When Ben Warnick graduated from Frontier Regional School in 2003, he knew his future would be centered around sports.
“My parents (Rod and Deb) were always such big proponents of sports, especially at an early age,” offered Warnick.
The South Deerfield native was a standout athlete in high school, and carried that into the next level where he was a catcher on the Colby-Sawyer College baseball team. When he received a degree in sport management, he broke into the media relations field, first at Boston College and then eventually at fellow Division 1 schools Marshall and Alabama-Birmingham.
After navigating the waters in the athletic media relations game at the D-I level, Warnick moved back to New England six years ago, taking a job as the Sports Information Director at Massasoit Community College in Brockton.
That decision helped lead Warnick to a new chapter in his life, as he was named the fourth Athletics Director in Massasoit history last month, beginning the new gig on March 23 after taking over for retired AD Julie Mulvey.
“I’m so thankful to Julie,” began Warnick. “She brought me in, helped mold me, taught me a lot of the things that I needed. I’m still learning and there’s a lot involved with this job, but she was a big proponent for pushing for me to get the job.”
Starting a new job is rarely easy, but Warnick’s start date was particularly challenging. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, all spring sports at Massasoit and throughout the collegiate ranks were canceled nationwide.
“My first week on the job we had to make the announcement that we weren’t going to have spring sports,” he recalled. “The NJCAA made the call, but heading into it I was pretty confident that was going to be the case.
“But I’ll say it was very strange for my first week as the AD to have to make that announcement,” he continued. “Certainly a bizarre thing to do and start to my tenure.”
Warnick said he had been given more responsibility at Massasoit, which enrolls about 7,000 students and opened in 1966, during his last few years. It was a natural fit for him to assume the AD role after Mulvey, a member of the UMass Athletics Hall of Fame, announced her plans to retire last year.
“I learned a lot from her,” said Warnick of Mulvey. “I’m still learning today, the ins and outs of everything. I was hoping to get the shot when she told me she was going to retire. I felt good about it, about where I was, but you never know how it’s going to shake out.”
Warnick said Massasoit’s athletic programs have enjoyed tremendous success over the years. The women’s basketball team went undefeated this past regular season and was the No. 1 seed in the national tournament. The men’s soccer team has also been a powerhouse for several decades, winning multiple national championships.
“The sports here are very, very strong,” he lauded. “The student-athletes here, their athleticism blows me away. Some of these kids are juggling so much. Some have kids of their own, some are working jobs, some go out in the work force and come back at an older age. Every day is different here and there’s always surprises when you get into work.”
Despite being on a Division 1 path for several years after graduating from Colby-Sawyer, Warnick said he is happy with his decision to return to New England and take on a role at Massasoit.
“Some of my friends thought I was crazy at the time, ‘Why would you want to leave Division 1?’” he recalled. “I thought it was a great job, much broader than the media relations aspect at the time. I was able to get my hands in a lot of different areas, and that prepared me for the job I have now.”
The lone full-time employee in the athletic department at Massasoit, Warnick said he is mostly working remotely during the spring season. The student-athletes at the school were given another year of eligibility after their seasons were canceled, and Warnick said he expects many will take advantage.
“It’s constantly changing though, especially at a community college,” he explained. “We’re hoping to get as many returners as we can, but it’s a constant recruiting situation for the coaches here. For the most part, we’re recruiting kids from anywhere between Boston and the Cape, into Rhode Island.”
The ability to work from home during unprecedented times does come with its advantages for Warnick. Wife Lauryn and 9-month-old son Mackson, along with French bulldog Champ, have helped ease the chaotic transition at the home office.
“My loving wife Lauryn has been so supportive of my career in the big business field of athletics,” Warnick said. “The hours can be long and the weekends short, but she has always cheered me on with our son Mackson and dog Champ as my biggest fans.”
Thanks to Warnick’s intense pursuit of a career in the field, it’s no surprise he’s quickly found himself in a job overseeing an entire athletic department.
“My dad always said to ‘Play with passion’ when competing in high school and college sports,” Warnick said. “I plan to bring that passion to Massasoit for years to come as the Athletics Director.”