RPI football coach Ralph Isernia just got $1 million to enhance his program.
The Engineers announced Wednesday they’ve received a $1 million gift to fund the football program from former punter Brendan Keegan, who graduated in 1991, and his wife, Dana. RPI said it was by far the largest gift in the program’s history.
“It’s a game-changer,” Isernia said Thursday by phone. “It’s going to allow us to do some things that we haven’t been able to do in the past in regards to recruiting and staffing and also providing a better experience for our student-athletes.”
Brendan Keegan is chairman, CEO and president of Merchants Fleet, which RPI said is the fastest growing fleet technology company in North America.
“Leadership is my passion and recognizing the people and organizations that helped build my foundation is very important to my family,” Keegan said in a news release. “Athletics plays a key role in developing lifelong attributes such as courage, teamwork, resilience, faith, service, family, and grit. And giving back to Rensselaer, the football program, and the student-athletes is simply a gesture of gratitude and a thank you — now let’s go win a championship!”
Isernia said the Keegans’ gift had been in the works for more than a year.
“It’s been a little bit of time going, but it was obviously time well spent, that’s for sure,” Isernia said.
Though RPI already has football players from more than 20 states, Isernia said the gift will enable the Engineers to increase their recruiting budget so they can travel farther to see players. Currently, they visit football camps at high schools within the region to watch out-of-region prospects who travel.
Isernia said RPI should also be able to add more staff and pay higher salaries. He currently has three full-time assistants, augmented by…
Read the full article here