Associate Athletics Director Tom Morella has been a member of the Athletics Department at his alma mater since 1993. He celebrated his 30th year with Penguins Athletics in 2022-23.
Morella is responsible for maintaining and cultivating Penguin Club Gridiron, Courtside Coaches Club, Olympic and Football Alumni Club memberships, along with a variety of other fundraising events.
Under Morella's guidance, the Penguin Club has experienced yearly financial growth, consistently achieving new highs in gross revenue over the last several years. Events such as the Penguin Club Scholarship Golf Outing, Scholarship Ring Banquet, Jamboree and World Penguin Day have set records for both attendance and revenue. His guidance also includes oversight and financial reporting for all funds processed and deposited through the Penguin Club’s various sport fundraising events and auxiliary programs.
Morella also oversees the Coaches Court, the hospitality room in the Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center that is an exclusive benefit for basketball donors on game days. Additionally, he works closely with YSU’s Stambaugh Stadium Scholarship Loge program.
During his YSU tenure, Morella has served as sport administrator for YSU’s men’s and women’s tennis, swimming and diving, soccer and baseball programs. His longest tenure as sport administrator was with baseball, where he oversaw the program from 2007 through the end of the 2024 campaign.
In 2014, he became the Horizon League's Baseball Championship staff liaison. That same season, under the direction of head coach Steve Gillispie, the team won the league’s tournament championship and earned a trip to the NCAA regionals. In the NCAA Tournament, the Penguins defeated Indiana State, 5-2, for the program's only Division I postseason victory in school history.
Prior to assuming his current duties, he spent 15 years as assistant athletic director for auxiliary services (2007-22), three years as director of athletic development (2004-07), four years as director of income operations (2000-04) and six years as manager of ticket operations (1994-2000). His tenure at YSU began in 1993 as a marketing assistant.
A 1986 magna cum laude graduate of Springfield Local High School, Morella earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from YSU in 1991, also earning magna cum laude honors. He then attended Kent State University, where he earned his master’s degree in sports administration in 1993. He served on marketing projects with the NCAA men’s lacrosse championships and the Cleveland Cavaliers prior to completing an internship at YSU. Morella resides in New Middletown.
