COLIN HART
Special to The Leader
“I thought I could do a decent job given the opportunity.”
These are the words of former SUNY Fredonia Athletic Director Greg Prechtl, who is set to receive the Dr. Patrick R. Damore Distinguished Service Award this May in recognition of his lifetime contribution to the SUNYAC Conference. He’s referring to accepting the role of Fredonia State athletic director back in 1998. A “decent job” may be an understatement.
Yet Prechtl is not receiving the Damore Award simply for his success as athletic director; this is a lifetime achievement. From student to student-athlete, coach to AD, Prechtl has put his stamp on the university — and the SUNYAC conference — through his decades of service and experience.
Prechtl, a native of Dunkirk, N.Y., enrolled at SUNY Fredonia in 1965. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in English upon graduation in 1969, while also playing for the men’s basketball team. Dr. Pat Damore, who coached the Blue Devils’ varsity team at the time, helped foster Prechtl’s ultimate desire to become a coach.
After one year of teaching high school, Prechtl returned to SUNY Fredonia full-time in 1973. Along with becoming the Alumni Hall residence director, he also served as an assistant coach on the men’s basketball team. He became head coach in 1978 and would hold the position for 21 years.
“I had a good time playing, and I enjoyed my coaching career,” reflected Prechtl. “The people I coached under initially were very good and very dedicated to their craft. Not many people wouldn’t pursue an opportunity to coach a sport they played, at the university they played at.”
Given the opportunity, Prechtl ended up doing far more than a decent job. He coached some of the most successful men’s basketball teams in the university’s history. He worked hard to create a winning culture, which included scheduling games against Division I opponents such as Purdue, Virginia Tech and Indiana State.
During his tenure, the Blue Devils won an ECAC title and a SUNYAC championship, reached the NCAA Division-III Tournament, finished with 22 regular season wins in 1992 (still a program record) and produced a number of great athletes, including two-time All-American Chris Hughey (1985, 1986).
On top of the team success, Prechtl also received many individual accolades, including SUNYAC Coach of the Year and New York State Division III Coach of the Year honors.
Yet Prechtl isn’t one to put himself first. In fact, he accepted the role of athletic director in 1998 to free up time for his family.
“I was committed to the basketball program,” said Prechtl, “but I also wanted the opportunity to see my son play a little bit.”
At this point, Prechtl’s son Rob — who would later throw javelin for Miami of Ohio University — was just entering high school.
As athletic director, Prechtl knew his role had changed. Yet he still took influence from his longtime mentor and one-time coach, Dr. Damore, who had also served as the first commissioner of the SUNYAC Conference.
“He was a good guy,” said Prechtl. “He was always well-prepared and he was fair in how he distributed resources. He always tried to make sure things were balanced — the tail wasn’t wagging the dog. He wasn’t doing things to benefit one institution; he was trying to give everybody a fair chance of success.”
Prechtl took the same approach when it came to overseeing SUNY Fredonia’s various athletic programs, allocating resources fairly and making sure everyone, regardless of sport or gender, was on the same level.
During his time, he made several notable upgrades to the facilities, implementing the Steele Hall Natatorium, University Stadium and the Fitness Center. He also oversaw renovation of the softball fields and the outdoor tennis courts.
Having retired in June 2017, Prechtl’s legacy is still influential on campus and will be felt for a long time.
“He’s a genuine, nice guy and really passionate about what he does,” said Avril King, a double major in journalism and public relations and sophomore tennis player. “He had somewhat of an old-school approach, but you could tell he truly cared about the program.”
Upon retirement, Prechtl was named Fredonia Director of Athletics Emeritus. It was only a matter of time before he received the Damore Distinguished Service Award. He commented on the many influential figures who have previously received the honor, but is specifically proud of the award’s namesake.
“Pat was similar to a father figure to me,” said Prechtl of Dr. Damore. “He was a steadying influence in my life and a social conscience to me. He’s somebody I still see twice a week for coffee in the morning. I have a lot of respect for the man. He accomplished a whole lot in his career, more than what other people would ever dream of accomplishing.”
The same can be said of Prechtl.