentration in Sports Management from St. Thomas Aquinas.  He is currently a resident of Orangeburg, NY, with his fiance’, Julie Hudak.

PRESS CONFERENCE