Jack Shafer is in his 16th season as Widener’s Executive Director of Athletics and Recreation after serving the previous six as its assistant director. In that role, he primarily is responsible for overseeing the school’s 23 sports and the overall growth of the department.
As the director of athletics, Shafer has helped oversee upgrades to athletic facilities including a complete renovation to the weight room in the Schwartz Athletic Center as well as various improvements to the gym, pool, and field house. Additionally, during his tenure, athletics has taken on a greater role in fulfilling the University plan of community service. Through civic outreach programs into the city of Chester and other areas within Delaware County, student-athletes have worked with Big Brothers/Big Sisters, the Delaware County Special Olympics organizations, and local charter schools, highlighted by the men’s and women’s soccer teams each playing a regular season game at Talen Energy Stadium (then PPL Park), the home of the Philadelphia Union, in 2010. An ever-growing program, the 2016-17 academic year saw athletic teams accumulate over 3,200 hours of community service.
A hallmark of Shafer’s efforts as AD has been a commitment to the student-athlete. In that aspect, He was responsible for the creation and oversight of the Blue and Gold Club, a department fundraising program for alumni and which helps to support and provide for the student-athlete experience. Funds raised are dedicated to projects, programming and awards that benefit all university teams. Through this effort, Widener was also able to recognize its past with the inaugural class of the Athletics Hall of Fame in October 2014.
Additionally, the Blue and Gold Club has been responsible to the resumption of the senior awards program, recognizing the academic, service, and athletic accomplishments as a capstone to the Widener Student-Athlete experience.
Shafer has also held several significant leadership experiences including chairing the Middle Atlantic Conferences Operations Committee and completing the Harvard University Graduate School of Education Management Development Program in 2014.
In addition to on-field and leadership accomplishments, Widener have taken the term student-athlete to its true meaning. Five student-athletes have been the valedictorian of the University and one more has been the salutatorian. In his 12 years, Widener has produced 19 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, 20 MAC Senior Scholar-Athletes of the Year for their sport, 11 Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Performers of the Year for academic and athletic excellence, and 102 voted to Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Teams.
As assistant director of athletics, Shafer was responsible for overseeing all indoor sports, event management and facilities. He played a huge role in fundraising activities, including the school’s annual golf outing, and managing student involvement with the Special Olympics and Big Brothers-Big Sisters program.
During his time as assistant director of athletics, Shafer also was the women's soccer coach at the University from 2000-03. He helped Widener to a then-school-record 34 victories in that time, including a run to the ECAC Mid-Atlantic Region final in 2002.
Following a four-year run as the women's coach, he took the reins of the men's team in 2004, leading Widener to the conference tournament for the first time in school history. In 2006 The Pride finished second in the Commonwealth Conference and notched their first home league tournament game in school history. For his effort, Shafer was named 2006 Commonwealth Conference Coach of the Year.
He stepped down from coaching following the 2008 season after five years as men’s soccer coach. In his tenure Shafer lead the team to three conference playoff appearances and conference runner-up honors in 2008 after being defeated in the Commonwealth Conference Final by eventual National Champion Messiah College.
Shafer arrived in Chester following a tenure from 1996-99 as the men’s and women’s soccer coach at Lycoming, posting a 71-64-8 combined record. He was tabbed Freedom Conference Coach of the Year in 1999 by leading the men to the MAC final. He earned the same honor with the women in 1997 one year after starting the program.
The stint with Lycoming followed a two-year run as assistant men’s soccer coach at his alma mater, Bethany College. He helped guide the team to the 1994 NCAA Division III national championship and the ECAC South title the following year.
As a student-athlete himself, Shafer was a four-year member of the Bethany College Bison and was inducted in the school’s athletics hall of fame in 2005. Following his collegiate career, he enjoyed a stint professionally as a goalkeeper for the Delaware Wizards of the USISL during the 1994 season
Shafer graduated Bethany in 1992 with a B.A. in English, helping lead the squad to the NCAA Tournament all four years. He earned his MA from Washington (MD) College in English after serving as the school’s graduate assistant coach for two seasons.
