Whatever future Division III athletics will take, you can be sure a Coffey will have a say in the matter.

Suzanne Coffey, the chair of the Division III Management Council, and her son, Brad, a member of the Division III Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, are each in position to have their voices heard on all the issues that will shape athletics at this level of competition.

By rule, Suzanne Coffey's leadership position on the Management Council comes to an end after the NCAA Convention January 7-10 in Dallas. Brad Coffey's service on the Division III SAAC ends next fall even though he already has graduated from Amherst College with a degree in computer science.

Having prominent roles on national governance groups gives each Coffey a unique perspective into the way administrators and student-athletes look at certain topics. This is useful, whether the Coffeys agree or disagree on the best route Division III athletics should take in its quest to best integrate athletics into the Division III academic-based philosophy.

"I'd never say we have conflicts,'' said Suzanne Coffey, the athletics director at Bates College for the last 15 years. "But he's a good debater, and it's always good to discuss issues with him. At last year's Convention we spoke on different sides of an issue, but in general we're on the same page. I don't know if he'd say that, though.''

Brad Coffey chuckled when he heard his mother's analysis of the philosophical nature of their relationship when it comes to Division III athletics, even though they did speak on opposite sides about whether some Division III institutions should be permitted to continue offering scholarships in one or two sports at the Division I level.

Suzanne Coffey opposed the exemptions, believing they are "inconsistent with Division III philosophy'' of academics first, while her son argued that taking away the waivers "would serve to strip schools and their students of their identity.''

"I was taking the student-athlete perspective and she was approaching it from an administrative level, even though our views were more in the middle of the road on each side,'' said Brad Coffey, who completed his collegiate soccer career last season. "As student-athletes, we were for it, and she was against it. It was pretty funny, because people in the audience did a double take. There were thousands of people there, and we just happened to get placed at two tables right next to each other.''

Ultimately, the Division III membership voted to retain the exemptions.

Early advocate

Suzanne Coffey said she knew Brad would take the initiative and become a voice to be heard at some level during his college years. She recalls several conversations around the family's dinner table.

"He was always intrigued with the things that matter to a high-school kid like building a new field or traveling by bus,'' Suzanne Coffey said. "He wanted to know about those sorts of things. He's a policy guy.''

Brad Coffey wouldn't say that it's in his blood to be a decision-maker, but he admits he likes to have a say in the steps that lead to a conclusion.

"The big thing for me at Amherst, and a lot of other schools, is sometimes decisions are made without the student-athlete being asked,'' he said. "Maybe there are very good reasons why some things happen and other things don't. But they never get articulated. I would say it's more of my curious nature. I want to know why. I want to ask questions.''

Both Suzanne and Brad saw their roles in the national committees evolve over time. Suzanne began her NCAA committee work in the late 1980s when she became a member of the Division III Women's Lacrosse Committee, a group she eventually chaired.

She also served on the NCAA Interpretations and Legislation Committee.

Brad began his service by being appointed to the New England Small College Athletic Conference SAAC. When another member from a partner conference was unable to serve on the Division III SAAC, he was nominated for the position. It was a twist of fate he welcomed.

"This has made me want to get into politics,'' said Brad, who currently works for Cap Gemini and consults with companies on how to manage telecommunications, media and entertainment issues. "This has had some very unexpected results.''

One of his immediate concerns is making sure he finishes his commitment to the Division III SAAC.

"I didn't realize it at the time, but last January was probably the most influential Convention since the NCAA adopted its three-division structure in 1973,'' Brad Coffey said. "I think many people would agree with that. (The future of Division III) is going to come down to handling what came out of that Convention, which is really going to dictate the road the division takes. We just need to find the right balance between academics and athletics. We're always working toward that.''