Suffolk

Cary McConnell was named Suffolk’s third Director of Athletics in October 2014. McConnell, a former head baseball coach for the Rams, joins Charles Law (1946-1975) and James E. Nelson (1975-2013) as the only other people to hold the title in the University’s Athletic Department 75-plus-year history. 

McConnell oversees Suffolk’s 20 varsity sport, NCAA Division III Athletic Department, which competes in the highly-competitive Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC). In addition, McConnell supervises Suffolk’s Campus Recreation, which offers a variety of club and intramural sport teams, as well as a wealth of physical education opportunities for the Suffolk University community.  

Prior to his appointment, McConnell served as interim director since James E. Nelson’s retirement in August 2013. During his time under interim status, McConnell participated in an internal review of the department that resulted in a number of important recommendations for strengthening the athletics program and he has initiated the first steps toward achieving these goals.  

Since McConnell took over the reins of the athletic department improvements began immediately. 

In 2015, the Rams secured home field advantage for its outdoor varsity sports - baseball, men’s and women’s soccer and softball - with a 10-year partnership with East Boston. A year later six new varsity sports were added to Suffolk’s lineup in men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track and field, women’s golf and women’s ice hockey and state of the art work out facilities in the revamped Varsity Weight Room and the Michael S. Smith and Larry E. Smith Fitness Center opened in August 2015. 

The upgrades continued into 2018-19 with both soccer program’s garnering full-time coaches for the first time in the department’s history. In the summer of 2019 the Ridgeway Building, home of Suffolk Athletics, underwent a head-to-toe renovation in large part to a generous donation from the University’s alums Michael E. and Larry S. Smith. That face-lift included a brand-new training room facility, film room and locker rooms. 

He also spearheaded the department’s shift into the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) that same year, with nearly all 20 of the University’s team set to compete in the CCC beginning in 2020-21.

McConnell was a mind into yet another Ram Nation expansion in the summer of 2023 as he was on the committee that added women's lacrosse to Suffolk's varsity line-up as the University's 20th intercollegiate sport with an anticipated first season of spring 2025. 

McConnell joined the University in 1996 as Associate Director of Athletics and Head Baseball Coach. Prior to assuming his role at Suffolk, he had been the Head Baseball Coach at the University of Rochester.  

At the helm of the Suffolk program, McConnell won 479 contests (.635 winning percentage), recording at least 20-wins a year for 17 consecutive campaigns. He guided Suffolk to four NCAA Championship Tournament appearances, along with four GNAC titles. Under McConnell Suffolk appeared in the GNCA’s Conference Championship game in eight consecutive seasons. The five-time GNAC Coach of the Year took the Rams to 10 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Tournaments, including crowns in 2000 and 2014, respectively.  

In 2013, McConnell received the Jack Butterfield Award by the New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association (NEIBA). The award is given to an active New England coach who demonstrated integrity and dedication to the game of college baseball.  

Across 22 seasons as a collegiate head coach McConnell amassed 534 career victories.  

In May 2013, McConnell was inducted into the Suffolk University Hall of Fame along his 2000 Baseball team. That team set a school record with 38 wins in a season, while his pitching staff led all NCAA Division III baseball in earned run average (2.69) and strikeouts (401). The Rams made their first NCAA appearance, while winning both the GNAC and ECAC Championships. Suffolk was also inducted into the GNAC’s inaugural Hall of Fame Class in 2010.  

McConnell is also an enshrined member of the Medina County Hall of Fame (2007) and the Brunswick High School of Hall of Fame (1994) in his native Ohio and will be a part of the 2020 Intercity League Hall of Fame Class. 

A graduate of the College of Wooster, McConnell was a four-year starter in the infield for the Scots and was selected to the All-Decade Team for the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) for the 80’s. At Wooster, McConnell played in four straight NCAA Tournaments and one World Series finishing fifth. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and earned certification to teach at the secondary level. In addition, he holds a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration from the University of Rochester.  

McConnell resides in Reading, Massachusetts, along with his wife Kathy. They have two children, Charlie and Annie. Charlie is currently in his third season with the Seattle Mariners organization.