If someone were tasked with following the usually quiet goings-on at a college during the summertime, Manhattan College wasn’t of the norm in summer ‘15. Translation: a lot happened.

Five changes of note occurred: 1. revamped basketball court designs; 2. Manhattan and Learfield Sports — rights holder — partnered to improve athletics’ multimedia; 3. new administrative position assistant director of athletics for sports performance filled by Jonathan Larson, former spring training facility assistant for the St. Louis Cardinals. Daniel Ynfante, assistant sports editor, wrote more in detail about the above changes.

The last two moves remaining coincide. First, the discontinuation of tennis and its being replaced by women’s rowing. James Foley, head rowing coach, will retain his position with the sport’s rise from club to intercollegiate play. With the added ability to compete for a MAAC championship, he said “it’s a great feeling [and] I’m very excited about it.” He did understandably reserve saying his team would win the title as soon as the upcoming season.

“Our goal for the next couple of years is building a successful team and rowing in events we’d like to compete in to hopefully make a statement in future rowing championships,” he said. “Right now we’re busy recruiting. Once players come and I see how they play in a couple of practices. I can answer how our chances are better.”

As for the second move, Amanda McEntire, the now former head tennis coach, was promoted to associate director of athletics for facilities and event management.(1) The title speaks for itself, and was a role she had already been performing without the formality of a position.(2) Along with this, she’ll help Foley jump-start the rowing program.

“I’m just here to help James and the women’s rowing team out from year one,” McEntire said. “Mapping out a vision for us to become successful from now to say year five. So working closely with coach and making sure he has what he needs from an equipment, scholarship standpoint.”

When asked for her thoughts on tennis, McEntire declined to comment. Noah LeFevre, director of intercollegiate athletics, did have this to say in her stead:

“When I look at where we are from a strategic or 40,000 foot perspective, there are a lot of things to consider. A few other pieces are where we are from a facility; budget and resource; and number of enrolled student-athletes perspective. For me, at the end of the day, a large part of this had to do with facilities. … It was a decision made as we wanted to put our program in the best possible place to be successful.”

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(1) LeFevre had this to say about why McEntire was moved up: “The promotion was to one: recognize that she’s doing a very good job and two: align her title with the amount of work that’s being done.”

(2) Prior to McEntire’s promotion, she was regional director for the Cross Country Regional Championships in ’13 and site administrator of the Metro MAAC Baseball Championships last season.