Tim Tai, Senior Photographer

University President Peter Salovey intends to step down from his post this June, after rounding out 11 years at Yale’s helm. Over his tenure as president, Yale football, ice hockey and basketball have all seen resurgences.

Salovey’s emphasis on cultivating well-rounded student-athletes draws hundreds of high school stars to Yale. Alexa Drovetsky ’27, a first-year varsity fencer, told the News that she relished “the collaborative and empathetic approach to collegiate athletics.”

“The coaching staff embraced me with transparency, candor, and acceptance,” Drovetsky wrote to the News. “For the first time in my 15-year fencing career, my co-ed mixture of teammates forged authentic connections that I’m sure will last a lifetime. The shadow of embarrassment cast upon traditional fencers evaporated the moment I stepped on campus.” 

Athletic Director Vicky Chun praised Salovey’s “unwavering commitment” to the well-being and success of Yale student-athletes.

Chun also echoed Salovey’s holistic approach to the development of student-athletes. 

“His leadership and support empower our student-athletes to excel not only in their chosen sports but also in their academic pursuits, fostering a culture of excellence that defines Yale Athletics,” Chun wrote to the News.

Salovey spearheaded an investment of more than $100 million dollars in athletic development, wellness services and mental health support.

Yale has won dozens of national and conference titles under Salovey’s direction. 

“We have enjoyed multiple national and conference titles, our student-athletes and coaches have received dozens of individual recognition awards, and Yale has completed many capital improvements to our athletic facilities in recent years alongside new initiatives to better support mental health and enhance inclusion and belonging,” Salovey said to the News.

Indeed, this strategy has paid dividends for the success of the Athletic Department and the well-being of tireless and gritty student-athletes. 

Tony Reno, head coach of the Yale football team, arrived on campus one year before Salovey. A roster devoid of talent, tenacity and moxie morphed into an Ivy League powerhouse within five years. Salovey stood arm-in-arm with the football team as they hoisted conference trophies in 2017, 2019 and 2022. 

Yale’s athletic success also came into the national spotlight during the 2016 March Madness basketball tournament. Yale triumphantly defeated the fifth-seeded Baylor Bears before falling to the Duke Blue Devils in the Round of 32. Under James Jones’ 24-year tenure, the Bulldogs have recently become a dominant force. 

The men’s lacrosse team achieved this feat in 2018, claiming a national title in their 13–11 victory over the Duke Blue Devils. 

During Salovey’s tenure, which began in 2013, the University also commemorated a half-century of women’s sports at Yale. 

“These women have consistently demonstrated not only how Yale’s athletics program reinforces the mission and purpose of the university, but also how participating in sports develops leaders of strength and principle,” Salovey wrote to the News.

Last October, Yale Athletics and the Yale Women’s Athletic Network hosted a series of panel discussions and other events to celebrate 50 years of varsity women’s athletics. 

Chelsea Kung ’23, who was a member of the varsity women’s tennis team at the time, said she saw the weekend’s programming as an opportunity to form connections across generations of female varsity athletes at Yale.

“My biggest hope is that current female student-athletes at Yale see these accomplished women as mentors and people to look up to when their time on the Yale playing surface comes to a close,” Kung wrote to the News at the time. “It’s something that has pushed me to be the woman I am today, and I only hope that this event is a catalyst for inspiring the next generation of successful women in the world.”

Salovey told the University community of his plans to step down in an Aug. 31 email announcement.