Longtime St. Bonaventure men's swimming coach Sean McNamee transitioned into an administration role in 2018 following 26 years as a coach at Bona's and currently serves as Associate Athletic Director for Major Gifts.
McNamee will be responsible for all fundraising initiatives within the athletics department, from the Bonnies Athletic Fund and the Sixth Man Club to scholarships and special projects. All of McNamee's work will support the strategic goals of the university and the Athletics Department.
"I am extremely excited to take on this new challenge and want to thank those within the process that have made this opportunity possible," said McNamee. "Coaching permits you to forge relationships with your student-athletes that last a lifetime. I am immeasurably grateful for that opportunity over the past 26 years, but I really look forward to watching the program continue to thrive with me as a fan. I am thrilled to help a special place in a greater capacity. Our family has been involved with SBU for the past 70 years and it means so much to us. St. Bonaventure is a great story and I am thrilled to be a vehicle to assist in spreading it. The passion of our supporters is infectious. Being a nationally recognized Athletics Department in a family-oriented setting is something special."
The McNamee legacy at St. Bonaventure is well-known. McNamee's father, John, was a physical education professor as well as the founder of the men's swimming program that his son ultimately inherited.
A native of Olean, McNamee graduated from St. Bonaventure in 1986 and is a member of the Bonnies Athletics Hall of Fame, inducted in 2025 following one of the most successful coaching careers in department history.
He began his coaching career at West Virginia University as a graduate assistant, then became the head coach at Potsdam before returning to St. Bonaventure as head coach in 1992. He replaced his brother Kevin, who left to become an administrator at George Mason University.
Over his tenure, McNamee guided the Bonnies to five Atlantic 10 Conference championships and 15 runner-up finishes. He was named the A-10 Coach of the Year six times. A total of 74 of his swimmers won gold medals at the A-10 championship meet and four of those earned A-10 Performer of the Meet honors. In addition, McNamee coached the Bonnies to a third-place finish or better in 23 of his 26 seasons at the helm with 40 A-10 Academic All-Conference selections, eight All-Atlantic 10 Rookie performers and four A-10 Most Outstanding performers.
McNamee resides in Olean with his wife Rosemary. They have three children -- Caitlyn, Liam and Shannon.
