Irma Garcia is the first-ever athletic director in the MAAC to receive this
appointment.
METRO ATLANTIC ATHLETIC CONFERENCE / COURTESY
By Grace Cardinal, Editor-in-Chief
Manhattan University’s athletic director (AD) Irma Garcia has dribbled her way into a prestigious appointment with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Men’s Basketball Committee, beginning immediately.
Garcia will be the seventh woman ever appointed to the committee and the first administrator from the MAAC to work on the committee. Her position with the organization will span five years, ending on Aug. 31, 2029.
“What happens is that the conference puts a nomination in, and this is the highest level of any committee, and so you apply for the committee,” Garcia said. “When I came on, I had just gotten off one NCAA committee, I didn’t think I could get on another that quickly, but they nominated me and they have to vote. I was just as surprised as most people and very grateful. If you want to be on any committee, this is the one you want to be on. And anybody who knows me, if there’s a basketball game or a movie, I choose basketball. So it was perfect for me.”
Garcia’s position is not easy to come by. Out of 370 DI teams in the country, few AD’s are chosen.
“There’s 370 Division I teams, there’s ADs all over the country,” John Gallagher, head coach of the MU men’s basketball team said. “There’s conferences all over the country, and for our institution to be represented in this forum is unheralded and speaks to the nature of Irma’s pedigree in basketball, and it speaks to how people view her in both administration and our sport. I think you can’t get a higher appointment in our sport, because the crown jewel is the NCAA tournament. It’s really kudos to Irma and what a spectacular career she’s had and is continuing to have.”
Anthony Kurtin, the deputy director of athletics for Manhattan University, has worked with Garcia since he was 17 years old.
“For Irma to be part of that committee that decides those teams is a huge honor,” Kurtin said. “It’s no surprise to me, and she’s been nominated and been part of so many big committees through the NCAA. She’s just so modest, you don’t even know the people that she knows, the respect that she has within the NCAA. But this is a huge honor for not only Irma but also for Manhattan University to be acknowledged, our administration and our leader to get this prestigious honor and be part of this committee.”
While Garcia’s appointment may not have a direct impact on MU’s own Division I basketball teams, the appointment legitimizes the athletics program in a way that may attract prospective student-athletes.
“Just the fact that the university can get an appointment like this, it brings us great credibility,” Gallagher said. “For me personally, it doesn’t do anything for our team, but what it does is it gives people out there understanding that we’re headed in the right direction.”
Garcia is fairly new to the MU community, starting her position with the university back in 2023. Before she joined the Jaspers, she coached the women’s Division I team at St. Francis College in Brooklyn, of which she is an alumna. Now, just one year after starting at the institution, she is recognized as an integral part of Manhattan University athletics.
“Every time I represent the NCAA, it’s going to say Irma Garcia, Manhattan University,” Garcia said. “That’s pretty cool, and everybody knows this is the hardest committee you can get on. I see a huge benefit for the university, marketing-wise. I went to Paris, and I had my Jasper athletics shirt on, just to go get coffee, and I heard somebody say ‘Go Jaspers’ and it makes me smile, how highly they think of the university and what they’ve done.”
In a press release published by the university in July 2024, President Milo Riverso, Ph.D., discussed the campus’ pride in Garcia.
“This is an extraordinary achievement for Irma,” Riverso said in the statement. “Everyday she demonstrates what it means to be an exceptional leader through her commitment, her drive, her compassion and competitive spirit. I am excited for Irma and our entire Manhattan University community of Jaspers.”
In the position, Garcia will study conferences, team metrics and will make critical decisions regarding teams across the association.
“A lot of it has to do with metrics and ways of looking at teams and what they do, the pluses and the minuses,” Garcia said. “So every person gets a few teams and a few conferences, and then you go from there. I’m just learning it right now, and I’m going to get good at it. I love metrics, so it works out for me just to learn how it’s calculated and what goes into it. But I think the most important thing is watching games. You can’t make decisions unless you watch games. I think that’s the end result, is to watch as many games as you can, so you can make a concrete and positive decision.”
As for what she’s most excited about?
“The ability to have my voice heard,” Garcia said. “When those 64 teams are mentioned this year, I’m gonna have a hand in that. I think that’s the coolest thing in the world. I love basketball. It’s my first heart. So to be able to contribute and let my voice be heard and have it be impactful for the NCAA, I just can’t wait for March when it happens.”