SUNY Cortland Athletics

By the time of her retirement from Hofstra University in 2006, Francine “Fran” Kalafer ’73 was ranked 11th nationally among all active NCAA Div. I women’s volleyball coaches in terms of victories. In 25 years, she compiled a 590-316 win-loss mark at Hofstra that, coupled with her three years at SUNY Stony Brook, blossomed to a 612-343 overall record.

A native of Middle Village, N.Y., she graduated from Newtown High School. At SUNY Cortland, she competed on the tennis team at first singles throughout her undergraduate career and played first doubles for two seasons. A two-year co-captain, Kalafer captured the SUNY tournament tennis title and won first doubles at the New York State Women’s Collegiate Athletic Association (NYSWCAA) tourney in 1972.

Kalafer was a resident assistant in Bishop Hall as well as the then-newly constructed Casey and Smith Towers.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education from SUNY Cortland and a master’s degree from SUNY Stony Brook.

From 1973-79, Kalafer taught physical education and posted a 91-10 record as the head volleyball coach at Smithtown (N.Y.) East High School, where she won three Suffolk County championships and one Long Island title. She also directed the tennis and badminton squads there. Kalafer then transformed SUNY Stony Brook’s volleyball program into a power during her tenure from 1979-81.

Taking over the reins at Hofstra in 1981, Kalafer recorded 22 winning seasons. She had four teams break the 30-win barrier and 18 teams record at least 20 victories in a season. During her Hofstra tenure, she coached five NCAA Tournament teams, four National Invitational Volleyball Championship squads and 14 conference championship teams. She also has seen numerous players earn postseason accolades, including three American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) District All-Americans, 13 CoSIDA District Academic All-Americans and two CoSIDA Academic All-Americans.

The 2004 Colonial Athletic Association Coach of the Year, Kalafer was a charter inductee into the AVCA Hall of Fame in 2003. Kalafer received one of the highest accolades in her sport in 2001, when she was honored with the AVCA Founders Award. In 1998 she was named the Nassau County Sports Commission Female Coach of the Year.

On two separate occasions, Kalafer received special recognition by the Hofstra Alumni Organization. Most recently, Kalafer received the 2004 Hofstra University Honorary Alumna Award and, in 1997, the Kathleen Trouve Martin Award for outstanding service to Hofstra University. Kalafer was inducted into the Smithtown High School Sports Hall of Fame in 1997 for superior athletic achievement in competition, becoming the first non-Smithtown graduate to receive this distinction.

In 1979, she established the Long Island Volleyball Development Camp and Clinics, which she directed for 28 years. She chaired the Long Island Region Volleyball Committee for the Empire State Games, as well as the ECAC Div. I Volleyball Committee. She served on the AVCA Legislative Committee and the Tachikara/NCAA Div. I Coaches Poll.