Lafayette College Athletics

Joe Samaritano '91 is in his first year as the Senior Associate Athletic Director for Advancement at Lafayette, bringing with him more than 25 years of experience from various advancement roles on College Hill.

Samaritano, a former track and field athlete who began his career in institutional advancement at Lafayette in 1996, served as the College's director of gift planning for the past eight years. In his tenure, Samaritano has been instrumental in cultivating relationships with Lafayette's alumni and donor base. 

Samaritano worked as the director of leadership and parent giving in 2014-15 and the director of the Lafayette College Fund from 2003-06 and 2011-14, those spans surrounding a five-year term (2006-11) as the director of annual leadership gifts. Samaritano's first role at his alma mater was in 1996-97 as an assistant director of major gifts, before holding associate and assistant director roles with the annual fund. 

Samaritano graduated from Lafayette in 1991 with a bachelor's degree in economics and business. He went on to earn a master's of education degree in health and physical education from East Stroudsburg in 1993. 

Upon graduation, Samaritano worked in different roles at three institutions. From 1994-96 he was the co-head track and field/cross country coach at Hartwick College. Prior to that, he worked as a business education teacher (1992-94) and athletic director (1993-94) at Notre Dame High School-East Stroudsburg. Samaritano doubled as an assistant track and field/cross country coach at East Stroudsburg from 1991-94, coaching the distance runners. When he returned to work at his alma mater, Samaritano volunteered as an assistant track and field coach coaching the sprinters and hurdlers for five seasons under Lafayette head coach, Julio Piazza.  

A native of Staten Island, N.Y., Samaritano currently resides in Laurys Station, Pa. with his wife, Maria, and son, Joey.


Updated 6/24