The 2022 edition of Brandeis Homecoming was another successful weekend, with alumni events held on October 7 and 8, and another huge fundraising push in conjunction with Giving DEISday.
The weekend kicked off on Friday evening with the dedication of the new Barry Harsip '73 Student Lounge in the Gosman Athletic Center. Teammates and family members of the late men's soccer Hall of Famer were on hand for the unveiling of the dedicatory plaque, which reads "Dedicated to the life of a former men's soccer student-athlete and Athletics Hall of Fame inductee. Barry was a demonstrated leader on and off the field and was committed to building a community within athletics at Brandeis."
Saturday afternoon was filled with individual team alumni gatherings, including tennis matches, a 5K run and a swim meet. The annual Homecoming soccer matches and surrounding events kicked off at 11 a.m. with the men's game against Carnegie Mellon, followed by the women taking on the nationally-ranked Tartan squad. Even though the visitors came out on top by 1-0 scores in both hard-fought contests, there was plenty of fun to be had with food trucks, a bounce house and the traditional Homecoming Beer Garden.
Homecoming concluded with the 2022 Hall of Fame induction, one that was three years in the making thanks to the pandemic. Brandeis Athletics honored four long-serving coaches, who represented 155 years of excellence on the sidelines: baseball coach Pete Varney, who retired in 2015 after 34 years; Bill Shipman, who served 37 years and retired as men's and women's fencing coach in 2017; Denise Dallamora, the first women's soccer coach in program history, who retired in 2020 after 40 years; and Michael Coven, the men's soccer coach who led the Judges to four Final Fours and retired in 2016 after 44 seasons.
Watch the 2022 Brandeis Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
In their acceptance speeches, the coaches reflected on their time at Brandeis and what it meant to them to join the Hall of Fame.
"What I enjoyed most at Brandeis, I think was the students, both in the phys. ed classes and on the team, because they were good people," said Shipman. "They were all good people to talk to, they were honest and reliable, and I appreciated that more than anything."
"When I was working here, parents used to ask me why I stayed so long," Dallamora said. "And I would answer, 'Because this is a 'yes' department.' It's a place where, if I had an idea, I would be encouraged to go for it. I was proud to work for such an outstanding University, a University that stands for social justice with an incredible faculty and facilities."
"I didn't know that I would be so happy to be here tonight," Coven concluded in his acceptance speech. "I didn't know I would feel as I do now until I see all you here. It's a real honor. It's an honor to work at Brandeis and be part of the Brandeis community. To be honored this way by all of you, I thank you so very much."
Coach Varney was not present at the Hall of Fame ceremony, and his induction was accepted by current head coach Derek Carlson '91.
The good feelings of the weekend were borne out by the department's success in fundraising, as Brandeis Athletics easily surpassed its Giving DEISday goal of raising $100,000, with seven different programs unlocking matching funds by having more than 50 donors, and seven programs raising more than $10,000 individually. The department is grateful for all donors who made a contribution during Giving DEISday, and would like to extend a special thank you to those who sponsored the our department challenges: Jessica Bergman '91, Mark Marandino '91, Geoff Getz '99, Robin Seidman '00, Jon Brown '03, Scott Green '05, Remy Stiles '07, Marissa Pick '07, Brandon Pick '08 and Caroline Miller '12.
Read more about the 2022 inductees:
HALL OF FAME SPOTLIGHT: PETE VARNEY
HALL OF FAME SPOTLIGHT: DENISE DALLAMORA
HALL OF FAME SPOTLIGHT: MIKE COVEN
HALL OF FAME SPOTLIGHT: BILL SHIPMAN