Dr. Dan Rose begins his 31st year at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and was named Director of Athletics on December 12, 2019.
Rose spent his first 15 years at the Academy as head coach of both the men's and women's track and field teams. He was named the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Coach of the Year in 2006 and earned United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) New England Region Outdoor Track Coach of the Year honors in 2008.
During his coaching tenure, the men's and women's programs produced a combined 16 NCAA Division III All-Americans and 27 Division III New England champions. He coached multiple conference champions in the decathlon, including the only athlete to win three multi-event titles. Rose also served as President of the New England Division III Track and Field Coaches Association from 2003 to 2007 and as Chair of the NCAA Track and Field Rules Committee from 2017 to 2019.
Prior to his appointment as Director of Athletics, Rose served for 10 years as Chair of the Department of Health and Physical Education.
As department chair, he led significant advancements in physical education and fitness programming at the Academy. In 2014, Rose initiated a comprehensive review of the Physical Fitness Examination, resulting in updated testing protocols and scoring systems aligned with contemporary movement science research. He also coordinated the Coast Guard Academy's participation in a nutritional assessment study involving all federal service academies, an initiative that led to the establishment of the Academy's first cadet-athlete fueling station. In addition, Dr. Rose serves as Assistant Principal Investigator for the Coast Guard Academy's participation in the NCAA–Department of Defense Concussion Assessment, Research, and Education (CARE) Consortium, one of the largest concussion studies ever conducted.
Since 2012, Rose has served as the primary sport administrator for 23 varsity programs. His leadership roles have included serving as tournament director for the All-Academy Wrestling Championship, meet referee for the NCAA Division III New England Regional Cross Country Championship, member of the Otto Graham Hall of Athletic Excellence project committee, project manager for the Cadet Strength and Conditioning Center, and liaison to the Bear Club, the athletic fundraising organization of the Coast Guard Academy Alumni Association.
Since becoming Director of Athletics, Dr. Rose has helped secure millions of dollars in support for staffing and facility enhancements. He spearheaded the creation of the Coast Guard Academy Athletic Corporation (CGAAC), the first 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established exclusively to support Coast Guard Academy athletics.
Rose also became the first Director of Athletics to move the annual Secretaries' Cup football game off campus. In 2025, the game was played at Fenway Park, marking both the first off-campus Secretaries' Cup and the first time the event was held in a professional sports venue.
His leadership has also advanced major capital projects, including plans for the new Coast Guard Academy Aquatic Center, which will be the Academy's first new athletic facility since 1967. Previously, Rose oversaw the development of the Cadet Strength and Conditioning Center, an 8,000-square-foot facility featuring state-of-the-art training equipment and a reimagined east façade of Roland Hall. The center more than doubled the Academy's previous strength-training capacity and provides an optimal environment for cadet development under the supervision of professional strength and conditioning staff.
Rose earned a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education and a Master's degree in Athletic Administration from Springfield College, where he competed in the shot put and discus and served as captain of the track and field team during his senior year. He earned a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Connecticut in 2013.
Updated June 2026
