BURLINGTON, Vt. - On center court of Patrick Gymnasium this morning, Associate Vice President and Director of Athletics Bob Corran announced a generous gift from Meghan '91 and Rob '90 Cioffi in support of men's basketball, establishing the Meghan and Robert Cioffi Endowed Men's Basketball Head Coach.  This position, the first of its kind at Vermont and in the America East Conference, was immediately awarded to head men's basketball coach John Becker.
 
"We are truly blessed to have Rob and Meghan as friends and advocates," said Corran.  "They have been strong advocates of UVM's philosophy of student-centered athletics.  They never miss the opportunity to watch the Catamounts play or to help with a project which would make the student-athlete experience more enriching.  This is a unique endowment, the first of its kind among all America East members, and it will have an everlasting impact on the athletic program and the men's basketball program."

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The endowment will be used to ensure, in perpetuity, sustained excellence in the University of Vermont's men's basketball program.  On an annual basis, the director of athletics in conjunction with the head coach, will identify the highest priority needs in the men's basketball program for the coming year and allocate funds from the endowment to support these areas.  Areas of impact include team travel, recruiting, student-athlete development and facility enhancements.
 
"It is an honor to share the title of head's mens basketball coach with the Rob and Meghan Cioffi," said Becker.   "I have known Rob and Meghan for over 10 years now and their support of our program and my personal success makes this even more special.  Through many rounds of golf and long phone conversations, we have become great friends and I am incredibly appreciative of their support."
 
Kurt Steidl, a junior on the team, shared remarks on behalf of his teammates and spoke about the environment of excellence promoted daily by Coach Becker and the sense of family that exists within the team. This gift will provide a sustained funding source for those key elements.
 
"I had five visits lined up but once I visited Vermont, I cancelled the others because I knew this was the place I wanted to be," said Steidl.  
 
The Cioffis have a deep and long-standing connection to the institution and the department of athletics.  In addition to being the first members of the Victory Club when it was established in 2004, they attend numerous sporting events throughout the year.  Rob has served as chair of the Board of Trustees and was inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame in 2014 while Meghan has dedicated countless hours as a volunteer. 
 
The men's basketball program has enjoyed significant success over the last 15 years, including four-straight 20-win seasons and postseason appearances in Becker's four years as head coach.  He is the winningest coach in the history of the America East conference through four years and will guide his talented team into exhibition action on Sat., October 31 vs. Keiser University and St. Michael's (Nov. 7) before opening regular season play on Friday, November 13 at Eastern Michigan University.
 
This gift is part of the University of Vermont's "Move Mountains" Comprehensive Campaign, its largest and most ambitious fundraising campaign ever – a $500 million initiative that will transform and reshape the 224-year-old public research university.  The campaign was announced to the public on Friday.  Nearly 60 percent of the $500 million goal is focused on faculty and students. Move Mountains: The Campaign for The University of Vermont will make new investments in endowed faculty positions designed to recruit and retain top scholars to teach and conduct research, as well as new scholarships and graduate fellowships aimed at making a UVM education financially accessible for all qualified students.