UTICA, NY - Some new faces (and some familiar ones) will man the sidelines, courtside, and matside for the Pioneers this season. With each new season comes a new influx of coaches and staff that will help drive the Utica University Athletics Department towards success. Below is some information about each of the new athletic assistants and assistant coaches for the 2026-2027 academic year!
 
Alexis Alteri (Clinton, NY/Clinton) | Athletic Assistant/Assistant Coach - Women's Lacrosse
 
Alteri, a native of Clinton, New York, joins the Pioneer coaching staff just one season after wrapping up her playing career for the blue and orange. In her senior campaign, the veteran attacker racked up 24 goals and seven assists, while also providing superb senior leadership en route to an Empire 8 Semifinal appearance. Alteri was integral in an Empire 8 First Round win over the visiting Hartwick Hawks, contributing four goals to power the Pioneer offense in that postseason victory. She wrapped up her four-year career with Utica by logging 45 goals and 14 assists, also enjoying a bevy of team success during her playing years, with the program reaching the Empire 8 Semifinals three times, including a Championship appearance in 2024. Alteri will now bring that winning pedigree to the sideline, joining the staff of head coach Andrea Duffy-Cofrin, who will enter her second year with the program in 2027.
 
Sarah Bochan | Athletic Assistant - Game Management
 
Bochan stays with the department after completing her undergraduate degree at Utica University this past spring. The former Utica volleyball setter transitioned into a big role with the Utica Sports Information Department following her lone year of athletic activity in 2022. She assisted the department with an array of big events and other office work, including being the department's main statistics spotter for volleyball and basketball over the past three years. This past Spring, Bochan also completed her senior internship with the department, which allowed her to achieve many unique opportunities and accolades, including helping to run the 2026 NCAA Division III Men's Hockey Championships, and winning a writing award for her feature article about men's lacrosse senior Noah Erickson (Auburn, NY/Auburn), which you can read by clicking the link below. For her commitment to the department, Bochan was hired as an athletic assistant, where she will work in game management and other department activities alongside Senior Woman Administrator Erin Knight-Massoud.
 
"Nothing to Lose: The Brotherhood Driving Noah Erickson (Auburn, NY/Auburn) and Utica Men's Lacrosse"
 
Tracy Branch | Part-Time Assistant Coach - Football
 
Coach Branch returns to the Utica University football program, where he helped coach from 2014 to 2020. Branch, now entering his second tenure with the team, is currently an Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) Counselor at Mohawk Valley Community College. Prior to his position at MVCC, Branch held similar positions at Utica University, dating all the way back to the beginning of his first coaching stint in 2014. A native of Brentwood, New York, Branch graduated from Utica University with a degree in Sociology and Anthropology in 2015. Branch will assist the team as a Part-Time Coach, helping out the Pioneers' powerful defensive line, which returns some stellar players such as Jordyn Davis (Hempstead, NY/Uniondale), Nick DeForrest, Mason Miranowicz (Pine Bush, NY/Pine Bush), and Austin DeGroat (Oneida, NY/Oneida).
 
Samantha Buley | Assistant Athletic Trainer
 
Buley continues her career with the Pioneers following a stellar senior internship this past spring with the department. Recently promoted head athletic trainer Dawn Corbin hired Buley to fill the void left by her promotion, with the Holland Patent native accepting the position in early August. Buley, who graduated from SUNY Cortland following her internship this past Spring, also has ties to the women's soccer team, having been on the squad during the 2020 and 2021 seasons. A graduate of Holland Patent, Buley will assist in providing athletic training coverage, and help the athletes at Utica University achieve the highest level of performance possible.
 
Marek Bush | Volunteer Assistant Coach - Men's Wrestling
 
Bush, a native of Ilion, New York, joins head coach Pankil Chander's staff following an illustrious collegiate career at Rochester Institute of Technology. Bush wrestled for the Tigers from 2021-2025, graduating with a degree in Finance and a minor in accounting. However, prior to receiving his degree, the Central Valley Academy graduate piled up accolades and wins during a high-school and collegiate career that saw him achieve feats such as becoming a 2023 SUNYAC runner-up, a 2023 Mideast Regional Medalist, a 3x Eastern States Medalist, a 4x NYSPHSAA High School Championships medalist, and a 2018 NYSPHSAA Class D2 State Champion. Bush, who is pursuing a career in finance, also joins the Utica men's wrestling staff as a volunteer coach for the upcoming season.
 
Matt Doyle | Athletic Assistant/Assistant Coach - Men's Basketball
 
Doyle becomes the next athletic assistant to join head men's basketball coach Sean Coffey, adding his name to a list of assistant coaches who have seen their successful careers take off thanks to their time with the blue and orange basketball team. Doyle, a native of Whitesboro, New York, and a graduate of Westmoreland High, comes to Utica following a successful career at Vermont State - Lyndon, where he averaged 10.8 points and 8.6 rebounds per game during his senior season. Doyle, a forward, played three years for the Hornets, racking up 497 career points before graduating with a degree in History. Doyle, who also played for Cazenovia College ahead of its closing in 2023, will assist Coach Coffey in attempting to propel the Pioneers back to the Empire 8 Championship, a title they secured in back-to-back seasons during the 2023-24 and 2024-25 campaigns.
 
Noah Erickson (Auburn, NY/Auburn) | Athletic Assistant/Assistant Coach - Men's Lacrosse
 
Erickson continues to guide the Utica men's lacrosse program heading into the new academic year. However, the former senior leader and Ben Winkler award winner will do so from the sidelines for the next few seasons, as he joins head coach Sean Behan on the Pioneers' coaching staff heading into 2026-27. Erickson was the pillar of a strong veteran core that drove the Pioneers to their first Empire 8 Tournament victory this past season, as the team reached the Empire 8 Tournament for just the second time (first since 2013), where the team took down Hartwick by a 13-12 final in first-round action. Erickson's leadership was a strong force behind the Pioneers' resurgence, as covered in Sarah Bochan's feature article about the Auburn native, which can be read by clicking the link earlier in the article. Erickson enjoyed a solid career, scoring 34 goals and grabbing 27 assists in his four years with the team. Now equipped with a degree in Cybersecurity, Erickson will join Coach Behan's staff with his sights set on helping the team continue its upward trajectory.
 
Justin Fortugno | Athletic Assistant/Assistant Coach - Men's Wrestling
 
Fortugno, a nationally recognized wrestler for Wisconsin-Whitewater over the past four years, joins Coach Pankil Chander and the Utica men's wrestling team as the program's athletic assistant ahead of 2026-27. The Armonk, New York native enjoyed a stellar career for the Warhawks, including becoming a WIAC Champion and an NCAA National Championships Qualifier during this past season. In addition to his athletic success, Fortugno also achieved two Academic All-American honors, showcasing his balance as a strong student-athlete. Fortugno now sets his sights on Utica's Master of Business Administration program, where he'll look to achieve his master's degree while also growing the Utica men's wrestling program alongside Coach Chander.
 
Amarie Jones | Athletics Assistant/Equipment Manager/Assistant Coach - Football
 
Jones, a native of Ruskin, Florida, joins the Pioneers following an impressive playing career at Division I program Bethune-Cookman. Jones also had a brief coaching stint at his Alma Mater, Lennard High School, where he assisted the varsity program as a defensive line coach. His duties included leading team practices, drills, and conditioning exercises, while mentoring players on and off the field. Coach Jones emphasizes sportsmanship, discipline, and teamwork, values that held strong when he was the Lennard junior varsity head coach, overseeing the program by developing talent and forming game-day strategy. Jones achieved a 4-3 record during his time there. Starting his football career in Florida, Jones graduated from Dr. Earl J. Lennard High School, before joining Bethune-Cookman University. Jones was a versatile leader, primarily playing linebacker, but was moved to different spots, including defensive end and tight end, throughout his career. His Division I playing career included 59 tackles, 3 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and a 69-yard interception, which he took to the house. Jones will help mentor a returning linebacker corps featuring talents such as Mason Nolan (Hilton, NY/Hilton Central) and Isaiah Thomas (Kingston, NY/Kingston).
 
Dylan Lawless | Athletic Assistant/Assistant Coach - Track and Field/Cross Country
 
Lawless, a native of Slingerlands, New York, joins the Pioneer track and field/cross country staff as an athletic assistant following an excellent career at Empire 8 rep Russell Sage. Lawless, an all-around athlete, set numerous program records in the decathlon and heptathlon while with the Gators. He was also recognized for his integrity, being honored as the Gators' representative on the Empire 8 Tomorrow's Leaders Team during this past indoor season. Prior to his time at Russell Sage, Lawless also began his collegiate career at Hudson Valley Community College. He will take over for former athletic assistant Richard Mangogna, who was recently elevated to the status of full-time assistant coach with the program.
 
Richard Mangogna | Full-Time Assistant Coach - Track and Field/Cross Country
 
Coach Mangogna joined the Utica University track and field/cross country program during the 2025-2026 winter break, taking up the role of athletic assistant during the middle of the indoor season. However, thanks to his stellar work this past season, including his time covering the NCAA Outdoor National Championships for the team, he was promoted to the role of Full-Time Assistant Coach. Originally from Kings Park, New York, Mangogna joined the Pioneers following his graduation from SUNY Cortland (Class of 2025). Mangogna, a physical education graduate, had an extremely successful career for the Red Dragons of both Cortland and Oneonta (initial school), taking home the SUNYAC Championship for the heptathlon (2023), being named an All-SUNYAC 3rd Team Pole Vaulter (2021), a 6-time USTFCCCA Niagara All-Region performer for the heptathlon, decathlon, and pole vault, while also holding current school records at SUNY Oneonta for the heptathlon (4,649 points) and the pole vault (4.72m). A 2020 graduate of Kings Park High School, Mangogna has also served as a coach for a few different local organizations, currently holding roles as an assistant coach for Rolling Thunder Track and Field and a head coach for the Flying Penguin Track Club.
 
Byamungu Mugushu (Syracuse, NY/Bishop Grimes) | Athletic Assistant/Assistant Coach - Men's Soccer
 
Mugushu, the Utica men's soccer all-time career goals and points leader, will continue his stellar run with the program as he joins head coach Brian Marcantonio on the team's coaching staff, becoming an athletic assistant for the 2026-27 academic year. Mugushu will take his talents to the sideline after a senior season that saw him propel the program to its first Empire 8 Semifinal appearance since 2022. Mugushu had an unbelievable individual campaign in 2025, scoring a program-record 16 goals and gathering seven assists, giving the former Bishop Grimes player a program-record 39 points. Mugushu also finished as the program's all-time career points leader with 91 and the program's all-time career goals leader with 37. He'll try to convey his offensive mastery to the next generation of Pioneer athletes, as he takes up an athletic assistant/assistant coaching role while wrapping up his graduate degree at Utica.
 
Josh Rogers | Part-Time Assistant Coach - Football
 
Rogers joins the Utica football staff as a part-time assistant following a stellar career at Berry College in Mount Berry, Georgia, where he was a part of two Southern Athletic Association Championship teams in 2024 and 2025. This past season, Rogers helped Berry achieve its farthest postseason run in school history, as the Vikings made it all the way to the Elite Eight of the 2025 NCAA Division III Football Tournament, ultimately achieving a final ranking of #9. Rogers was a major force in this success, as the running back graduated with 2,458 rushing yards and 29 rushing touchdowns, both marks ranking second in school history. Rogers was a first team All-Conference selection in 2025, and also gained a second team nod in 2022. He will help the Pioneer running back corps try to achieve equivalent success, with Rogers slotted in to be a big mentor for the Pioneers' rushers.