BOSTON – Northeastern University athletic director Peter Roby will retire in June 2018, concluding more than 15 years of service to the university, including 10 as the director of athletics and recreation.
 
"Being associated with Northeastern University for the past 15 years has been one of the greatest honors of my professional career," Roby said. "In my 10 years as the director of athletics and recreation, we've built a culture of student-athletes and staff who embrace our core values on a daily basis and who have proven that they can succeed at the highest levels both competitively and in the classroom. It has been a joy to see our student-athletes hoist championship trophies, be recognized for extraordinary academic feats, and establish themselves as leaders in our community.
 
"I am very proud of what we've accomplished over the past decade, but there is still work to be done. I am looking forward to the next year and to seeing our teams continue to take Northeastern to new heights."
 
In Roby's first 10 years, Northeastern reached new levels of success on the field of competition, capturing seven regular season conference championships, 17 postseason conference championships, two Women's Beanpots, and eight New England Championships in track and field. In addition, 15 teams reached their respective NCAA tournaments; several individual performers qualified for swimming and diving and track and field NCAA championships; and the men's rowing team advanced to the IRA Championships nine times in the past 10 years.
 
The men's basketball team caught the attention of the nation and invigorated the campus community in 2015 with the program's first CAA championship, earning an automatic berth to the NCAA tournament. After winning a share of the regular season title, the Huskies dispatched William & Mary in the CAA tournament to earn its first trip to the Big Dance since 1991. In its first round matchup against ACC powerhouse Notre Dame, the Huskies battled the Fighting Irish to the final buzzer in front of a national television audience.
 
Northeastern continued to assert itself at the national level in 2016 by sending both hockey programs to the NCAA tournament. Led by Patty Kazmaier Award winner Kendall Coyne, the women's hockey team reached the NCAAs for the first time ever, setting several program records along the way. The men's program, which rebounded from a 1-11-2 start to pull off one of the greatest turnarounds in recent memory, followed suit, finishing 21-3-3 in its last 28 games to win its first Hockey East title since 1988 and advance to the NCAA tournament.
 
Northeastern's competitive success during Roby's tenure is matched only by its student-athletes' performance in the classroom. Under his guidance, Northeastern student-athletes have maintained a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better in each of the past 19 semesters, dating to 2007. The Huskies' 3.192 mark in Fall 2016 was the highest on record for a fall term and came on the heels of a 3.203 mark in Spring 2016, the highest in a decade.
 
Northeastern's classroom success ranks at the national level as well, highlighted by a 93 percent Graduation Success Rate in 2016, an all-time high for the university and tops in the CAA. Ten of the university's teams ranked at or above the national average for their respective sports, and eight attained perfect scores.

"Throughout his tenure, Peter always made sure that our student-athletes were as victorious in the classroom as they were in competition," said Northeastern President Joseph E. Aoun. "His leadership provided Northeastern a strong voice on issues at a national level. And his passion for success across all dimensions is an admirable legacy, and will remain our commitment in the years to come."
 
At the heart of the athletic department's mission is the core value of community service, one that Roby instills in student-athletes and staff alike. Members of the department participate in several community service initiatives including Team IMPACT, the Hope Lodge, Rosie's Place, and Score-to-Cure, among many others. He also plays a major role in the Massachusetts White Ribbon Day Campaign through Jane Doe Inc., a global initiative across 60 countries designed to urge men to speak out against violence against women. Roby served as co-chair of the campaign in 2015 and encourages Northeastern's male student-athletes and staff to serve as ambassadors for the campaign and educate others about the issue.
 
Roby's impact stretches far beyond the Northeastern campus. He recently completed a five-year term as a member of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee, a 10-member committee responsible for selecting and seeding the NCAA tournament field. At the time of Roby's appointment, committee chair and former Xavier director of athletics Mike Bobinski said, "Peter brings a wealth of basketball experience to the committee, having been a Division I student-athlete, a coach and now an administrator. We look forward to his contributions to our group."
 
Roby has also made his voice heard during the ever-changing landscape of collegiate athletics, and has been referenced extensively in print, television, and radio media across the globe and his opinion pieces have been published on the editorial pages of many well-known publications.
 
Prior to his appointment as director of athletics, Roby served as associate athletic director for student-athlete welfare while also leading the university's Center for the Study of Sport in Society. In that role, Roby was a forceful national leader, championing the role sports can play in bringing about positive social change through research, education, and advocacy.

In October of 2007, Roby was named one of the 100 Most Influential Sports Educators in America by the Institute of International Sport. The criteria for selection was the effective use of sport as a means to educate.
 
REACTION TO PETER ROBY'S RETIREMENT ANNOUNCEMENT
Northeastern men's basketball head coach Bill Coen:
"Without question, Peter will leave an outstanding and impactful legacy here at Northeastern University. I will forever remember him for his lofty principles, his sense of fairness, his unwavering advocacy for student-athlete welfare, and his compassion for his coaches. He consistently tried to improve this university and, more importantly, make the world a better place.
 
"Nationally, he is universally respected and always represented Northeastern in a first class and positive manner. On a personal level, I will be forever grateful to have served under his principled leadership and have been inspired by his thoughtful mentorship. I admire his integrity and his willingness to speak out against injustice wherever he may find it. His leadership will be missed, but positive example of how to lead will remain with all of us here at Northeastern, and I thank him for that gift."
 
Northeastern men's ice hockey head coach Jim Madigan:
"While I am saddened both personally and professionally to learn of Peter's decision to retire at the end of next season, it is lessened knowing he and his wife Sandra will be able to rightfully enjoy the next chapter of their lives. He has been a great friend and mentor while being extremely supportive of our student-athletes, staff, and program as a whole. He has led our department with professionalism and dignity, and is a true Husky."
 
Hockey East Commissioner Joe Bertagna:
"Peter was a leader in our group of directors. He was engaged, well informed and he always pushed the conference to look ahead and be on the cutting edge. His contributions have been significant and he will be missed."
 
Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Commissioner Joe D'Antonio:
"I would like to congratulate Peter on his retirement and wish him great health and happiness in the coming years. Peter's contributions to Northeastern University, the CAA, and the NCAA membership as a whole have been vast in number. The entire NCAA community has benefitted tremendously from his tireless work in the areas of student-athlete welfare and diversity and inclusion initiatives, as well as the knowledge and insight he brought to his position on the Division I Men's Basketball Committee. Peter's perspective on national issues, as well as his ever present ability to make you laugh, will be sorely missed."