Hall of Fame
Tony Mariano is the 2021 honorary inductee into the Norwich Athletic Hall of Fame after dedicating nearly half a century of his life in service of Norwich University athletics.
Mariano enters his 44th and final year at Norwich and his 30th as athletic director this fall. He has helped to steward Norwich University’s athletic programs to unprecedented levels of success since his tenure as Director of Athletics began in 1992.
In his 30-year career, the Cadets have won 12 national championships; including the first title of any kind in school history in 2000 when the men’s hockey team defeated St. Thomas (Minn.) 2-1 in Superior, Wis. The men’s hockey program has gone on to win three more national championships, while the women’s hockey program, established under his leadership in 2007 has quickly ascended to one of the nation’s top programs year after year.
The women’s hockey program won national championships in 2011 and 2018. The men’s and women’s rugby programs were elevated from club to varsity in the fall of 2008 under Mariano’s leadership. The women’s program claimed six national championships, including four 7s titles and two more in 15s action from 2011-2014.
The Cadets have won 75 conference championships during Mariano’s time as athletic director and have had 17 student-athletes earn prestigious CoSIDA Academic All-American honors for excellence in the classroom and athletically. Mariano has helped overhaul Norwich’s athletic facilities, overseeing the construction of Kreitzberg Arena and Doyle Hall, as well as renovations to the Andrews Hall locker room and conversion of Sabine Field into a multipurpose turf facility and Haynes Family Stadium. His final facility renovation, the Boyett Ingram Clark Clubhouse was completed this fall as the new home for the men’s and women’s rugby programs.
Prior to serving as athletic director, Mariano spent 14 years as a coach. He served as the men’s soccer coach from 1978-1984, leading the 1984 team to the ECAC playoffs with an 11-4-1 record.
In 1982, Mariano was named the men’s head ice hockey coach. Under his guidance, the 1982-83 men’s hockey team made its first NCAA playoff appearance in school history. Subsequent men’s hockey teams went on to appear in eight ECAC tournaments and earned two NCAA post season berths. In 1987, Mariano was named the Division III National Coach of the Year (Eddie Jeremiah Award) by the American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) and the New England Division III Coach of the Year.
In 2018, he was named a National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Under Armour ® Athletic Director of the Year.
