USD Hires Iannacone to Head Athletics

Tom Iannacone, athletic director of St. Francis College in Loretto, Pa., will become athletic director at the University of San Diego on Sept. 1, USD officials said Tuesday.

He will replace Father Patrick Cahill, who recently accepted a position as associate pastor at Guardian Angel Cathedral in Las Vegas. Cahill had been USD’s athletic director since 1979.

Iannacone, 46, who has been at St. Francis since 1985, said he started softball and women’s soccer programs at the college. From 1977-85, he was assistant athletic director and assistant football coach at Fordham.

He also taught physical education and coached high school track and football in Connecticut for 12 years. He received a master’s degree in physical education from Southern Connecticut University in 1973.

St. Francis, a Catholic school of about 1,500 students, Fordham and USD all have Division III football programs and Division I programs in several sports. USD has about 5,700 students and 15 intercollegiate sports teams, eight for men.

Iannacone said the sports fan in San Diego has more choices than a fan does in Loretto.

“But I think one of the advantages to USD is location,” he said. “There are a lot of institutions willing to come out there and give USD a home game. That’s a whole new situation I will be looking at.”

As an example, he cited Marist College’s decision to travel to USD for a men’s basketball game next season. Marist and St. Francis compete in the Metro Division of the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference.