SUNY Cortland Athletics

Joseph Bramante was a standout football running back at Cortland and a long-time teacher, coach and administrator in the Maine-Endwell (N.Y.) School District.
 
* A native of Newark, N.Y., he earned a bachelor's degree in physical education from Cortland in 1971, a master's degree in physical education from Cortland in 1974 and a Certificate of Advanced Study in School Administration and Supervision from Cortland in 1980
 
* Competed in football at Cortland for four seasons (halfback on freshman team in 1967 and running back, all-purpose back, punt/kick returner and defensive punt team on varsity from 1968-70); also a lacrosse midfielder in 1969 and played freshman baseball and basketball
 
* Set a school record as a junior with 739 rushing yards and scored eight touchdowns, six rushing and two receiving, and was considered for All-East and All-America honors as well as being nominated for Little All-America honors
 
* Finished with a then school-record 1,212 career rushing yards, despite missing the first half of his senior season due to injury; served as team captain as a senior and received NFL Draft consideration from the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers
 
* Cortland Men's Athletic Association treasurer in 1969 and president in 1970
 
* Teacher, coach and administrator for more than 35 years, including 30-plus years in the Maine-Endwell Central School District
 
* Maine-Endwell football head coach from 1974-79, girls' track head coach from 1981-86 and director of physical education and athletics from 1997-2005, along with stints coaching modified boys' basketball, girls' tennis and boys' and girls' track
 
* His football teams at Maine-Endwell had winning records each season and were ranked as high as third in the state
 
* New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Section Four President in 2002-03 and Section Four Athletic Director of the Year in 2005
 
* Started Maine-Endwell's girls' lacrosse program while director of athletics in 1998
 
* Inducted into Maine-Endwell Hall of Fame in 2011 and Section Four Hall of Fame in 2021
 
* Assistant varsity football coach at Johnson City High School from 1980-85 and served as a teacher, boys' lacrosse head coach and assistant football coach at Waterloo High School during the 1971-72 school year; he instituted and taught co-ed classes under Title IX while at Waterloo
 
* Customized the "Four C's" — Competence, Character, Civility and Citizenship — as an assessment tool for athletics
 
* Integrated curriculum philosophy Athletics as an Extension of the Classroom, highlighting "Fair Play, Honesty, Consideration of Classmates" in K-12 physical education; Maine-Endwell received consecutive NYSPHSAA awards and was designated a model school for sportsmanship
 
* Community service includes work with St. Anthony of Padua Church in Endicott from 1976-2005, the town of Maine from 1976-81, a variety of youth sports work in Endicott from 1989-99, and at the IDEAL Living Center nursing home from 2005-17