Gift from inaugural football team member to support comprehensive excellence within Department of Athletics

Stony Brook University President Maurie McInnis and Director of Athletics Shawn Heilbron announced that the University has received a $3 million gift from the Kehoe Family Foundation to support comprehensive excellence within the Stony Brook Department of Athletics.
 
The gift was made by the Kehoe Family Foundation which is comprised of Stony Brook football alumnus Kevin Kehoe ’77; his wife Lorraine; brothers Brian, Tim, Michael, and Jeremy; sister Deirdre Chanis; and daughter Julia.
 
“I really enjoyed my years at Stony Brook and playing on the original club football team. I’ve been fortunate in my career to build a couple of businesses which has given me the opportunity to start the Kehoe Family Foundation.
 
You can’t help but take enormous pride in seeing how far Stony Brook Athletics – and the football program specifically – have come. When I looked at where the program is now and where it can be in the future, I saw a great opportunity to make a difference. I’m happy to be even a small part of what will be an amazing journey,” said Kevin Kehoe as he reflected on what Stony Brook means to him and why he was compelled to have his foundation make this gift.  
 
The gift from the Kehoe Family Foundation is the third-largest in department history. The foundation’s donation will fund the replacement of both the north end zone video board and south end zone scoreboard in Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium, launch an Athletics facilities master planning project, support the renovation of the football locker room, and provide operational support to Athletics Career Development & Leadership programming.
 
Through these priorities, the Kehoes’ gift will directly support the department’s vision to positively transform the life of each student-athlete and its mission to elevate the national profile of the University by winning championships; inspiring school pride; and fostering transformational experiences for student-athletes, alumni, and the Long Island community.
 
“I have been inspired to learn about the Kehoe Family Foundation’s approach to generational giving, and Stony Brook University is incredibly grateful for their generosity,” said President McInnis. “The growth of Stony Brook Athletics over the past six decades has been breathtaking, and I’d like to thank Kevin and his family for this meaningful gift, for this wonderful demonstration of team spirit, and for proving, as we like to say at Stony Brook…once a Seawolf, always a Seawolf.” 
 
In recognition of the Kehoe family’s generosity, we are proud to submit to the Stony Brook Council and SUNY Board of Trustees the recommendation that the Kehoe name be displayed within Stony Brook Athletics’ facilities where we plan to name the entryway of Island Federal Arena as the “Kehoe Family Atrium” and the south end zone scoreboard in LaValle Stadium as the “Kehoe Family Scoreboard.”
 
“This is a time of tremendous optimism and opportunity for Stony Brook Athletics, and I’m exceedingly grateful to the Kehoe family for their generous commitment at a time when investment is so critical. This gift addresses several vital needs for our department while providing significant momentum as we enter our first year as an all-sport member of the CAA. As a student-athlete when Stony Brook’s football program was in its infancy, Kevin is now graciously contributing to its continued elevation. I am indebted to him and his entire family for their trust and belief in what we are building,” said Director of Athletics Shawn Heilbron.
 
“We are grateful for the vision and generosity of Kevin Kehoe and the Kehoe Family Foundation. Not only are they strengthening the foundation of Stony Brook Athletics, but as an alumnus and former student-athlete, Kevin’s leadership will go a long way toward inspiring the next generation of Stony Brook students and alumni,” said Vice President for Advancement and Executive Director of the Stony Brook Foundation Justin Fincher. “We look forward to the family’s continued partnership as our Athletics program begins this exciting new phase in its evolution.”
 
Kehoe earned his bachelor’s degree at Stony Brook in 1977 and was a founding member of the university’s football team. As members of the inaugural football team at Stony Brook, Kevin and his teammates were pioneers who laid the foundation for what the program has become 45 years later.  
 
Kehoe was born in New York City but lived much of his life in Southern California, with stops in Florida and Texas. He began his business and consulting career with Coopers & Lybrand in 1984. Nearly a decade later in 1993, he launched his own consulting firm, Kehoe & Co., where he worked until he founded The Aspire Software Company in 2014. In 2021, he sold Aspire to Service Titan, where he retains a position as a consultant.
 
In addition to his successful business career, Kevin is a published author of his memoir, One Hit Wonder: The Real-Life Adventures of an Average Guy and the Lessons He Learned Along the Way.
 
Today, Kevin and his wife of 20 years, Lorraine, live in Arizona.
 
About Stony Brook Athletics:
Stony Brook University’s Athletics Department sponsors 18 varsity intercollegiate athletic programs that compete at the NCAA Division I level. Their world-class facilities include the 12,300-seat Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium, and a sports complex housing the 4,000-seat Island Federal Arena, which opened in the Fall of 2014. All of Stony Brook’s men’s and women’s programs offer athletic scholarships. For more information about the Stony Brook Seawolves, visit stonybrookathletics.com.