HACKENSACK, N.J. - FDU Director of Athletics Bradford Hurlbut announced Friday the promotion of Marco Silva to Interim Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Performance, effective Monday, October 17. Silva has served as a strength and conditioning graduate assistant since January 2021.

Silva takes the reigns of FDU's sports performance program from David Downey who departs FDU following three years on the Hackensack, having led a renaissance of Knights strength and conditioning after taking over in 2019. Downey oversaw the construction of the Michael and Denise Clarke Strength and Conditioning Center inside the Rothman Center, established the Knights' new Gatorade nutrition bar and expanded the program's staff to now include four graduate assistants.

Prior to leaving for a similar position at Brown (NCAA Division I - Ivy League), Downey reflected on his time at FDU saying, "I want to thank the athletes, coaches, staff and administration for giving me the opportunity to build something special at FDU. FDU is truly a place where creativity and grit go a long way and I wish everyone the best of luck this year and beyond."

"We thank Dave for his three-plus years of service and for building a Division I strength and conditioning program of which the Knights can be very proud," said Hurlbut. "We all will be forever grateful for his vision, leadership and support."

After joining NYU's (NCAA Division III - UAA) strength staff in August as an assistant strength and conditioning coach, Silva returns to FDU - the place where he worked alongside the Knights' baseball, women's bowling, cheerleading, women's fencing and softball teams, including three conference tournament appearances (women's bowling [2021, 2022] and softball [2022]) and two NCAA tournament berths (women's bowling).

In his previous role on the banks of the Hackensack, Silva, a Ridgefield Park, N.J. resident, collaborated with the strength and conditioning department to develop and implement different methods of training and program design while engaging with head coaches to effectively develop the skills and techniques of Knights student-athletes.

"Having worked under Dave's tutelage for the past two years, we're thrilled to name Marco Interim Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Performance," commented Hurlbut. We are look forward to having Marco continue his excellent work with the Knights!"

Silva remarked, "It's with great joy and excitement that I begin this new journey with FDU as the Interim Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Performance. I am excited to be able to continue the great work my predecessor, Dave Downey, has created and implemented. I look forward to continuing to work collaboratively with our great FDU family and ensuring the success of all our teams."

Prior to arriving at NYU and FDU, Silva interned at Northern Illinois (NCAA Division I - MAC) and served as an assistant strength and conditioning coach with Rugby United New York.

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