Due to family commitments, Director of Rugby Chris Amoratis has announced his resignation from the position. Despite desire to remain with the program, vacating the position seemed appropriate due to outside obligations and the expectation of another child.
“It is with a mixture of excitement and sadness that I write to tell you that, effective November 13, 2015, I will be stepping down as the Director of Rugby, here at Penn State,” wrote Amoratis in a letter to alumni, parents, and friends.
“My wife and I have been blessed with the soon arrival of our 3rd child and it is time for me to step away to focus on the needs of my family,” continued Amoratis in the letter.
As a result of the departure, Penn State is expected to post for the vacancy in the coming weeks. Details for the positions have yet to be confirmed.
Both the men’s and women’s teams completed their respective Fall campaigns over the past weekend to send Amoratis out on a winning note.
“I came in with the intentions of leaving the program in a better place than when I started and I believe that is true,” Amoratis mentioned to the players following the weekend’s matches.
The men’s team defeated Kutztown, 24-15, while the women secured the Big Ten crown with wins over Purdue and Indiana.
Although only serving as full-time Director of Rugby for over a year, recent changes to the program highlight Amoratis’ impact over his entire tenure at Penn State.
“The last five years have been a time of immense change within the Penn State Rugby Program,” said Amoratis. “But with the hiring of full-time head coaches and retention of Team Sport status within Athletics, I think that the future for the program is bright.”
In total, Amoratis has spent over 25 years with the program first being a part of the team as a player from 1989-1992. Following his time as a student, the former hooker helped coach the women’s program in addition to founding the Happy Valley Barbarians.
After moving away from Penn State, Amoratis returned frequently to coach in camps and clinics at the University. Once the Coordinator of Rugby position was created and became available Amoratis jumped at the chance to return to the program full time.
Subsequently, the Director of Rugby position became available, which Amoratis filled for over a year.
While no longer invested in a full-time position, Amoratis still plans to help the program whenever possible.
“We will remain in the State College area for now, and I hope to help out whenever time presents itself,” said Amoratis of helping Penn State in future endeavors. “I love this program and will always be a part of it in whatever manner I can be.”
Interested candidates will be able to apply for the opening once the listing is posted through psu.jobs.
