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Q: Congratulations on your retirement! What led you to decide that now was the right time?

Kilcullen: After 12 years here at Mercy, I think we’ve built the program into something that’s prominent in the region. I’m still healthy and active, and I want to be able to enjoy this next chapter while I can.

I’ve been thinking about retirement for the last year or two. My daughter has her own business, Anact, a sustainable textile company. And after spending 48 years helping student-athletes and other young people, I thought maybe it’s time to spend some of that energy helping her run her business.

Q: Which brings us to your career at Mercy. When you look back at the 12 years you spent here, what stands out the most?

Kilcullen: The interactions and relationships with our student-athletes. Watching them grow as young men and women and become successful in their chosen fields. Of course, seeing them succeed on the playing field is great, but the ability to talk with young people, advise them and support them is really meaningful.

Someone once told me: “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” If there’s one thing that defines this department, it’s that we care. Our coaches and staff genuinely care about the student-athletes, and I think that has gone a long way toward our success.

Q: When you first arrived at Mercy, what was your first impression? How would you compare the program then to what it is today?

Kilcullen: I was a college basketball coach for 31 years, so I understood what it was like to sit in the coach’s chair. I had also done about five years of administrative work at two schools combined, so I had experience looking at things from the administrator’s perspective.

Our philosophy centered on recruiting. If you recruit high-character individuals along with talented athletes, you give yourself a better chance at long-term success.

We didn’t want to sacrifice academics for athletic ability. We wanted good people. The coaches bought into that idea, and I think that’s a major reason we reached the level of success we’ve had regionally and, in some sports, nationally.

Q: It sounds like strong academic results and character are central to how you’ve shaped Mercy Athletics. How did you build that culture?

Kilcullen: Again, it comes down to our coaches and student-athletes buying into the priorities of the program. We have study hall rules and clear academic expectations. If student-athletes don’t meet their academic responsibilities, they can be held out of games.

Community engagement has also been important. Our teams regularly participate in events like the Holiday Hustle, Ferry Festa, Toys for Tots drives and Thanksgiving food drives. Women’s lacrosse, for example, volunteers weekly at Abbott House, and we’ve also introduced programs like Morgan’s Message, which raises awareness around student-athlete mental health.

Q: Mercy Athletics has seen significant success during your tenure. Are there any moments or seasons that stand out as especially meaningful?

Kilcullen: A few come to mind.

In 2017, we hosted an NCAA quarterfinal in women’s soccer. The hill was packed with over 1,000 fans, and the game went to penalty kicks. Our senior goalkeeper hadn’t played in several games, but she was sent in for the shootout. She made the final save by tipping the ball with her fingertip, sending us to the Final Four. It was incredible.

In 2019, both our men’s and women’s lacrosse teams won conference championships on the same day at New York Tech. The women beat LIU Post for the first time, and the men scored the game-winner with 14 seconds left. Seeing both teams celebrating together on the field was so so special.

In 2022, our men’s lacrosse team won a double-overtime NCAA semifinal to advance to the national championship game. And this past fall, our volleyball team hosted and won the ECC tournament at home for the first time in program history. These were all huge moments for the program. They stand out for me the most.

The curriculum is also structured so that learning outcomes are measurable and consistent across courses. “With clear student learning outcomes attached to each course, we can measure student success in new ways,” Whipple says. “If there are courses where we see students are not finding success, faculty will have the right information to make adjustments and revise as needed.”

Q: What do you think makes Mercy Athletics distinctive compared to other Division II programs?

Kilcullen: We’re a very tight group.

Over time, we’ve seen teams supporting other teams more and more. Coaches attend each other’s games, and student-athletes follow the success of other programs.

For example, when our women’s soccer team was traveling for the NCAA tournament, they watched the volleyball championship game together online and celebrated when the team won. Everybody talks about family, but I think we really do have that kind of support system here.

Q: When people look back on your time at Mercy years from now, what do you hope sticks with them most?

Kilcullen: That we did things the right way. We accomplished a lot with limited resources. I hope people feel proud of the department and how we’ve represented the university.

Q: What excites you about the future of Mercy Athletics?

Kilcullen: There is a more dedicated approach now to supporting athletics with resources. Overall, the future looks bright. We already have three teams in the NCAA tournament this year out of six programs.

Volleyball reached the regional finals. Women’s soccer had a young team and made the second round. Women’s basketball has a strong returning group. Many teams have talented young players returning, so there is a lot to be optimistic about. 

Q: If you had to describe your time at Mercy in one word, what would it be?

Kilcullen: Rewarding, because of the relationships. To me, life has always been about the relationships. I believe our ability to relate to each other here in the department has been strong. So seeing young people grow and interact with each other has been incredibly rewarding. 

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