Cheshire Resident Named Athletic Director At UConn-Avery Point

CHESHIRE, CT — Veteran athletic administrator Michael Kobylanski, of Cheshire, has been named the Director of Athletics at the University of Connecticut Avery Point, Campus Director, Dr. Annemarie Seifert announced this week. He will officially begin his duties on Oct. 12.

Kobylanski joins the Pointers with nearly 18 years of collegiate athletic administration experience. Most recently, he spent the last 11-plus years as Associate Director of Athletics at Southern Connecticut State University. Prior to that appointment, Kobylanski served as both Assistant Athletic Director and Sports Information Director at Quinnipiac University for six years.

"I am both thrilled and honored to serve as the next Director of Athletics at the University of Connecticut Avery Point," Kobylanski said in a press release. "I want to thank Dr. Seifert and the search committee for their time and effort throughout this process, and for entrusting me with the opportunity to lead the Pointers into a new era. My family and I are extremely excited to be a part of UConn Nation and one of the top public institutions in the United States. I look forward to hitting the ground running in the coming weeks." Read more from the press release below:

"The University of Connecticut Avery Point is excited to welcome Michael Kobylanski to lead our Athletics Department," Seifert said. "I know Michael will be a dynamic contributor to UConn, and we will benefit from his leadership, experience and enthusiasm."

"I would like to congratulate Mike and wish him and his family well in his new role as Director of Athletics at UConn Avery Point," said SCSU Director of Athletics Jay Moran. "Most importantly, I would like to thank Mike for 11 years of service to the SCSU family and athletic department."

Kobylanski was instrumental in developing key initiatives and elevating the Owls' internal and external communications efforts during his time at SCSU. His areas of oversight included media relations, social media, broadcast production, publications, marketing, promotions, community relations, CHAMPS Life Skills, licensing and corporate sponsorship. He also served as the sport supervisor for several programs.

Extremely active within the local community, Kobylanski is a former co-chair of the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce Sports Council Steering Committee and a past co-chair of the March of Dimes' annual 'Elm City Legends' event. He is a current member of the Knights of Columbus and a former member of the New Haven YMCA Youth Center Board of Managers. Kobylanski has also been a volunteer within Cheshire Youth Baseball for several years.

He was recognized for his volunteer work by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 as a recipient of its "Volunteer 15" award. In addition, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation lauded him as one of "New Haven's Finest" in the summer of 2016 for his cumulative professional and personal efforts.

A proven mentor, Kobylanski has guided nearly 40 young professionals to various positions across all three NCAA Divisions, the NJCAA, MLB, NHL and NFL franchises, along with local and regional media outlets, and Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex.

Prior to joining the SCSU staff, he served as both Assistant Athletic Director and Sports Information Director during a six-year run at Quinnipiac University. In that role, Kobylanski was responsible for the publicity and media relations for 21 Division I programs and oversaw the daily operations of the Sports Information office.

A member of both the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), Kobylanski was also elected to a pair of two-year terms as chair of the Northeast Conference Sports Information Directors Committee during his time at Quinnipiac. He is a current member of the CoSIDA Job Seekers Committee, where he assists with providing mentorship to aspiring professionals in the field.

Kobylanski graduated cum laude from the University of Massachusetts with a bachelor's degree in communications. He earned a master's degree in journalism from Quinnipiac University in 2005 and was awarded a second master's degree in management of sport industries from the University of New Haven in 2008.

An active educator, he has also served as an adjunct professor at Quinnipiac University, Southern Connecticut State University and the University of New Haven.

Photo via SCSU Athletics