Griffin leaves NJCU to become AD at Rutgers-Newark

Mark Griffin, who has spent the last 13 years as the associate athletic director and track coach at New Jersey City University, has resigned his position at the school to become the new athletic director at Rutgers-Newark.The 42-year-old Griffin had been a member of the NJCU administration since 1992, where he served as the associate AD, the compliance and eligibility officer and the track and field coach.
During his tenure, Griffin was able to put the school’s track program back on the map, including coaching three-time NCAA Division III National Champion Diana Lawson.
Griffin moves on to Rutgers-Newark, where he replaces the late John Adams, who was at the school for almost 30 years. Adams died suddenly last October, causing a huge void that hopefully has been filled with the appointment of Griffin.
Griffin takes over at Rutgers-Newark Aug. 2.
“I’ve had a great tenure at New Jersey City University, and have enjoyed the opportunity to have worked with some great individuals,” Griffin said. “I’m proud of the strides that the track and field program has made, especially in the last five years. I am very excited about the Rutgers-Newark position because of the staff they have in place and the potential the athletics program and institution has for success.”
NJCU athletic director Larry Schiner had nothing but praise for Griffin.
“For the past 13 years, Mark has been a prominent figure in the growth and development of the athletic department,” Schiner said. “He has proven to be a strong administrator and an excellent track and field coach. Although we will miss him, it is the right time for Mark to be a director and head up his own program. We wish him much success in his future endeavors at Rutgers-Newark.”
The Rutgers-Newark position will mark the second time in Griffin’s career that he has served as an athletic director, having worked as the AD at Teikyo Post University in Waterbury, Connecticut from 1987 through 1990.
As the associate director at NJCU, he has also handled duties as compliance and eligibility officer since 1997 and has been charged with coordinated all scheduling of games and events for the 15-team athletic program.
He has also supervised the head coaches of nearly every sport offered by NJCU at some point in his tenure.
Although women’s cross-country was an active sport when Griffin arrived in 1992, the track and field program was not. Griffin pushed the school’s administration to bring the sport back in 1995 and during his tenure, NJCU produced 21 NCAA Division III All-Americans, including the aforementioned exploits of Lawson.
As an athlete at Montclair State, Griffin had his own moments of All-American glory.
He was a three-time NCAA Division III All-American in the javelin at MSU from 1982 through 1984 and was an All-American in water polo in 1985.
Griffin still holds the Montclair State school record for the javelin with a toss of 232-8 in 1983, and won the New Jersey Athletic Conference title in the same event in 1984.
He was enshrined in the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 1995.