POUGHKEEPSIE, New York – The Marist Athletics Department is mourning the loss of Ron Petro, who passed away on Friday, Dec. 5 at the age of 84.
The name Ron Petro is synonymous with class and excellence at every stop he made during his distinguished career in athletics. Ron was one of the most influential forces behind the growth of the Marist Athletics Department. He served as the Red Foxes' third Director of Athletics from 1977-84, an era in which Marist completed the jump from Division I in 1981.
Ron spearheaded the growth of multiple athletic facilities on campus, which included the opening of the McCann Center. He created the Red Fox Club and developed Marist's summer camps. He was the head coach of the men's basketball program for 18 years, and he coached the women's and men's tennis programs in the 1970s prior to becoming Director of Athletics.
"Ron and his late wife Sally were a significant part of the formative early years of Marist and our athletics program," current Director of Athletics Tim Murray said. "They often shared stories and memories with me about the early days. Ron was truly the architect of Marist's Division I athletics program. I was always humbled in my conversations with Ron over the past 30 years, and I will miss them greatly. He was an outstanding athletic administrator, coach, and a better person who shared a deep love and passion for Marist.
"Ron was deeply admired by the athletes he coached for many years as our head basketball and tennis coach, many of whom stayed in touch with him and Sally. My prayers go out to the Petro family, but I find peace in knowing that Coach Petro and Sally are together again."
Tim Murray with Ron Petro at Men's Basketball Alumni Day, 2014
From 1966-84, Ron served as the head coach of the men's basketball program. The fourth head coach in program history, Ron's 18-year tenure in the position is tied for the longest in program history with Dave Magarity, and his 228 wins rank second in program history.
As head coach, Ron delivered the program's first 20-win season in 1970-71, when the Red Foxes went 21-7. He won three league titles and led the program to the NAIA District championship in 1973. Ron's final three seasons as head coach were the program's first three in Division I.
Ron coached nine 1,000-point scorers (Bill Gowen, John Murphy, Bill Spenla, Ray Manning, Joe Scott, Mike Hart, Bill DeWinne, Steve Smith, Bruce Johnson). Smith became the program's first 2,000-point scorer, and he held Marist's all-time scoring record for three-and-a-half decades.
As much as the record books show Ron's myriad accomplishments, what was even more impactful is the number of lives he and Sally touched.
One of the many student-athletes Ron guided was Steve Eggink, who played basketball at Marist from 1980-85 and has been a Marist broadcaster for the last 21 years. While Steve learned plenty of lessons from Ron on the court, it was the care Ron and Sally showed off it that built a lifelong friendship. Steve and his wife, Cathy, got together with Ron for lunch in Oregon just this past summer.
"Coach Petro was the primary reason why I chose to come to Marist to play basketball and further my education," Steve said. "I felt a close connection on my visit. He had such a big impact on my life. Unfortunately, I had some significant injuries at Marist. Ron and his entire family went above and beyond to take care of me, which meant so much with me being 3,000 miles away from home. I don't know what I would have done without him.
"I really cherish all the things I did with him."
A native of Yonkers, New York, Ron's significance spread to multiple schools and organizations throughout his life. He was a three-year member of the men's basketball team at Manhattan, where he scored over 1,000 career points and was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame.
After his departure from Marist, he served as Director of Athletics at Alaska-Anchorage from 1984-92. He secured a deal with ESPN to televise the Great Alaska Shootout, and he became the first Athletics Director to be inducted into the school's Hall of Fame. He then became Director of Athletics at Rhode Island, a position he held from 1992-2004. At Rhode Island, he supervised the completion of the Ryan Center and Boss Ice Arena, and he saw the men's basketball team make its deepest NCAA Tournament run in program history, as the Rams reached the Elite Eight in 1998. Ron was Executive Director of the Women's Final Four in Boston in 2006.
Ron was inducted into the MAAC Honor Roll in 2017 for his outstanding contributions to Marist's basketball program. A week prior to the induction, Ron returned to campus, where he was honored at the Red Fox Club Barbecue and took part in the coin toss for the Marist football team's game against Stetson the following day. Following Sally's passing in 2023, Ron attended her memorial service at Marist's Cornell Boathouse.
Ron Petro at the coin toss for Marist's football game vs. Stetson, 2017
Ron earned a bachelor's degree in physical education from Manhattan in 1963. He then added master's degrees from Penn State in education in 1964, and administration and supervision from Southern Connecticut State in 1975.
In a coincidental yet fitting scheduling nuance, the Marist men's basketball team's next game will be against Manhattan on Sunday at McCann Arena. A moment of silence will be held in Ron's memory prior to the 2 p.m. tip-off.
