Hamden, Conn., native Mark Mentone has been named sports information director at Felician College, director of athletics Ben DiNallo, Jr. announced today. Mentone is Felicians first full-time SID.
Mentone has been an athletic communications professional for 10 years, and was the coordinator of sports information services at New Jersey Institute of Technology from 2000 to 2005. While at NJIT, he oversaw the media relations aspects of the mens soccer teams reclassification from NCAA Division II to Division I. He won a regional Grant Burger Media Award from the American Volleyball Coaches Association in 2004-05.
While working at NJIT, Mentone served for four seasons as the information director for the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference, which includes the Golden Falcons. Most recently, he completed his second stint as an assistant SID at Southern Connecticut State University. He was the main media contact for Southern Connecticuts back-to-back Division II national championships in mens soccer in 1998 and 1999.
Mentone, 32, is a graduate of Hamden High School and Trinity (Conn.) College. A certified high school baseball umpire, he is pursuing a masters degree in journalism from Quinnipiac University. As a teenager, Mentone was a 22-time champion on the Junior Bowlers Tour.
DiNallo has fulfilled the sports information responsibilities at Felician since joining the staff as an assistant athletics director in 1998.