The University of Alaska Anchorage Athletic Department is mourning the loss of former athletic director Ron Petro, who passed away Friday at the age of 84.

The man who helped UAA Athletics come of age, Petro served as AD from 1984-92, and was inducted into the Seawolf Hall of Fame in 2005.

Petro came to UAA after an 18-year career at Marist College, where he coached the basketball team and served as AD for seven years, spearheading the school's move from Division III to Division I. He made an immediate impact on UAA's program by securing a deal with ESPN to televise the Great Alaska Shootout.

"Our program is saddened by the news of Coach Petro's passing," said UAA men's basketball head coach and acting associate AD Rusty Osborne, who came on board during Petro's tenure. "At heart, Ron was a coach, and this helped him reshape numerous athletic departments over the years – Marist, UAA and Rhode Island all became better through his leadership. Personally, he was a boss who became a friend and mentor."

In addition to boosting the Shootout's profile, Petro also spearheaded an aggressive fund-raising campaign that grew into the Seawolf Corporate Sponsorship program, and worked to organize UAA's individual sport booster clubs into the Seawolf Booster Club as an umbrella organization. A member of the NCAA Council from 1987-91, he was instrumental in securing UAA as host for the 1987 NCAA Skiing Championships, as well as NCAA playoff games in men's and women's basketball. Petro also fought for and won membership for UAA in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association.

Just as impressive were the Seawolves' team accomplishments during his 8-year tenure – five NCAA Tournament appearances for men's basketball, including the 1988 national title game; four NCAAs, eight straight winning seasons and the 1990 Northern Lights championship for women's basketball; three straight NCAAs in hockey, including the 1991 Elite 8 squad; a pair of NCAAs and a league title in volleyball; and 22 skiing All-Americans.

"Ron's accomplishments at UAA can never be forgotten," Osborne added. "The Seawolves became a national brand in basketball, hockey and skiing through his efforts with ESPN, the WCHA and securing hosting rights for the NCAA Skiing Championships. He fought to bring a young department from Alaska into the mainstream. We have all benefited long after Ron moved on, and we still do to this day."

After leaving UAA, Petro served 12 years as the AD at the University of Rhode Island, where he ran a 23-team Division I program. There, he oversaw the completion of the school's new Ryan Center and Boss Ice Arena and helped found the URI Athletic Hall of Fame.

A member of numerous civic organizations, Petro was also the executive director of the 2006 NCAA Women's Final Four. The Yonkers, N.Y., native is also a member of the athletic hall of fame at Manhattan College, where he was a 3-year starter, 1,000- point scorer and team captain in basketball.

Petro and his late wife Sally are survived by four children – Michele, Brian, Kristen and Kerri.