Niagara University Athletics

Niagara University Associate Vice President for Athletics Simon Gray has announced that Susan Roarke will be returning to NU as the Senior Associate Athletic Director/Senior Woman Administrator.

“We are excited to welcome Susan back to Niagara,” said Gray. “A successful leader throughout her career, including the last several years as a Director of Athletics and time as a head coach, Sue’s knowledge and expertise will elevate our department’s capabilities. Susan understands the value of intercollegiate athletics to a university’s overall profile and will be a tremendous benefit to our community.”

After her first stint at Niagara from 2015-19, Roarke served as the Director of Athletics at Medaille College. At Medaille, she oversaw 19 intercollegiate athletics team and the Mavericks had three NCAA Tournament berths. She helped institute an athletics Day of Giving, a Leadership Academy and an athletics golf tournament. Roarke also oversaw the grand openings of the field house at the Sports Complex in addition to a turf baseball and softball fields and a turf multipurpose field.

“I am very grateful for the opportunity to return to Niagara University and continue working with the wonderful student-athletes and staff members,” Roarke said. “I would like to thank both Simon and Father Maher for this exciting leadership role within the athletic department’s administration. I am honored to be part of such a storied athletics program and can’t wait to contribute to its continued growth”

While at Niagara originally, Roarke was the Associate Athletics Director/Senior Woman Administrator and was the department liaison for compliance, human resources, and facilities. She was the sport supervisor for softball, men's and women's swimming and diving, and men's and women's golf. 

Prior to Niagara, Roarke spent nine seasons as the head women's basketball coach at Buffalo State. She was promoted to Senior Woman Administrator and Assistant Athletics Director in 2013. 

Before Buffalo State, Roarke spent eight years as a head coach at the Division III level. She began her head coaching career with five seasons at Russell Sage College and she took over the program at Stevens Institute of Technology in 2002. 

In 2005-06, Roarke served as an assistant coach at Division II Merrimack College. She worked as an assistant coach with the Adirondack Region team who won gold in the 2000 Empire State Games. A member of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association, she also served as a member of the NCAA Regional Rankings Committee in the Atlantic Region from 2003-05.

Roarke was a four-year starting point guard at Keuka College where she helped lead the team to ECAC and NYSWCAA postseason tournament appearances. Roarke was also a five-sport athlete at Catholic Central High School and was inducted into its Athletics Hall of Fame in June, 2008.

A native of Troy, NY, she received her bachelor's degree in secondary education from Keuka. She earned master's degrees in sports studies and political science from Miami University of Ohio.