Sage Promoted To Assistant Athletics Director

By: By Mike Miranto, Sr. Associate A.D. for External Operations & Communications

Sports Medicine | 6/22/2018 11:30:00 AM

AMHERST, N.Y. - Director of Sports Medicine Jeff Sage has been promoted to Assistant Athletics Director for Sports Medicine and Performance at Daemen College, Interim Athletics Director Brandi Guerinot announced today.

"Jeff has done tremendous work over the years, and he is truly an asset to our department," said Guerinot. "He has taken on a larger role over the course of the last year and this promotion fits his role well. I look forward to continuing to see Jeff grow professionally."

Sage will continue to oversee the sports medicine and performance offices which provide essential health care and performance training to more than 200 student-athletes at Daemen. Sage has played an integral role in the growth of these offices over the years, presently leading a group that includes three assistant athletic trainers, one of whom doubles as the department's strength and conditioning coordinator, with plans ongoing to add an athletic training intern to the staff as well. He will maintain his own athletic training responsibilities while also adding sport oversight to his administrative plate, specifically for the Daemen cheerleading program which was recently upgraded from club to varsity status. In addition, Sage will take on greater responsibility in the realm of campus recreation, intramurals and club sports.

"I would like to thank Brandi for providing me an opportunity to engage at the next level with our athletics leadership team, coaches, staff and most of all the student-athletes," said Sage, now in his 24th year with the department. "I am fortunate to have been a part of the Daemen Athletics evolution from the early beginnings of two teams competing in the NAIA to now 18 teams at the NCAA Division II level. It really has been tremendous. I look forward to continuing to contribute and striving to make everyone's experience with Daemen Athletics the best it can be."

A native of Wyoming, N.Y., Sage is presently the longest tenured employee on the Daemen Athletics' staff. He began working at the college in 1995 through an affiliation with Catholic Health's AthletiCare. Two years later, he was named the college's first-ever Head Athletic Trainer, a title he held until the 2015-16 academic year when he was promoted to Director of Sports Medicine. When the NCAA recently mandated that each athletic department designate an employee to serve as the Athletics Health Care Administrator, Sage was a natural choice. He has also previously served as a Clinical Assistant Professor and Clinical Coordinator for the Athletic Training major at Daemen, a role in which he helped the program gain accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE).

One of the most respected members of the campus community, Sage was recognized in 2017 as the recipient of the Brett Ferber Unsung Hero Award. The prestigious award, named for the former student and men's basketball team manager, is awarded annually to the institutional staff member or student who goes above and beyond in their dedication and support of Daemen Athletics. Sage is the only direct employee of the Athletics Department to ever receive the award.

In addition to his duties with Daemen, Sage currently serves as president of the New York State Athletic Trainers' Association (NYSATA). A member of the organization for more than 25 years, Sage was elected to the position after spending three years as the NYSATA Region 7 Representative, covering Orleans, Cattaraugus, Genesee, Wyoming, Erie, Niagara, Allegany and Chautauqua Counties. He is presently in the second of a five-year commitment to the NYSATA leadership hierarchy.

Sage is a 1994 graduate of the State University of New York at Brockport, and he added a Master's Degree from California University of Pennsylvania in 2007. He holds professional certifications in athletic training (ATC), strength and conditioning (CSCS) and performance enhancement (PES).

Sage resides in Akron, N.Y. with his wife, Jackie, and their two children, Jason and Jenna.

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