Bio

Danielle “Dani” Drews, M.A, University of Connecticut, 1989; B.A., Hamilton College, 1988

Link to recent Horizon Story on Athletics and Drews Interview

Director of Athletics and Recreation at The Sage Colleges. 

Hired at Russell Sage in July of 2005, Dani Drews has overseen the tremendous growth in the Athletics Department at the college. She has been the guiding force behind the development of the program from a single-gender, NCAA Division III independent competitor with just five programs to one that has expanded to sponsor 17 varsity programs with the addition of men’s lacrosse and field hockey coming in 2018-2019 academic year and spans across The Sage Colleges’ two campuses (Troy and Albany).

Since her arrival, the department has continued to develop and expand. Sage joined the Skyline Conference in 2007. Since joining the conference, the women’s volleyball team has captured the conference championship in both 2007 and 2008, which resulted in the college’s first NCAA Tournament appearances in any sport. During the 2012-2013 academic year, Sage won the College's first ECAC Championship title as the men's soccer team won the 2012 ECAC Upstate Title and in the Spring of 2013, Sage's men's volleyball team captured the 2013 ECAC Division III North Championship after being tapped to serve as the host for the tournament. Sage teams have recently won Skyline Conference Championships in women’s basketball in 2014, women’s volleyball in 2014, men’s basketball in 2015, men’s soccer in 2015 and women’s basketball in 2017, all resulting in NCAA Division III Tournament appearances for those programs.

Under her direction, Sage announced its move from the Skyline Conference in the summer of 2016 and will compete as a member of the Empire 8 with the start of the 2017-2018 academic year. Additionally, men’s volleyball will compete as a member of the United Volleyball Conference with the start of the 2018 season.

Sage’s athletic facilities have also undergone a tremendous transformation under her watch as the college acquired the Neff Athletic Center and renovated the facility that also is home to the Robison Softball Complex, which was officially opened in the spring of 2009 after a two-year construction project was undertaken. Additional renovation include the Kahl Gymnasium and the fitness center on the SCA Albany (2009), that also coincided with the returns of varsity athletics to the Sage College of Albany in 2008.

Drews also undertook the redesign of the Gator logo in 2008 and an official brand for The Sage College’s athletic teams and department. In addition, Drews was instrumental in the launch of the Sage athletic booster club in 2012, "Sage Nation." The coming year marks the 10th anniversary for the Gator Golf Classic, another of the exciting activities Drews has been involved with and plays a major role in the support of Sage's student-athletes, coaches and the development of the department as a whole. 

While Sage has continued to grow and succeed on the playing courts and fields, so have the numbers of academic awards and acclaim bestowed upon several Gators. Since the 2011-2012 academic year, Sage has had five student-athletes named to the prestigious CoSIDA Academic All-America Team, while Sage's cross country teams have also been named to the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team in recent years. Sage's men's team has earned the award in two of the team's last three campaigns, while the 2012 Gator women earned the award in their first varsity season. 

Prior to her arrival at Sage, Drews was the head women’s volleyball coach at Oswego State from 1991-2005, where she was named the 1991 and 1994 SUNYAC Coach of the Year. She was also named the 1994 NYSWCAA Coach of the Year in volleyball after leading the team to a 42-3 record, a mark that stands today for most wins in a season at Oswego State.  She also served as Assistant Athletic Director at Oswego State from 2000-2005.  She was the Senior Woman Administrator and President of the SUNY Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) before arriving at Sage. 

As an undergraduate at Hamilton College, she was a three-time captain and four-year competitor in volleyball and softball. She helped the volleyball team to three-straight NYSWCAA tournament appearances during her playing career. As a pitcher on the 1988 softball squad, she established a school record, which still stands today as she was undefeated and helped the team to their second-most wins in a season in program history. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Hamilton in 1988. Following graduation from Hamilton, she pursued and earned a masters’ degree from the University of Connecticut in 1989.

She is extremely active professionally as she is a member of NADIIIAA, NACDA, and NACWAA, now known as Women Leaders in College Sports, having served on the nominating committee. She was appointed to NACWAA's Education and Professional Development Committee in 2012. She served as a member of the NCAA Division III Men's Volleyball Committee from 2013-2016 and wrapped her service to the committee as the chair in her final year.