By Cody Heintz, Business Manager

Even though Jim Metzger only reconnected with Hofstra University in 2007, he quickly made a big impact for Hofstra Athletics. It has been recently announced that Metzger has made a $1.5 million commitment to support Hofstra Athletics.

The $1.5 million donation is the largest gift in the history of Hofstra Athletics. Metzger is a member of the Pride Club Board of Directors and was a 1980 All-American lacrosse player. Since leaving Hofstra Metzger went on to found The Whitmore Group Ltd., an insurance brokerage and financial services firm where he still serves as CEO and Chairman.

Metzger said that Hofstra Athletics had helped tremendously in both his professional and personal life. Metzger stated that playing at Hofstra taught him to maximize his strengths and to improve upon his weaknesses. Metzger also said that Hofstra taught him to be a team player and how to make the most of his own abilities. He said that playing for Hofstra taught him the value of learning from both his victories and losses. Metzger was complimentary to Hofstra’s Men’s Lacrosse Head Coach Seth Tierney, saying that he was a “charismatic leader” and a “terrific person.”

The gift was a way “to say thanks to the men’s and women’s lacrosse coaches, athletic director and the University,” said Metzger. When Metzger left the University in 1983 he did not stay in touch with the University or attend games until his nephew Robert Pannell, a senior attacker at Cornell, was being recruited by colleges to play lacrosse. Metzger mentioned that even though he is a lacrosse player he trusts the University to spend his gift appropriately to help improve Hofstra Athletics.

Metzger stated, “Hofstra has been vastly improving over the years and has become a first-class university.”