Jimmy O’DONNELL
Fr. John DENNEHY
SENIOR ASSOCIATE ATHLETICS DIR. • 25th SEASON ST. JOHN’S UNIVERSITY ‘83
TEAM CHAPLAIN • EIGHTH SEASON SETON HALL UNIVERSITY ‘78
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immy O’Donnell is in his 25th year at Seton Hall University, having been promoted to Senior Associate Director of Athletics for Team Operations in 2009. O’Donnell manages all aspects of travel for all 14 teams, including budgets, itineraries, air/ground transportation, hotel accommodations and requisition/distribution of per diem meal allowances, while also negotiating contracts with outside vendors. He acts as the sport administrator for men’s soccer and men’s basketball, in addition to serving as the game administrator for all men’s basketball games, both home and away. O’Donnell is a key collaborator in the development of each season’s men’s basketball schedule through internal dealings with the athletics director, team staff and external contract negotiations. A 1983 graduate of St. John’s University with a Bachelor of Science degree in athletic administration, O’Donnell began his career in collegiate athletics at his alma mater in 1985 as the Assistant Director of Recreation. He became the Director of Recreational Services at Seton Hall in 1988, was promoted to an Assistant Athletics Director in 1989, and Associate Athletics Director in 2008. O’Donnell has been responsible for the development of several programs at Seton Hall, including those 64 | Seton Hall Men’s Basketball
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fixture at just about every Seton Hall athletics event, Father John Dennehy enters his eighth year as men’s basketball team chaplain. He regards the Seton Hall community as a family and his passion and support of all athletics programs proves that to be true. Widely known around campus as simply, “Father John,” he received a bachelor’s degree in history from Seton Hall in 1978, and earned his Masters of Divinity in 1984. Dennehy received a Master of Theology from Princeton Seminary in 2002, and returned to Seton Hall in 2003. Father Dennehy has been a New Jersey native his entire life and is an avid hiker, fisherman, and golfer.
establishing game day administrators for all sports, the student-athlete varsity awards program, the “Most Valuable Pirate Award”, and the Senior Day award program that recognizes athletes at their final home contest. From May 1996 to July 1997, he served as the athletic department business manager, managing a multi-million dollar budget. O’Donnell has also worked directly with Pirate Blue, the athletic fundraising division, to ensure maximum donations from alumni events and plan the expenditures of those funds. O’Donnell resides in Franklin Park, N.J., with his wife, Noreen, and their son, Christopher.