Arrigoni Hall of Fame
Dr. Frank R. Fazio ’65 enters the Iona College Goal Club Hall of Fame as a coach, faculty moderator, mentor, and friend to the Iona College athletics department and its student-athletes.
From 1988-1996, Fazio served as head coach of the golf program. During his tenure, Fazio instituted a total overhaul of the program. Prior to 1988, the Gaels played local matches and were near the bottom of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference standings. Under Fazio’s guidance, the program entered into a new era. Through extensive recruiting, fundraising and dedication, the team became one of the top teams in the Northeast. Iona embarked on a national schedule, featuring prestigious invitationals throughout the country, and its golfers began winning tournaments.
The highlight of Fazio’s tenure was in 1994, when his golfers captured the first-ever MAAC team title in Iona history. In addition to his duties as golf coach, Fazio also served on the NCAA District II Golf Committee from 1994-96, chairing the body during the 1995-96 season.
Fazio has also made his mark in the classroom at Iona. After earning his PhD in environmental biology in 1969, he was named an assistant professor of biology. Since 1974, he has been an associate professor of biology and has chaired the department three separate times for a total of 22 years.
A member of the search committee that hired Jim Valvano as head men’s basketball coach in 1974, Fazio was the academic advisor for the Gaels’ basketball team from 1976-82, as well as serving in the same capacity for the baseball team from 1980-88.
