PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. - Former Pace University Director of Athletics Joe O'Donnell (1997-2011) passed away at the age of 75 on Wednesday, June 12. O'Donnell retired in 2011 after 14 years at the helm of Setter Athletics, and was a 2016 Pace Athletics Hall of Fame inductee.
 
"Our community is saddened at the news of Joe O'Donnell's passing and he will be missed by everyone," said Pace Director of Athletics Mark Brown. "Joe worked tirelessly to provide the best experience possible for Pace student-athletes, coaches and staff. He touched the lives of so many during his career. Our thoughts are with his family as we also mourn his loss."
 
He oversaw one of the most successful eras in Pace Athletics history, which included 27 NCAA tournament appearances, involving three NCAA Regional Championships, three NCAA Elite 8 runs and three NCAA Sweet 16 appearances. O'Donnell also administered eight Northeast-10 Regular Season titles, eight NE-10 Tournament Championships and two ECAC Championships.
 
During his time at Pace, O'Donnell played an instrumental role in the development and opening of the Ann & Alfred Goldstein Health, Fitness & Recreation Center in 2002, one of the finest athletics facilities in the region. The state-of-the-art facility is home to the Pace volleyball team, men's and women's swimming and diving teams, men's and women's basketball teams, and hundreds of events each year.
 
O'Donnell was a part of Pace's transition from the New York Collegiate Athletic Conference (NYCAC) to the Northeast-10 Conference, one of the most prestigious NCAA Division II conferences in the nation. In addition, he oversaw the renovation of Howard Johnson Hall on Pace's Briarcliff campus, which hosted several coaches, meeting rooms, locker rooms and a training room. The project also included upgrades to the softball field and a new field for the women's soccer team.
 
O'Donnell was responsible for the initiation of the Pace Athletics Hall of Fame, which now includes 75 inductees in 18 classes, and has grown to become a premiere event for the department. He also established the Setters Club fundraising organization, and was responsible for adding the women's soccer and men's and women's swimming and diving programs.
 
O'Donnell devoted most of his professional career to college athletics. Prior to his tenure at Pace, he served as Athletics Director at American University in Washington D.C. for more than eight years. O'Donnell also worked in the athletics department at Wichita State and served as associate athletics director at La Salle for 12 years. He began his career as a teacher and soccer coach at Father Judge High School in Philadelphia, PA, where he was inducted into the Soccer Hall of Fame.
 
His Funeral Mass will be held Tuesday, June 18, at 11 A.M., St. Patrick Church, 104 Channing Ave., Malvern, PA 19355, where friends may call after 10 A.M. Internment private. The O'Donnell family requests in lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to Pace University Athletics at www.pace.edu/settersclub.