Long-time MCCC Athletic Director and Professor Emeritus Al Leister has had a significant impact on almost all of the teams, coaches, players and administrators included in the inaugural class of the Hall of Fame.
A graduate of Lock Haven University, Al’s first teaching positions were at Penn State (Hazelton Campus) and then Atlantic Community College, where he also coached the soccer team. It was in that capacity, according to Al, that in 1968 he “had the unfortunate experience of playing Mercer’s National Championship Team under the lights at Hetzel Field.” Although his team lost to the Vikings in that game and again the following year, he did get the attention of Howie Landa, Mercer’s AD at the time. Then in 1970, when Mercer was looking for someone to start a Health and Physical Education program and to grow the existing athletic program, Howie called Al and asked him to apply for the job. Al accepted the position of Chairman, and given the administrative structure at the time with the AD reporting to the Chairman, Leister became Landa’s boss!
During his remarkable tenure as Chairman and Athletic Director (1970-1989), the following programs were introduced as Vikings varsity sports: Women’s Tennis (1973), Men’s Tennis (1974), Women’s Basketball (1976-1977 season), Softball (1977) and Women’s Soccer (1981). His key hires included head coaches Butch Miller (Baseball 1973) and Charlie Inverso (Men’s Soccer 1986) as well as Lisa Camillone as Athletic Trainer and Assistant AD (1983). He also encouraged Men’s Soccer Coach Stan Dlugosz to take on added responsibilities as head coach of the newly formed Men’s Tennis team (1974). He created Mercer’s first sports camp (Soccer – 1973) and was instrumental in the formation of the MCCC Foundation. During his era as AD, various Vikings teams participated in 52 NJCAA National Tournaments, winning 4 National Championships (Men’s Basketball in 1973 & 1974 and Men’s Soccer 1982 & 1988) and were runner-up 5 times. In addition, Mercer teams won 40 region crowns and 39 conference titles. Al stepped down as AD in 1989 and moved full-time into teaching until he retired in 2006. In “retirement” he chaired the Tribute to Howie Landa (2012) and actively participated in the dedication of the Butch Miller Baseball Pavilion (2016) and the MCCC Foundation Athletics Committee that established the Hall of Fame.
