May 15, 2008

Stony Brook, N.Y. - At its monthly full staff meeting, the Stony Brook University Department of Athletics welcomed a special guest speaker. Ernie Accorsi, who served as the general manager for the New York Giants for nine years, spoke to the gathering Thursday morning in the Goldstein Family Student-Athlete Development Center.

Accorsi's visit to the Stony Brook campus was a part of the department's annual "Book of the Year" program for coaches and staff which was instituted by Director of Athletics Jim Fiore upon his arrival to campus five years ago. The program highlights important topics relevant to professional and personal development, culminating with the author's visit to campus and discussion with the entire staff. This year's book, The GM - The Inside Story Of A Dream Job and The Nightmares That Go With It, is an account of Accorsi's final year as the GM of the Giants in 2006.

Accorsi was on hand to share some of the insights that he gained during his career in professional and collegiate sports. He spoke about evaluating and identifying talent, management and leadership philosophies, dealing with organizational conflict and his core values that he picked up throughout his career that included general manager stops at two other NFL franchises, the Baltimore Colts and the Cleveland Browns.