Iona Prep’s New Asst. Dean Hired For Scholar-Athlete Success

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — Continuing its commitment to helping students “pursue excellence in all endeavors,” Iona Preparatory School has created a new assistant dean for scholar-athlete success position to help students, more than 60 percent of whom participate in at least one sport, successfully navigate both the high school classroom and the college application, recruitment and scholarship process. Former Bergen Catholic High School guidance counselor and assistant football coach Michael Moffitt will now join Director of Student Success Christopher Scarella, class of 2006, in supporting Gaels along their college-preparatory journey.

During his four years at Bergen Catholic, Moffitt helped to place 57 football players on college rosters, the second-most placements out of any high school in the country, according to a spokesperson.

Iona Prep had more than 870 scholar-athletes participate in a sport this past school year, with a remarkable 90.25 overall GPA. For the second time in four years, the Gaels had 31 scholar-athletes commit to play on college teams, including 17 Division I National Letter of Intent signings, to schools such as Brown, MIT and Stanford.

“The process of applying for college while also being recruited to play a college sport — oftentimes for a sizable scholarship — is no small task,” said Brother Thomas R. Leto, Ed.D., president of Iona Preparatory. “Our new Assistant Dean for Scholar-Athlete Success will be a tremendous benefit for our athletic department and the entire school, helping to alleviate some of the stresses and guide students and families through a complicated process.”

As part of the new role, Moffitt will monitor the academic and behavioral progress of Iona Prep’s scholar-athletes, working in close collaboration with the school’s leadership and reporting to both the directors of Athletics and School Counseling. He will also help students identify a balanced list of colleges that are matched to their strengths, interests and abilities; then in junior year, working with colleague counselors, he will help a scholar-athlete with the college application process. Among other things, Moffitt will host NCAA workshops, meet with parents and monitor any mandated tutoring to ensure scholastic averages remain above an 80 average.

“The addition of Mike to our staff completes a continuum of excellence for our young men,” said Scarella, who also serves as the dean of freshmen. “While my job is to ensure a smooth transition and auspicious start to Iona Prep for our underclassmen, Mike will supplement the personalized services of our school and college counselors by working directly with our scholar-athletes toward maximizing their athletic abilities for academic gain.”

Prior to his work at Bergen Catholic, which won the 2017 NJSIAA Non-Public, Group Four Championship at MetLife Stadium, Moffitt coached running backs and tight ends for one season at Salve Regina University, while completing his master’s in educational psychology with emphasis in guidance. Moffitt also spent two years as a graduate assistant at American International College as the tight end and fullback coach.

Moffitt got his start in coaching overseas, where he trained and played for three years. His last year was in the Czech Republic with the Prague Panthers. Previously, he was with the Søllerød Gold Diggers in Denmark for two years. In between his stay overseas, he coached at Hudson Valley Community College and was a teacher’s assistant at Watervliet High School.

Coach Moffitt graduated from the University of Arkansas in 2008 with a degree in Kinesiology. While there, he participated in the Cotton Bowl in 2008 and the Capital One Bowl in 2007. His team also won the SEC West in 2007 and played against the University of Florida in the SEC championship game. Moffitt was on the Lon Farrell Academic Honor roll in addition to the teams Hard Working Hog award for 2008.

“Needless to say, I am excited to beginning working with the exceptional scholar-athletes of Iona Prep,” Moffitt said. “The reputation of the school precedes its students, and I look forward to adding to that legacy of excellence in the years to come.”

Photo caption: Michael Moffitt. Photo credit: Iona Preparatory.