Lisa Goddard McGuirk
Director of Athletics
Lisa Goddard McGuirk begins her third year as Gannon's Director of Athletics in 2016-17. She was introduced during a press conference in Gannon's Old Main Boardroom August 25, 2014.
McGuirk has 19 years of extensive experience in sports administration, including eight years as a director of athletics. The Gannon athletics department flourished during McGuirk’s first year at the helm in 2014-15. The Golden Knights finished eighth out of 18 schools in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Dixon Trophy race, topping all Erie County schools for the first time since joining the conference in 2008-09. Sixteen of Gannon’s 20 programs qualified for the postseason, including 12 of its 16 PSAC sports. Ten teams participated in the national postseason. Gannon’s 15 programs that produce won-loss records won 54.1 percent (170-144-1) of their overall games and 61.4 percent (110-69-1) of their conference games.
The success during McGuirk’s first year wasn’t contained to athletic competition. The entire department produced a combined 3.24 grade point average. Fifty-five student-athletes had a perfect 4.0 during either the fall or spring semester. Seventy-one percent of Gannon’s student-athletes had a 3.0 GPA or better during the spring semester. A school-record 199 Gannon student-athletes were named PSAC Scholar-Athletes, representing 49 percent of the department. It was the highest percentage among all PSAC schools. That number was toppled during year No. 2 with 208 student-athletes were named PSAC Scholar-Athletes.
In the community, Gannon student-athletes completed 9,600 service hours during Goddard McGuirk's first two years. Nearly $33,000 was raised during that time span for numerous charities.
Administratively, Gannon joined the Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) during McGuirk’s first year. The affiliation gave the women’s water polo program an opportunity to qualify for the NCAA National Championships through a conference comprised solely of Division II schools. The NCAA water polo championships include all divisions. Gannon also joined the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) as a secondary affiliation to the PSAC. Lastly, Gannon was represented for the first time at the NCAA APPLE Conference.
McGuirk came to Gannon after serving as the director of athletics at NCAA Division III Cedar Crest College in Allentown, Pennsylvania for two years. The Falcons held dual membership in the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) and ECAC.
"Lisa understands and has a passion for Gannon's mission of developing the whole student," said Gannon Vice President for Student Development and Engagement Brian Nichols upon McGuirk's hiring. "She is exactly the type of leader that we were looking for to take our program to the next level. Lisa can lead within the athletics department and within the Gannon community. We believe Gannon Athletics will not just maintain its excellence in academics, competition and community service. We believe our student-athletes will rise higher with Lisa as our next director of athletics."
McGuirk was in the process of aiding a mini-capital campaign for Athletics at Cedar Crest that included construction of a new turf field and significant upgrades to existing outdoor facilities at the time of her hiring at Gannon. The Falcons increased sport sponsorship and quadrupled athletic recruitment endeavors during McGuirk's tenure.
"I would like to thank President Keith Taylor and Vice President Brian Nichols, as I am truly grateful for the opportunity to serve as Gannon University's new director of athletics," said McGuirk upon her hiring. "Gannon has a rich history of athletic success that can be attributed to a very talented coaching staff, student-athlete population and supportive alumni. I look to best assist in building upon that solid foundation and continuing to improve upon that tradition of excellence. Moreover, Gannon's student-athletes are to be applauded for not only excelling athletically, but for also achieving great things academically.
"It is Gannon University's commitment to both academic and athletic excellence that attracted me to this position. It's also important to me that we continue to increase our collaborative efforts. This will not only be achieved by working with various departments and student organizations on campus in an effort to better integrate athletics within the campus community, but also within the greater Erie community. Gannon University has worked closely within the community and I look forward to continuing that collaborative tradition."
Prior to Cedar Crest, McGuirk spent four years (2005-09) as the director of athletics at the College of Saint Elizabeth, an NCAA Division III institution in Morristown, New Jersey. She led an effort to gain membership into both the North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) and ECAC. In addition, McGuirk spearheaded construction efforts of a $1.2 million complex for softball and tennis, and extensive renovation projects of the aquatic center and gymnasium. As she did at Cedar Crest, she was able to increase sport sponsorship and student-athlete participation while quadrupling student-athlete recruitment.
A former NCAA basketball and softball student-athlete, McGuirk spent 11 years as a head softball coach at Cedar Crest, Saint Elizabeth, the University of Massachusetts-Boston and NCAA Division I Centenary (La.) College. She also has collegiate coaching experience in basketball and volleyball.
McGuirk currently serves as a member of the ECAC Board of Directors, ECAC Marketing Committee and ECAC Soccer Championship Committee. She is also a member of the NCAA Division II Women's Golf Atlantic Regional Advisory Committee. In addition, McGuirk has served as a facilitator for two consecutive years at the NCAA Career in Sports Forum.
A 1997 graduate from Brandeis (Mass.) University with a bachelor's degree in sociology, McGuirk is currently pursuing her master's degree in management. McGuirk and husband, Keith, have a four-year-old daughter, Shea.
Don Sherman
Associate Director of Athletics
Sherman begins his 13th year as Gannon’s Associate Director of Athletics in 2016-17. He has been the only Associate A.D. in school history after becoming the first to assume the newly-created full-time position in 2004.
In all, Sherman has spent 21 years at Gannon in a variety of administrative and coaching roles. In a dual position as the Associate Director, he also served as the head coach for both water polo programs until 2015. Sherman was the pioneer of Gannon water polo, starting both the women's and men's programs from scratch and moving them from club status to the varsity level in 2001. He coached the women’s program for 14 seasons and the men’s program for 12 campaigns. Of the two programs’ combined first 29 years of varsity-level existence, Sherman had been the head coach for 26 of those years.
Sherman accumulated 312 career water polo victories, finishing with 175 wins as the women's head coach and 137 for the men. He reached double digits in victories 11 times with the women and nine times for the men. Sherman was named Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Western Division Women's Coach of the Year twice, receiving the honor in 2002 and 2007. He earned CWPA Division II Men's Water Polo Championship Coach of the Year for the first time in 2014.
One of only two coaches in the history of the Gannon water polo programs, Sherman guided his teams numerous times to the CWPA Eastern Championships which are the equivalent to the NCAA regionals in other sports. The women's program was 9-1 all-time in the CWPA Division II Championships, winning the first three titles.
Sherman was at his best during local rivalries. His water polo programs were 49-0 all-time against Penn State Behrend (Men 30-0 / Women 19-0) and 32-33 all-time against Mercyhurst (Men 16-18 / Women 16-15).
Sherman began his career at Gannon as an assistant swimming and diving coach under former Gannon head coach Rick Goerlitz. Sherman was appointed head women's and men's swimming coach in the summer of 1997. The men's program had four consecutive winning seasons while the women's program produced winning records in four of Sherman's last five campaigns. Both squads went 10-1 during Sherman's last season in 2004-05.
The Erie, Pa., native has 31 years of involvement with aquatics and pool management as a coach, instructor, swimmer and lifeguard. He served as the Financial Director for the Downtown Erie YMCA prior to coming to Gannon.
Sherman was a member of the Rocket water polo team that finished eighth at the NCAA National Championships in 1984. He later served as an assistant student coach for the Slippery Rock men's swimming team, and also has experience as the Cathedral Prep assistant swimming and water polo coach.
Sherman graduated from Slippery Rock University with a bachelor's degree in physical education and sports management. He and his wife Chrisie have three children, Cara, Kimmy and Cody. Graduates of Gannon University, Cara and Kimmy spent time as the University’s gameday cheerleading coach and Cody was a four-year letterwinner for the men’s water polo team.
Kathy MacMurdy
Assistant Director of Athletics for Business & Finance / Senior Women's Administrator
MacMurdy, a 33-year employee at Gannon, was promoted to assistant director of athletics for business and finance in July of 2013. She had served as the athletics department’s business manager and senior women’s administrator since April 2000. MacMurdy previously worked in Gannon’s finance and administration office. She is responsible for all financial reports for the department and monitors budgets and athletic scholarships awarded to student-athletes. MacMurdy is also responsible for the National Letter of Intent program and maintains financial and eligibility data for all student-athletes. Her numerous duties include team travel, ticket sales and event staff supervision.
Dan Teliski
Assistant Director of Athletics for Media Relations
Dan Teliski, 41, was promoted to assistant director of athletics for media relations in July of 2013. He begins his 18th year as the director of athletics media relations in 2016-17.
Teliski is responsible for the production of athletic publications, media relations, social media initiatives, video projects, online streaming, statistical record keeping, day-to-day web site maintenance, home event management, and promotion of Gannon’s student-athletes, coaches, and teams. He has received 30 national awards and numerous regional awards for his publications. In all, Gannon has received 13 “best in the nation” honors during Teliski’s tenure.
A 1997 Gannon graduate, Teliski was named to the NCAA Division II Baseball Regional Advisory Committee in 2013 and served as the 2015 NCAA Division II Atlantic Baseball Regional Site Representative. He also previously served as the Daktronics Women’s Volleyball and Women’s Soccer All-Great Lakes Region Coordinator when the Golden Knights were part of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC).
Teliski teamed with former Gannon Assistant Director of Athletics Media Relations Katie Botsis to have Gannon's 2010-11 women's basketball media guide cover judged best in the country by the College Sports Information Directors of America. CoSIDA honored several of his publications during the 2008-09 academic year, selecting the basketball gameday program and its cover No. 1 in the country. The football gameday program and the women’s basketball media guide were judged third and fifth, respectively. The men’s soccer media guide was No. 1 in the country in 2007, marking the third time in five years it had received the top honor.
Teliski resides in Erie with his wife Tianna. He is the proud father of Zachary (17), Victoria (15), Brianna (15) and Joshua (11).
Dee Smith
Administrative Assistant to the Director of Athletics
Smith originally worked for the Gannon University Library from 1969-1973 and from 1985-1989. In 1989, she became the secretary to the then newly resurrected football program. Smith spent 18 years in football before becoming the Administrative Assistant for the Department of Athletics in 2007. Dee also served as the advisor for the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) for a brief time in the late 2000s.
