From coaching on the sidelines to being a critical voice in the administration wing, Assistant Athletic Director and former head volleyball coach Steve Pike is stepping away from Brockport.
Pike joined the Brockport staff in 2013 after 12 years of coaching at SUNY Potsdam. He served as head coach for the Golden Eagles for nine years before accepting the Assistant Athletic Director of Compliance and Development in 2022. While his accolades from over 20 years of coaching could fill an entire section of a newspaper, his impact is what makes his legacy so strong.
Building community wherever he went and impacting whoever he worked with, Pike’s legacy starts and lasts because of his ability to care for people.
What is your first memory of him?
“I think I was 15 or 16. I was trying out for a high-performance volleyball program, which was something you were invited to. He was one the coaches there, and honestly, all I really remember is he was the bald guy that knew a lot about volleyball.” – Aimee Spillman
“My first memory of coach Pike was when we hired him as the volleyball coach. When I got to Brockport, we had a vacancy, and we were posting this position. A friend of mine who was another SUNYAC head coach reached out to me and said, ‘This is the person you want to hire, and he’s going to be a rock star at Brockport. I think this coach is going to take you guys to the next level.’ And then when he’s on campus, in the interview process, you could just see what he could do for our program.” – Erick Hart
“The first memory I have was obviously a long time ago when he interviewed for the job. I was very impressed with his character, his work ethic, his passion, not just for sport, but for people.” – Susan Hoffman
“My first memory of Pike was on my recruit visit. He knew I was coming from a long way from home and showed me that he cared not only for me as a volleyball player but also for my academics and me as a person. Another big memory I have with him is winning the SUNYAC conference my freshman year and being able to experience going to the NCAA tournament.” – Jordan Thompson
How has your relationship with him changed from that moment to now?
“I would say a lot. He’ll say this joke to pretty much everyone when I first started talking to him, he would call me on the phone and I wouldn’t answer because in high school I was scared to talk on the phone. And now, 10 years later, being coworkers and at a professional level, getting to work with and learn from him outside of volleyball has been pretty cool. A full circle moment, I would say.” – Aimee Spillman
“We work very close together. That’s a piece of it where I just absolutely trust him. I don’t have to worry about his area, what he’s working on or the staff that he oversees and the things he’s managing. He’s a rock star in our field. When you have someone like that in the position, we’re able to do more as a department.” – Erick Hart
“From the beginning, Pike has always been like a father figure to me. From bettering my skills on the volleyball court to helping me off the court with academics, helping me w/ all my car issues, & crying in his office about any problem I had going on.” – Jordan Thompson
If you had to describe him with a moment, what moment would you use ?
“I think just like looking back now, obviously it’s a lot different than when I was in it as a player, but I think he always had confidence in us. When I came to Brockport, volleyball was bad, not because of him, but he had just gotten here, and then it never really seemed like he had a doubt that we were going to be good, which is kind of cool thinking now that we had that kind of support.” – Aimee Spillman
“I think there isn’t one particular story. There have been numerous conversations I’ve been involved with student athletes, with coaches, with colleagues and the way he presents the topic, the way he provides solutions is really the thing that stands out in my mind. I’ve actually stepped back a few times and I’m like ‘What would Pike do in this situation? How would he communicate that to somebody?’ He’s always trying to let the individual learn. So, you know they did wrong; we don’t harp on that. How can we make it right or not let it happen again.” – Susan Hoffman
“When he started as the volleyball coach, we weren’t where we where we needed to be, where we wanted to be; the team was struggling. He came in and won back-to-back-to-back SUNYAC Championships, all within a few years. To me, that captures his career. He was able to quickly turn the program around, bringing in high level student-athletes. Stuff like that, to me, encompasses his career. We were the top team. We were the best team in the region under his tutelage. That’s Coach Pike. He was great; he was a great coach. Students loved him. They had a great experience. He was just, he was just a good mentor, good leader all around.” – Erick Hart
What does he mean to the Brockport Community?
“Everything. I feel like he’s always around and people know him. He talks to everyone just like a comforting person to always have in your back pocket if you need something to talk about. I mean, I know people that don’t even play sports, that know him, and they’re over here, and they’re in his office, and he’ll help anyone who needs help. That’s just who he is as a person.” – Aimee Spillman
What do you think his legacy is?
“Always being willing to help whoever needs help. Being the first person to take action on something and not let it run its course when you can make a change to it or do something better. Even on day one of classes, he’s the person in the hallway, directing people where to go, and that is nowhere near his job description. But, he is just always the first person out there and the first person to do what needs to get done.” – Aimee Spillman
“He had a great career here. Multiple SUNYAC championships, NCAA appearances, from a coaching standpoint, he’s right up there. Then, he transitioned over to the administration. It was great. He had compliance, student development and oversaw our student leadership group. He was great in everything, so easy to work with. I really enjoyed working with him. He absolutely left his mark here.We are very lucky to have him here as a Golden Eagle. ” – Erick Hart
“It’s really compassion, patience, mentorship and really embracing Brockport. He did phenomenal things on the volleyball court. He took that program to another level, but the things he did with fostering relationships with individuals, not only his student athletes, but his colleagues, the administration, that’s where I think his legacy will remain.” – Susan Hoffman
“Pike will forever have a legacy at Brockport for his amazing coaching, the relationships he built with all his players, and accomplishing many things throughout his years of coaching the volleyball program. He also had a huge impact on athletes outside of volleyball and even students outside of athletics and always wanting to support and help the Brockport community.” – Jordan Thompson
What do you miss most about seeing him?
“I’ve known him since I was probably 15, which is a very long time. I’ll miss having someone to go talk to and just having someone to bounce ideas off of. Even if it’s like me being nervous in my role to talk to somebody higher up than me, I always had him as a middleman to just kind of go and get my thoughts out. Then, the volleyball aspect of it is just always fun to pick his brain. I coach 16-year-olds so it’s fun to just kind of chat about it. And now, being on the other side of watching our volleyball team it’s always fun to have him back there with me, and I will miss that because he and I had some great commentary back there behind the scoreboard.” – Aimee Spillman
“I’ll miss the daily interaction, the daily conversations and the ones not always about work. I know he is only a phone call away. I know that the position he’s in now, he is over the moon, happy with it, and it’s just the position that he needs to be in. When he first told me about the job, he was grinning ear to ear. He’s going to be able to continue to mentor and grow and help individuals.” – Susan Hoffman
“My favorite part of seeing him every day. He was home away from home, and always knew how to put a smile on my face. He supported me through many different challenges I had throughout my five years at Brockport. He was always there to congratulate me on my accomplishments even after becoming an AD after coaching.” – Jordan Thompson
Pike has taken a position at his local ministry to focus more on what makes him happy: helping others. While he is taking a step back, he still works part-time teaching classes at Brockport and helping with compliance.
He might not be around Tuttle everyday, but his legacy lies in the hallways, on the court and with everyone who has been fortunate enough to know him.
