Duo with Westchester Ties Inducted into ECAC Hall of Fame

The former Stepinac H.S. head basketball coach and current Fairfield University Athletic Director Gene Doris, in his 22nd year as AD, Fordham Athletic Director-Emeritus Frank McLaughlin, who served 27 years as AD, and former Providence Friars star and NBA Rookie of the Year Ernie DiGregorio were among the inductees into the ECAC Hall of Fame at a gala on Friday night, April 15, in Danbury, CT‎.

Doris coached 11 season at Stepinac in White Plains, including the 1985 championship team. Both Doris and McLaughlin served as assistant coaches to Digger Phelps on the memorable 1971 Fordham team ranked ninth nationally. Doris served as Marist AD prior to arriving at Fairfield.

‎The Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) has announced the 2016 inductees to the ECAC Hall of Fame. The 2016 class represents a diverse group of former student-athletes, coaches, administrators, teams, officials and support staff from across decades. Honorees have been selected for outstanding achievements, service, dedication, commitment and contributions to the ECAC and its member institutions.

“We are excited to induct this group of people into the ECAC Hall of Fame,” said President & CEO Dr. Kevin T. McGinniss. “These individuals have been incredible assets to the ECAC over the years and will now be recognized for their exceptional accomplishments and influence on intercollegiate athletics."

The ECAC Hall of Fame Class of 2016:

Steve Bamford (Administrator)

Plymouth State College, ECAC

Ernie DiGregorio (Athlete)

Providence College

Gene Doris (Coach, Administrator)

Fairfield University, Marist College, Fordham University

Carolyn Femovich (Admin)

Patriot League, University of Pennsylvania

Abie Grossfeld (Coach)

Southern Connecticut State University, United States Olympic Men’s Gymnastics

Bob Hartwell (Administrator, Coach)

Adelphi University, Babson College

Mary Ann Hitchens (Coach, Administrator)

University of Delaware

Olav Kollevol (Administrator, Athlete, Coach)

Lafayette, Colgate, St. Lawrence

Ellie LeMaire (Official, Coach)

University of Bridgeport, University of Rhode Island

Frank McLaughlin (Athlete, Administrator)

Fordham University

Jack Powers (Athlete, Administrator, Coach)

Manhattan College

Jack Riley (Coach)

United States Military Academy

Dee Rowe (Coach)

University of Connecticut

Carl Ullrich (Coach, Administrator)

United States Military Academy, Cornell University, Boston University, United States Naval Academy, Patriot League

Dick Yoder (Coach, Administrator)

West Chester University

1972 West Chester State College Women’s Swimming & Diving Team

Gene Doris is the Director of Athletics at Fairfield University. Fairfield Athletics has flourished under the guidance of Eugene P. Doris, who is in his 22nd year as the Director of Athletics. His responsibilities include overseeing the varsity athletic program.

In 2010, Doris was named the Division I Athletics Director of the Year for the Northeast at the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA). He also received the Distinguished Service Award from the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association. Under his leadership, the varsity athletic program has undergone many changes, including increasing the number of varsity sports to 20 and the improvement of athletic facilities, a softball field, an artificial turf field and the construction of a multi-million dollar athletic facility. Doris has seen the Stags win the overall MAAC Commissioner's Cup twice, while the men have won the Cup twice and the women's teams an impressive five times. In 2004, Doris received the Constituent Supporter of the Year award from the Coastal Fairfield County Convention and Visitors Bureau for his role in bringing the 2004 NCAA Women's Basketball First and Second rounds to the Arena at Harbor Yard. Doris was also instrumental in securing the 2006 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament Regionals, and the 2007 MAAC Men's and Women's Basketball Tournaments. Fairfield also hosted the 2008 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament First and Second rounds and played co-host the 2009 and 2011 NCAA Men's Ice Hockey East Regional.

Doris remains active off-campus, serving on both regional and national committees, as well as several MAAC committees. He has also served a term as president of the ECAC, the nation's largest athletic conference, and has sat on the Division I-AA Athletic Directors Football Committee. Prior to Fairfield, Doris was the athletics director at Marist College for five years, during which time Marist increased the number of its intercollegiate athletic teams from 14 to 20. He enjoyed a five-year stay at Fordham University where he started as an assistant athletic director before earning a promotion to associate athletic director. He was also an assistant basketball coach at Fordham under Richard "Digger" Phelps.

He coached basketball for 11 years at Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains, N.Y., where his team won the Division II New York Catholic High School Championship in 1985. He also coached baseball at Stepinac for eight seasons, as well as JV baseball at Archbishop Molloy High School in Jamaica, N.Y.

In 2007, Doris was inducted into the Catholic High School Athletic Association (CHSAA) Hall of Fame for his contribution to the New York City-based league. He is also a member of the Stepinac High School Athletic Hall of Fame as well as the school's Hardwood Hall of Fame.

ABOUT THE ECAC

In the 76 years since its inception, the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) has emerged as the nation's largest Conference. The ECAC has grown considerably from its charter membership of 58, boasting over 300 member schools in Divisions I, II and III, ranging in location from Maine to Georgia, and westerly to Missouri. In the 2015-16 academic year, the ECAC will host nearly 100 championships in 32 men’s and women's sports as the sponsors of over 5,800 varsity teams and 111,000 male and female Players. For more information, visit www.ecacsports.com.

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