Greg Bamberger Named Director of Athletics at Fairmont State University

Fairmont State University announced today that Greg Bamberger has been named the new Director of Athletics to lead the Fighting Falcons Athletics Program.
 
No stranger to DII administration and the Atlantic Region, Bamberger has just completed his 15th year as the Director of Athletics at Kutztown University, a member of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference.
 
"I would like to thank President Martin for this tremendous professional opportunity," said Bamberger.
 
"The Fairmont State Fighting Falcons have always been a strong player in the former WVIAC and now the Mountain East Conference. I am excited to help lead this department and this University as we build on the foundation that has already been created. During my tenure as an AD in the Atlantic Region, I have had the opportunity to observe Fairmont athletics teams in action many times and they have always represented themselves admirably," Bamberger stated.
 
Since arriving at Kutztown on May 1, 2005, Bamberger has presided over one of the most successful eras of Golden Bear Athletics. Under Bamberger's leadership, Kutztown won its first Dixon Trophy in 2005-06, and has finished in the top-five six times. The trophy is presented annually to the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference's most successful institution based on league playoffs and/or regular season finish.
 
Bamberger was also at the helm for KU's highest Learfield Sports Directors' Cup standings finish ever, when it placed 16th in 2009-10. The Golden Bears have finished in the top 50 of the Learfield standings five times under his guidance. Kutztown Athletics also won 15 PSAC Championships under Bamberger's leadership.
 
Bamberger's successes at Kutztown included seven athletics programs that each made multiple NCAA Tournament appearances during his tenure, including five NCAA Division II playoff appearances for the football program. Prior to Bamberger taking over as Athletics Director in 2005, the football program was over .500 just five times and didn't record more than seven wins in a season during a 10-year stretch from 1995 to 2004.
 
And perhaps the biggest accomplishment during his tenure at Kutztown was the softball programs run to the NCAA Division II National Championship Game in 2013. The softball program at KU racked up 10 NCAA Tournament appearances since 2005. The Golden Bear women's soccer and men's tennis programs also made eight NCAA Tournament appearances, while men's basketball (4 appearances), women's tennis (3) and field hockey (2) also saw postseason season success during Bamberger's tenure. In fact, the Kutztown field hockey team advanced to the NCAA Division II final four in 2019.
 
The Kutztown football and softball programs also earned their first-ever PSAC Championships under Bamberger's leadership.
 
"I look forward to working with the administration, coaches, support staff and loyal Falcon fans to achieve even greater heights in the Mountain East Conference, Atlantic Region and NCAA. I believe the ingredients are there for consistent success on the playing field and more importantly in the classroom," Bamberger added.
 
Under his leadership, Kutztown student-athletes were just as accomplished in the classroom as in their venues of competition. According to a 2011 report released by the NCAA, KU student-athletes easily eclipsed the national student-athlete graduation rate by 17 percent, and also graduated at a higher rate than the average for students in general. Moreover, the Golden Bears have produced at least 110 PSAC Scholar-Athletes in each of the past six years. In 2019-20, the Kutztown Department of Athletics set a record with 206 student-athletes earning PSAC Scholar-Athlete honors.
 
Kutztown Athletics has also produced 27 Academic All-Americans and 17 PSAC Top 10 Award winners since 2005.
 
Bamberger also served on several NCAA committees during his time at Kutztown, most recently as a member of the NCAA Division II Championships Committee from 2016-20. He was also on the Division II Academic Requirements Committee Task Force from 2011-13, was on the Division II women's basketball committee from 2008-13 and Division II football committee from 2004-07. He was chair of the DII football committee in 2006-07.
 
Bamberger was inducted into the Tri-County Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame during the fall of 2011. His induction was the result of a standout football playing career at Phoenixville High School in Chester County, Pennsylvania, where he was a two-time co-captain, and an all-state and Big 33 selection his senior year.
 
Prior to joining the Golden Bears, Bamberger held the same position at current Mountain East Conference institution Glenville State College from 2002-05.
 
"I'm thrilled to welcome Greg Bamberger home to Fairmont State where he belongs," Mirta M. Martin, president of Fairmont State University, said. "He has an impressive record of athletics leadership, and his experience as a student-athlete, as a coach, and as an athletic director gives him special insight into what makes student-athletes and athletics programs successful. While accomplishments on the field are important to Greg, so, too, is classroom performance. I can't think of a finer addition to the Falcon Family than Greg Bamberger, and I look forward to working with him as he leads our athletic department, and helps guide our teams and student-athletes to success."
 
Prior to his move to administration, Bamberger was an assistant football coach and lecturer at Glenville State for three semesters before taking over as director of athletics. He was the assistant head coach, offensive coordinator and offensive line coach for the Pioneers. From 1997-2000, Bamberger had a short exit from athletics to serve as a district sales coordinator for AFLAC.
 
Bamberger also previously served as assistant football coach at the Virginia Military Institute (1985-88) and Southeast Missouri State (1989-96).
 
Bamberger earned his master's degree in sports administration from Temple University in 1989. He is also a 1982 graduate of Duke University with a bachelor's degree in management sciences. He was a three-year starter for the Blue Devils' football team, serving as co-captain in 1981.
 
Bamberger was born in Abington, Pennsylvania. He and wife, Bernadette, are the parents of three children, Caitlin—assistant women's basketball coach at the University of Findlay, Gregory—team member with Dick's Sporting Goods, and Kendra—assistant women's basketball coach at Frostburg State University.