Keene State announced that Martin Testo, Keene State 98’,would be taking over as athletic director.
Additionally, Amy Watson and Abe Osheyack were promoted to Associate Athletic Director, supporting Testo’s role of Athletic director.
In February, Keene State’s Athletic Director, Phil Racicot stepped down to become the assistant athletic director for event management at the University of Pittsburgh.
Testo commented on the full circle experience he had from going to Keene State College as a student, coaching, teaching, and now being appointed the role of Athletic Director, “This is the dream job,” Testo said. “I played here, I coached here, I taught here, why would you ever want to leave the athletic department?”
Both Testo and Osheyack agreed that a top priority is to get back on the top of the LEC and win the commissioners cup, an award granted to the best athletic program in the conference.
“We won it 16 years in a row from 2000 to 2016; we haven’t won it since,” Osheyack explained.
Testo said his main goal was to create stability for the athletic department, especially after all of the changes in leadership that the department has seen in the past seven to nine years.
“We have a range of coaches who have been here, been on staff in a permanent position, less than 3 months all the way up to 35 years,” Osheyack said. “We have a vast range of experience, styles and abilities and we need to be able to support them all for this department to be successful.”
After graduating from Keene State,Testo looked back on the steps it took to get to the Athletic director position, saying that at some points he found it hard to believe.
“You’re the director of athletics of the school that basically started you in 1993,” he said.
Testo also stressed the importance of making KSC athletics a bigger part of the Keene State Community.
“When you get an investment what do you need to get back? A return, it’s our turn to get a return,” he said.
Testo looks to the future of the athletics department, he said, “There is energy, there is enthusiasm, there is change, and I expect to have a really successful year, on the field, on the court, in the classroom and in the community.”
Molly Lu McKellar can be contacted
at mmckellar@kscequinox.com
