Meet Tom Morrella, Contribution to Sports from Youngstown State Penguins. He is one of several individuals being inducted into the Curbstone Coaches Hall of Fame this Spring.
Read his bio:
Born February 22, 1968, this year’s honoree is one of four contributors in this year’s class, joining YSU President Bill Johnson, Jerry Sweed and Sonny Vaccaro as honorees.
Currently associate athletics director at Youngstown State University, he is celebrating his 33rd year in 2025-26 as a member of the Penguins’ athletics department staff.
A 1986 magna cum laude graduate of Springfield Local High School, he earned his BS degree in business administration from YSU in 1991, also earning magna cum laude honors.
He then went to Kent State University where he earned his MA degree in sports administration (1993), serving on marketing projects with the NCAA men’s lacrosse championships and Cleveland Cavaliers prior to serving his internship at YSU.
Currently responsible for maintaining and cultivating Penguin Club Gridiron, Courtside Coaches Club, Olympic and Football Alumni Club memberships, among a myriad of other fundraising events, he has served as sport administrator for both the Penguins’ men’s and women’s tennis programs, swimming and diving team and their women’s soccer program.
His longest tenure as sport administrator was for the YSU baseball team, where he oversaw the program from 2007 through the end of the 2024 campaign.
In 2014, he became the Horizon League’s Baseball Championships staff liaison and that same season, under the direction of head coach Steve Gillispie, the team went on to win the league’s tournament championship and earned a trip to the NCAA regionals.
In the NCAA Tournament, the Penguins defeated Indiana State, 5-2, for the program’s only Division I post-season victory in school history.
Under Morella’s guidance, the Penguin Club has experienced yearly financial growth, consistently achieving new highs in gross revenue over the last several years.
Events such as the Penguin Club Scholarship Golf Outing, Scholarship Ring Banquet, Jamboree and World Penguin Day have seen records in both attendance and revenue.
His guidance also includes oversight and financial reporting of all the funds processed and deposited through the Penguin Club for its various sports fundraising events and auxiliary programs.
He also oversees its Coaches Court, the hospitality room in the Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center which is solely for the use of basketball donors on game days and works closely with YSU’s Stambaugh Stadium Scholarship Loge program.
Prior to assuming his current duties, he spent 15 years as assistant athletic director for auxiliary services (2007-22), three years as the director of athletic development (2004-07), four years as the director of income operations (2000-04) and six years as manager of ticket operations (1994-2000).
His tenure at YSU began in 1993 as a marketing assistant where he was responsible for group ticket and advertising sales. He resides in New Middletown.
