St. John's University Athletics
St. John’s Announces Contract Extension for Mike Cragg
4/28/2021 12:30:00 PM | General
Red Storm Director of Athletics receives new five-year contract that runs through 2025-26
QUEENS, N.Y. – St. John's University announced on Wednesday that Director of Athletics Mike Cragg has agreed to a new five-year contract to continue leading Red Storm Athletics. Named the seventh athletic director in program history in 2018, Cragg's extended agreement now runs through the 2025-26 academic year.
"Since arriving at St. John's, I have been pleased with Mike Cragg's leadership and remain excited about the direction of our athletic programs," said Father Brian Shanley, President of St. John's University. "It is important for St. John's to maintain continuity in leadership to take our athletic programs to the highest levels of success on and off the field of play."
Under Cragg's leadership, St. John's 17 athletic programs and 350 student-athletes have reached new heights. In his three years at the helm, the Red Storm has won four BIG EAST championships and has had seven teams participate in national postseason competition to date. The 2019-20 academic year featured the women's volleyball team's unprecedented run to its first BIG EAST title in 12 years while the men's soccer program earned a national seed in the NCAA Tournament and advanced to the Round of 16. In 2018-19, the men's basketball program earned its 29th all-time appearance in the NCAA Tournament while the men's tennis team captured the BIG EAST title and bid to the NCAA Championships.
St. John's student-athletes have also shined in the classroom under Cragg's leadership, as Red Storm programs have earned nine public recognition awards from the NCAA for finishing in the top 10 percent of their sport in Academic Progress Rate (APR). Over the past two academic years, St. John's had 452 BIG EAST All-Academic Team selections and collected 10 BIG EAST Team Academic Excellence Awards. In 2019-20, a program record 230 student-athletes were named to the BIG EAST All-Academic Team while the Red Storm collected a conference-best six BIG EAST Team Academic Excellence Awards.
"Simply put, I am absolutely thrilled to serve this great University and remain a part of Father Shanley's team," said Cragg. "We are eternally grateful for the phenomenal support shown by the entire St. John's community since our arrival in 2018. To be sure, Paige and I look forward to continuing our work to build a championship-level athletics department and to interface with our remarkable student-athletes, coaches and staff."
Cragg has played an instrumental role in the men's basketball program's steady rise to prominence under Head Coach Mike Anderson, the 2020-21 BIG EAST Coach of the Year. After recruiting the veteran coach with an impeccable resume to Queens in 2019, St. John's has continued its storied basketball program's tradition of success with consecutive winning seasons, including its highest finish in the BIG EAST in eight years this past season. In addition, Cragg extended the contract of women's basketball head coach Joe Tartamella, keeping the second winningest coach in program history at St. John's through 2024.
Prior to navigating the athletic department through the COVID-19 pandemic, Cragg started to implement his vision of establishing a championship-level program in Queens with the creation of a department-wide strategic plan and master facilities plan. During his relatively brief tenure, Cragg has executed a variety of initiatives, including securing a department-wide partnership with Nike, advancing a longstanding partnership with Madison Square Garden, launching an environmental branding effort across all athletic facilities and restarting the St. John's Athletics Hall of Fame. Cragg also formed the St. John's Athletics Council on Community, Culture and Social Justice, which is charged with helping advance the University's commitment to anti-racism, social justice and equality.
Cragg has represented St. John's on several NCAA and BIG EAST committees during his time at the University. Currently, he serves on the NCAA Division I Competition Oversight Committee, Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association Executive Committee as well as the BIG EAST COVID-19 Task Force.
"Since arriving at St. John's, I have been pleased with Mike Cragg's leadership and remain excited about the direction of our athletic programs," said Father Brian Shanley, President of St. John's University. "It is important for St. John's to maintain continuity in leadership to take our athletic programs to the highest levels of success on and off the field of play."
Under Cragg's leadership, St. John's 17 athletic programs and 350 student-athletes have reached new heights. In his three years at the helm, the Red Storm has won four BIG EAST championships and has had seven teams participate in national postseason competition to date. The 2019-20 academic year featured the women's volleyball team's unprecedented run to its first BIG EAST title in 12 years while the men's soccer program earned a national seed in the NCAA Tournament and advanced to the Round of 16. In 2018-19, the men's basketball program earned its 29th all-time appearance in the NCAA Tournament while the men's tennis team captured the BIG EAST title and bid to the NCAA Championships.
St. John's student-athletes have also shined in the classroom under Cragg's leadership, as Red Storm programs have earned nine public recognition awards from the NCAA for finishing in the top 10 percent of their sport in Academic Progress Rate (APR). Over the past two academic years, St. John's had 452 BIG EAST All-Academic Team selections and collected 10 BIG EAST Team Academic Excellence Awards. In 2019-20, a program record 230 student-athletes were named to the BIG EAST All-Academic Team while the Red Storm collected a conference-best six BIG EAST Team Academic Excellence Awards.
"Simply put, I am absolutely thrilled to serve this great University and remain a part of Father Shanley's team," said Cragg. "We are eternally grateful for the phenomenal support shown by the entire St. John's community since our arrival in 2018. To be sure, Paige and I look forward to continuing our work to build a championship-level athletics department and to interface with our remarkable student-athletes, coaches and staff."
Cragg has played an instrumental role in the men's basketball program's steady rise to prominence under Head Coach Mike Anderson, the 2020-21 BIG EAST Coach of the Year. After recruiting the veteran coach with an impeccable resume to Queens in 2019, St. John's has continued its storied basketball program's tradition of success with consecutive winning seasons, including its highest finish in the BIG EAST in eight years this past season. In addition, Cragg extended the contract of women's basketball head coach Joe Tartamella, keeping the second winningest coach in program history at St. John's through 2024.
Prior to navigating the athletic department through the COVID-19 pandemic, Cragg started to implement his vision of establishing a championship-level program in Queens with the creation of a department-wide strategic plan and master facilities plan. During his relatively brief tenure, Cragg has executed a variety of initiatives, including securing a department-wide partnership with Nike, advancing a longstanding partnership with Madison Square Garden, launching an environmental branding effort across all athletic facilities and restarting the St. John's Athletics Hall of Fame. Cragg also formed the St. John's Athletics Council on Community, Culture and Social Justice, which is charged with helping advance the University's commitment to anti-racism, social justice and equality.
Cragg has represented St. John's on several NCAA and BIG EAST committees during his time at the University. Currently, he serves on the NCAA Division I Competition Oversight Committee, Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association Executive Committee as well as the BIG EAST COVID-19 Task Force.
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