Fairfield Stags
The Fairfield Stags are the athletic programs representing Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut. Most of the programs are members of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and classified as Division I in the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
The men's and women's golf programs are both ranked among the best in the nation for academics, according to Golf Digest.
Traditions
History of the Stag
With the dawn of the first athletic team in the fall of 1947, it became apparent that a nickname would be needed. For the 1947–48 season, Fairfield University adopted the "Men In Red" as its nickname.The following year, the university introduced men's basketball as its next team and its first varsity sport. With the start of varsity sports, the school put it to the students for input in naming of a school mascot. Two recommendations were made to the board of trustees for an official decision and vote. As the late Fr. Charles F. Duffy S.J. recounted: "As a member of the Board of Trustees, I remember voting at a board meeting late in 1948 on the naming for our athletic teams. We voted for Stags over Chanticleers!"
What made the decision for the Board a bit easier and logical was that the school was part of the Diocese of Hartford and the word Hartford means stags and stream. According to Webster's New World Dictionary the word "hart" means "A male of the European red deer; stag." As for the world "ford" Webster describes it as "A shallow place in a stream, river, etc."
As a result, Fairfield University's seal itself was designed featuring a deer leaping over a tumbling brook to represent both the school's connection with the Dioceses as well with its close ties with nature.
Fairfield is situated on a rolling, immensely wooded campus overlooking Long Island Sound. The name fits well as a nickname because the Stag is a good jumper and it spirited and agile, as Fairfield would like all of its student-athletes to be.
Sports sponsored
Baseball
The baseball team competes in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference of NCAA Division I and plays their home games at the Alumni Baseball Diamond on the campus of Fairfield University. Fairfield fielded its first varsity baseball team in 1951, winning 7 of 12 games. The Stags, coached by Don Cook, made the first of three straight trips to the ECAC New England Tournament in 1977, defeating defending champion University of Maine. The team was MAAC South Champions in 1983, 1991, 1993, 1995 and 1997. Individually, Anthony Hajjar was named a 2010 Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American; Peter Allen was named to the 2008 Brooks Wallace Player of the Year Watch List following his program record setting season in 2007 in which he was ranked nationally in doubles, batting average, and slugging percentage; and Mike Pike was named a 1993 Mizuno Freshman All-American.Keefe Cato, the holder of ten Fairfield pitching records including seven career shutouts and one no-hitter, was the first Fairfield athlete to play in a major professional sport on the major league level after being selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the second round of the 1979 Major League Baseball draft. He was the Reds’ winning pitcher in his second game. And Rob Gariano, who surpassed Cato's 31 year stand as Fairfield's all-time strikeout leader with 293 strikeouts was drafted in the 36th round of the 2010 Major League Baseball draft by the San Diego Padres. The Stags are currently coached by 2012 MAAC Coach of the Year Bill Currier.
Men's basketball
The men's basketball team competes in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference of NCAA Division I. The Stags play their home games in the 3,500-seat Leo D. Mahoney Arena on campus. Opened in November 2022, the arena replaces Alumni Hall, which was the home of the Stags from 1959 to 2022.Fairfield competed in the National Invitational Tournament in 1973, 1974, 1978, 1996 and 2003, as well as the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament in 1986, 1987 and 1997. In the 1973 National Invitation Tournament, the Stags advanced to the second round where the team lost by one point to eventual National Champion Virginia Tech. And in the 1997 NCAA Tournament, the Stags nearly achieved a historic upset of top-seeded North Carolina after leading the Tar Heels by seven points at halftime.
The team also won the MAAC Regular Season Title in 1986 and the MAAC Championship Tournament in 1986, 1987 and 1997. Individually, Joe DeSantis earned All-American honors in 1979; Darren Phillip was the nation's top rebounder in 2001 averaging 14 rebounds per game; and Deng Gai was the nation's top shot blocker in 2005 averaging 5.5 blocks per game ranking him 5th all-time in NCAA Division I basketball. The Stags are currently coached by Chris Casey.
The men's basketball team is currently coached by Chris Casey. The Stags have participated in National Invitational Tournament in 1973, 1974, 1978, 1996, 2003 and 2011, and the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament in 1986, 1987 and 1997.
In the first round of the 1997 NCAA Tournament, the Stags nearly achieved a historic upset over top ranked and Final Four bound North Carolina, leading the Tar Heels by seven points at halftime, before ultimately losing 82–74. UNC's win was Coach Dean Smith's 876th win as a Division I college coach, tying him for first all-time. That record has since been broken.
In 2010, during the first round of the CIT, the team set the national record for the largest comeback in Division I college basketball postseason history by overcoming a 27-point deficit with under 16 minutes to play to defeat George Mason in overtime, 101–96.
Head coach Ed Cooley was named the Ben Jobe National Coach of the Year in 2010. Thirteen Stags have been either drafted or signed to play in the NBA.
Women's basketball
The women's basketball team competes in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference of NCAA Division I. The Stags play their home games in the 3,500 seat Leo D. Mahoney Arena on campus. The women's basketball team has won the MAAC title in 1988, 1991, 1998, 2022, 2023 and regular season titles in 1990, 1991, 2000, 2022, and 2023. In 2023, they went undefeated in conference play, reached the Associated Press Top 25 and went to the NCAA Tournament. They are currently coached by Carly Thibault-DuDonis.Under former coach Diane Nolan, who reached her milestone 500th win in 2006, the Stags competed in the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship in 1988, 1991, 1998, and 2001. Individually, Katrina Fields in 1985, Dana Pellegrino in 1987 and 1988 and Lisa Mikelic in 1991 earned All-American honors. The Stags are currently coached by Joe Frager, who previously coached the Southern Connecticut State University Owls to the 2007 NCAA Division II Women's Basketball National Title.
Cross country
The cross country running team is the oldest athletics program at the university, dating back to 1947. The Rev. Victor Leeber, S.J. founded the team and is the namesake of the annual Father Leeber Invitational hosted by the university and held on the campus grounds. Members of the Fairfield University Hall of Fame include: John Barry '62, Joseph von Ehr '74, Joseph Miko '51, Michael Collins '77, and Ian MacNeill '97. The Stags participate in the MAAC conference like the majority of the other Fairfield programs. For three straight years the men have been recognized as part of the NCAA Academic Performance Program. The program has seen a resurgence since the hiring of John Sagnelli, formerly a coach at the University of New Haven, in 2007. Last year the men's team placed 5th in the MAAC up two spots from 7th in 2008 and 9th in 2007.Field hockey
The field hockey team, as of the 2019 season, have competed in the Northeast Conference of NCAA Division I. The NEC effectively took over operation of the MAAC field hockey league after the 2018 season. The Stags play their home games at University Field on the campus of Fairfield University. The team competed in the 1981 NCAA Division III EAIAW Regional Playoffs and the 2001 NCAA Women's Field Hockey Championship. The team also won the Patriot League Regular Season Title in 1998 and the Patriot League Tournament Championship in 2001. Individually, Mary Beth Combs received the Connecticut NCAA Woman of the Year Award in 1993 and ten players have earned NFHCA Mideast Regional All-American honors. The Stags are currently coached by Jackie Kane '87.Football
The now defunct football team once competed in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference of NCAA Division I-AA between 1996 and 2003. Following the team's inaugural season, the 1997 team recorded the second-best single-season turnaround in Division I-AA history posting a 7–3 mark. The Stags won the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference title in 1998 posting a 9–2 record and head coach Kevin Kiesel captured the league's Coach of the Year Award. Fairfield also had the top-rated Division I-AA defense for rushing and for total yards. The 1999 team also went 9–2 and ranked fifth among the nation's Division I-AA non-scholarship teams. The defense was ranked second for scoring defense and for total defense. The 2000 team compiled an 8–2 record and ranked seventh in the country.In total, seven Fairfield players earned All-American honors, and one player received Academic All-American honors. During the 2000 season, senior Steve Dogmanits set a school-standard of 11. This was enough to lead all of Division I-AA, just missing the national record set in 1987 by Dean Cain of Princeton University and "Lois & Clark" fame. Fairfield has the second highest winning percentage among all major defunct football teams.
The 1979 Fairfield, led by All-America and Hall of Fame quarterback Craig Leach '81, played in the National Collegiate Football Association's National Championship game where the Stags fell 60–40 to the University of Massachusetts Lowell. The 1980 team started the season ranked #1 in the pre-season NCFA Polls.