Following months of anticipation in the wake of St. John’s University and former Director of Athletics Mike Cragg’s mutual split, on Sept. 17 Fordham’s Ed Kull was officially introduced as Cragg’s successor.
Alumni, family, media and current members of the athletic department gathered inside the Janetschek Athletic Center to welcome Kull back to the University for the third stint of his already impressive career.
“We had a really strong candidate pool, but when it was said and done, it was pretty clear that the best person for the job was Ed Kull,” said University President Rev. Brian Shanley. “He can hit the ground running from day one. I could not have asked for a better answer to my prayers than the next athletic director of St. John’s.”
Kull, a Queens native, had spent the last four years serving as Fordham’s athletic director. Ironically, one of his biggest accomplishments was hiring Kyle Neptune, now the head coach of Big East-rival Villanova’s men’s basketball team.
Torch Photo / Kyler Fox
“I am truly honored, humbled and privileged to be the eighth athletic director here at St. John’s University,” Kull said in his opening statement. “It’s really coming full circle. Coach [Joe Tartamella] and I were grad assistants here together in the early 2000s.”
“He wanted to be a head women’s basketball coach and I wanted to be an athletic director, so go figure in terms of how that’s played out,” Kull said.
The 43-year-old laid out his plan for creating an impact that extends beyond just the department he now leads. His aim is for St. John’s athletics to become a central force across campus.
“Athletics needs to really play a pivotal role for the entire University,” Kull said. “That’s engaging and having presence in our community, New York City and the Queens community. Not only fundraising for athletics, but fundraising for the entire institution.”
According to the New York Post, Kull managed to raise $7.6 million at Fordham by the end of the fiscal year, sparking optimism for his ability to breathe new life into the University he’s grown to love.
“You’ll never question my work ethic. You’ll never question my effort. We may disagree, but I promise you, [I will make] decisions out of passion, love and what’s best for this institution,” Kull said in his closing remarks. “It really means a lot to me, and let’s go Johnnies.”
Kull’s hiring signifies the end of a complacent era in Queens. St. John’s is ready to regain their once dominant reputation, and they appear to have the right man at the helm to achieve that goal.
