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Dr. John Giannini has been named Rowan’s interim athletic director
effective immediately following the retirement of Dan Gilmore who had been with
the school for 43 years, according to a release from university president Ali
Houshmand.
Giannini was originally at the university from 1989-1996 has the
men’s basketball coach and went on to coach at the University of Maine and LaSalle
University.
He returned to Rowan last July to develop the Center for Sports Communication
& Social impact in the College of Communication & Creative Arts. He also
taught and mentored students seeking careers in the field.
The basketball team had a 168-38 record under Giannini from ’89-’96
including a Division III national championship in ’96 for which he was name Division
III Coach of the Year by the National Association of Basketball Coaches and
four total final four appearances.
In 2004, he was inducted to the Rowan
University-Glassboro State College Hall of Fame followed by the ’96 team last
year.
He has a doctorate in kinesiology, specializing in sport
psychology from the University of Illinois.
Off the court and out of the office he volunteered his time
to raise money for cancer research and ALS and supports Philadelphia Youth Basketball
and Samaritan’s Feet, which helps provide shoes to children in need around the
world.
Gilmore retires after a 43 year career as the men’s soccer
coach before becoming the AD in 2013. He has a 559-184-59 record as a coach.
Giannini’s appointment is for a year at which time the
university will assess whether to conduct a search for a permanent director,
according to Houshmand’s release.