CANTON – St. Lawrence University has tapped head men’s soccer coach and assistant athletic director Bob Durocher as the university’s new athletic director.

Durocher will fill the position vacated by Margie F. Strait when she retired in January.

Durocher, who will begin his new duties April 1, will have the title of Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation and will have the additional responsibility originally conferred on Straight as a senior staff advisor reporting directly to the president.

Durocher joined St. Lawrence in 1990 as an instructor for exercise physiology and head coach for men’s soccer. He led the 1999 team on its 22-0-0 run to win the NCAA Division III national championship. Over the last 25 years, he has steered the team to 17 conference championships, 17 NCAA championship appearances and an overall record of 323 wins, 101 losses and 45 ties.

In 2000, he was promoted to assistant director of athletics, to oversee the administration and management of the Augsbury Physical Education Center and Newell Field House complex.

Durocher will now oversee strategic leadership of all sports programs, staff and facilities of the Athletics Department, which includes 83 employees. And he will serve as chair of the university’s sports studies and exercise science minor.

“Our national search led us to the candidate with the best credentials, the strongest experience, and the highest level of esteem that a coach can earn,” SLU President William Fox said in his announcement of the appointment.

“Bob Durocher understands the role of athletics in a liberal arts college, he is a superb mentor of student-athletes, he has well-honed financial and organizational skills, and he is proud of his abiding loyalty to St. Lawrence,” Fox said.

“We will continue to measure our success by how well we inspire our student-athletes and provide them the best experience possible,” Durocher said. “I will work hard to uphold the outstanding legacies of the directors who came before me.”

St. Lawrence University maintains 32 intercollegiate athletic teams with about 800 men and women, or 31 percent of all undergraduates, participating in varsity athletics. Most teams are NCAA Division III level with the exception of men’s and women’s ice hockey, which are NCAA Division I teams.

In addition to intercollegiate athletics, the university fields an intramural and club sports program as well as fitness and wellness classes.