New London — Dan Rose was hired as the Coast Guard Academy men's and women's track coach in 1996, making just $24,000 per year with no benefits. His wife, Alicia, was seven months pregnant.

"I'll never forget it," Rose said. "I said to her, 'Give me a chance. I'll make this work.'"

Rose never left. And 23 years later he is Coast Guard's athletic director, promoted to the position earlier in the week after serving as interim athletic director since the departure of former AD Tim Fitzpatrick in February.

Rose stepped down after 15 seasons as track coach in 2011 to concentrate on his role as Director of Physical Education, which he took over in 2008.

He coached 16 All-Americans and 27 Division III New England champions during his tenure as coach, being named Division III New England Outdoor Track and Field Coach of the Year in 2008 and New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 2006.

During the 2007-08 season, Rose led the indoor and outdoor men's track teams to unbeaten records in dual meets for the first time since 1969.

Rose, who also served as interim athletic director prior to the hiring of Fitzpatrick, earned the title of Senior Associate Athletic Director under Fitzpatrick and learned "what things could be" on the other side of the business — "fundraising, facilities, the adidas deal, he really encouraged me," Rose said of Fitzpatrick.

Rose, 48, an East Lyme resident, was hired after a national search, interviewing before a committee not only made up of academy personnel but Coast Guard administration from around the country.

"I've been doing it for 10 months and we feel like we're in a good rhythm because of that," Rose said Thursday of his position. "But it's gratifying to be named officially. (The national search) is the way it has to happen and I totally understand it. I didn't take anything for granted. I needed to articulate and I needed to compete, to tell them why I wanted the job and why I thought I was qualified.

"You've got to really appreciate being the finalist and being the one selected."

"Dan is a proven leader with vision and I look forward to his positive leadership and support for many years to come," Rear Admiral Bill Kelly, Coast Guard's superintendent, said in a press release. "We are all excited he's accepted our invitation to continue to lead the academy's athletic program into the future."

A native of Canton, Rose is a graduate of Springfield College, where he earned his bachelor's degree in physical education and his master's in athletic administration. He threw the shot put and discus and captained the track team as a senior. Rose earned his Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from UConn in 2013.

It was during Rose's time at Springfield that he became familiar with Coast Guard and said he always wanted to know more about its athletes and faculty members.

"There's a lot of really neat places out there, but Coast Guard is special," Rose said. "For me, it's the best fit. I think there's something attractive about a place that lives by its core values: honor, respect and devotion to duty. When the cadets walk across the stage at graduation, you feel like you had something to do with that and they're going to save lives, protect property. We're all part of making officers, leaders of character."

Rose served as president of the New England Division III Track and Field Coaches' Association from 2003-07 and chairman of the NCAA Track and Field rules committee from 2017-19.

Since 2012, he has been the primary sport administrator for 24 varsity programs at Coast Guard, served on the project committee for the Otto Graham Hall of Athletic Excellence, as project manager for the new cadet strength and conditioning center and as the liaison to the Bear Club, the fundraising arm within the Coast Guard Academy Alumni Association.

Rose designed the new playing field layout at Cadet Memorial Field, which installed new artificial turf in June, and secured sponsorship for the field's new video scoreboard.

Rose and his wife Alicia have three children, DJ, Alex and Maya.

v.fulkerson@theday.com