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4 » Crusader Nation Spring 2014 Crusader Nation Spring 2014 » 5 NATHAN PINE is Holy Cross' new Athletics director. At 36, the Oregon native brings extensive athletics leadership experience to the Hill. He served as the Deputy A.D. at Maryland, and before that in senior posts at Army and his alma maters, Cal and Oregon State. His vision for Holy Cross: elite status in the leagues the College competes in across the board in all sports. He spoke with Mark Sullivan of Crusader Nation about his vision for Crusader Athletics. WITH NATHAN PINE ONE ONE ON What excites you most about coming to Holy Cross? What is your vision for the Athletics program? The passion our head coaches and student-athletes have for the institution has been very contagious. Their excitement has helped solidify for me what a great opportunity this is. I'd like to see us at the top of the Patriot League. I'd like to see across-the-board contenders in every sport. Hopefully in five to seven years, we will have done some significant fundraising, because we do need to make some facilities improvements, especially to the Hart Center. That's a big piece of it and something I'm very comfortable with — my background at Oregon State and Cal and West Point and in Maryland has been in fundraising and in externals. There's great opportunity here, and a willing alumni and parent base that we need to engage and cultivate. At Maryland, you managed the apparel partnership with Under Armour, whose colorful uniforms had the Terrapins described as the "Oregon of the East." Any surprises in store for Holy Cross' uniforms? I thoroughly enjoyed working very closely with the team at Under Armour to rebrand Maryland Athletics and create national buzz about the University of Maryland. At Holy Cross we are under contract with Adidas, and I will look forward to working with them to help ensure our student-athletes have the best performance apparel in the Adidas portfolio and to enhance our athletics and institutional branding. What is the value of a strong Athletics program? All the way back to the Greeks, physical development has been an important part of education. A vibrant Athletics department in a Division I program enhances the institution. It has a tremendous effect on marketing, it helps our brand recognition and that's why it's important that, if we're going to compete at the highest level, we compete successfully. COVER