Keith Spataro was named the Director of Athletics at Menlo College in advance of the 2008-09 academic year. Prior to his appointment as Director of Athletics, Spataro served in numerous roles within the department including Associate Athletic Director, Assistant Athletic Director, Adjunct Professor in Sports Management and Health, and Head Wrestling Coach. Spataro pioneered the wrestling program on the Menlo College campus and served as its first ever head coach for over eight years before stepping down upon assuming the Director of Athletics position.
Academically, student-athletes have continued to impress in the classroom, in the community, and on the field during his tenure.
- Over 50% of all student-athletes held a GPA of 3.0 or better and 13 of the department’s 16 programs were honored by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) as Scholar Teams for maintaining a team GPA of 3.0 or greater.
- 43 student-athletes have achieved Academic All-American status since the beginning of 2008.
- Over half of the resident advisors and student government members participated in one of the department’s athletic teams.
- In conjunction with the department’s mission to develop servant leaders, each student-athlete completes a minimum of 30 hours of community service during the season through various initiatives in the surrounding area.
Menlo’s athletic programs have continued to garner national honors and recognition during his tenure as well.
- 31 teams have qualified for national postseason tournaments.
- 90 student-athletes have earned All-American status.
- 294 student-athletes have claimed conference honors.
- 14 have been named Conference Player of the Year.
- 9 have been named Defensive Player of the Year.
- 11 have been named Newcomer of the Year.
- 4 have been named Freshman of the Year.
- Each of the last six seasons, the department has posted over 100 total wins, including a department-best 141 in 2017-18.
- The Oaks have also been named an NAIA Champions of Character Institution for seven consecutive years.
A number of head coach and staff accomplishments have been bestowed upon the department during Spataro’s tenure.
- 11 coaches have earned Coach of the Year Honors.
- In 2018, the department earned its first National Coach of the Year during his tenure.
- The Sports Medicine Department claimed the Cal Pac’s Sports Medicine Award three times.
Facility improvements have also been on the rapid rise in recent years under Spataro.
- In early 2017, Menlo College Athletics coaches and staff officially moved in to a renovated office facility that includes enough space to house every member of the department in a single facility, team and staff meeting and video rooms, and much more.
- Also in 2017, the previous Student Union was converted to the Athletics Pavilion which includes a mat room and new restroom, locker room and storage facilities.Â
- Also in 2017, the Menlo College Baseball field saw its first major renovation project in decades when new backstop, netting, dugouts, increased seating capacity and storage facilities were put into place.
Spataro himself has claimed numerous awards for his successes in leading the Menlo College Athletic Department.
- He has been named the Cal Pac’s Athletic Director of the Year in 2009-10 and 2013-14, one of just two multi-time winners of this award in its history.
- His successes were further rewarded on the national scene when he was selected as a 2013-14 Under Armour Athletic Director of the Year by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA).
- Spataro was also inducted into the Skyline College Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011 for his time as both a wrestler and head coach with the department.
Committed to the professional development of himself and those around him, Spataro is affiliated with a number of national organizations.
- National Wrestling Coaches Association
- National Association of Collegiate Athletic Directors
- American Alliance for HPER
- Board Member of California USA Wrestling
- NAIA National Administrative Council
- Rules and Ratings Subcommittee
- National Ratings Oversight for Men’s Soccer, Tennis, Wrestling and Women’s Basketball
- National Rater for Wrestling
- Retention and Recruitment Task Force
- National Ratings Task Force
- Affiliate Membership Committee
Prior to joining the ranks of athletics administration, Spataro manufactured a remarkable level of success as Head Wrestling Coach at Menlo College.
- Built the program from the ground up and was at the helm for eight seasons
- Finished in the top-10 at the NAIA National Championships six times
- Produced six NAIA National Champions
- Produced 40 national placers
- 18 All-Americans
- 22 Honorable Mention All-Americans
- 109 National Qualifiers
- 15 West-Region titles
- 7 Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athletes
- 6 National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Academic All-Americans
- 2008-09 Team Sportsmanship Award
- Two-time Regional Team champions
- Runners up at the 2003-04 NAIA National Championship
- Earned NAIA West Region Coach of the Year twice
Spataro received a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education, specializing in Teaching & Coaching from San Francisco State University in 1995 and a Master’s of Arts in Sports Administration from Saint Mary’s College in 1999.
