Bio

Bob McKeown enters his 28th year at SUNY Niagara and returns to his role as Director of Athletics after serving in an interim position since November 2024. This is the second time McKeown oversees the Thunderwolves’ athletic department after serving from 2010 to 2017.

During his first tenure as Director of Athletics, SUNY Niagara saw success across the board. A few of these accolades include, but are not limited to:

• Men’s basketball won its first NJCAA Region III Div. II championship since 1979 and advanced to the national quarterfinals in the 2016-17 season;

• Wrestler Troy Keller placed fifth at nationals in 2017;

• Baseball finished as national runners-up in 2012 and 2017 and had three players selected into the MLB Draft (Sean Jamieson, 2011; Christian Barczykowski, 2012; and Christian Young 2016 & 2017);

• Women’s volleyball finished 34-2 and placed sixth at nationals in 2011.

Since 1997, McKeown has served in a variety of roles in the Athletic and Admissions departments. In the athletic department, McKeown was an assistant men’s basketball coach in the 1997-98 and 1998-99 seasons and later served as head coach for women’s basketball (1998-2003) and softball (1999-2008 and 2024).

With softball, McKeown and SUNY Niagara advanced to the NJCAA Region III tournament four times. McKeown was a regional Coach of the Year nominee in 2001 and 2003 and coached three NCCC Athletics Wall of Fame inductees — Sheri Brooks-Lancaster, Wendy Thompson and Erin Whitehead-Stillman.

As an administrator, McKeown most recently was the Assistant Vice President of Student Services and Campus Engagement from July 2022 to November 2024, where he oversaw several areas within Student Services including Athletics and was also responsible for Student Conduct issues. McKeown was also an Assistant Vice President of Enrollment Management from December 2017 to July 2022, following a five-month run as the school’s Director of Admissions.

Before his first tenure as Athletic Director, McKeown began his time as an employee of the school as an Admissions Counselor from 1998 to 2010. Other positions at the school include Admissions Technical Assistant, Arts & Media & Health/Physical Education Adjunct Instructor, Sports Information Director and Advisor of The Spirit, the school’s long-running student-newspaper. 

Prior to joining SUNY Niagara, McKeown worked at WKBW-TV in Buffalo, NY from 1988 to 1998. McKeown was a sportscaster, reporter, producer and photographer for the station during the Buffalo Bills’ four consecutive trips to the Super Bowl and the Buffalo Sabres featured players such as Pat LaFontaine and Dominik Hasek.

McKeown’s career before SUNY Niagara also featured experience with the On-Line Scouting Network, covering high school sports for the Lockport Union-Sun & Journal and McKeown Enterprises.

Inducted into the NCCC Athletics Wall of Fame in 2005, McKeown was a member of the then-Trailblazers baseball program in 1987 and 1988. Under head coach David Nemi, McKeown was a first-team Penn-York All-Conference and NJCAA Region III selection in 1987, when he recorded a then program-record 10 home runs and a .420 batting average.

McKeown was also a member of the University at Buffalo football team in 1985 before injuries turned him to baseball full-time.

A member of its Class of 1985, McKeown is also enshrined in the Starpoint High School Athletics Wall of Fame. As a senior, McKeown helped the Spartans win the Section VI Division VI-VII (now Class B) football championship over Cassadaga Valley and finished with a 9-0 record.

McKeown holds an Associate’s degree in Communications from Niagara County Community College; a Bachelor’s degree in Media Communications from SUNY Empire State College; and a Master’s degree in Mass Media Arts & Journalism with a Public Relations emphasis from Clarion University.

McKeown currently resides with his family in Lockport.