Lenny Kaplan, who has headed New Jersey Institute of Technology's division of physical education and athletics since August 2000, has been promoted to the new title of Vice President/Director of Athletics in July 2025.
Kaplan has been instrumental in guiding the program's growth, first at the NCAA Division II level and, since late 2002, in its successful reclassification to NCAA Division I.
A highlight in Kaplan's career was being named Athletic Director of the Year by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) in 2018 and in September 2015, he was lauded at the annual Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Honors Luncheon as one of two named Administrator of the Year in Division I.
Throughout Kaplan's tenure, NJIT has enhanced the athletics program, particularly in areas that benefit the student-athletes directly. Today, NJIT's sports offerings have expanded from nine sports and 125 athletes in 2000 to the current 19 varsity programs and over 325 athletes.
NJIT's growing success in Division I competition has been accompanied by a continued commitment to excellence in the university's rigorous academic environment. The combined grade point average of Highlander student-athletes has been above 3.0 for 33 straight semesters through Spring 2025.
- 19 athletic teams with over a 3.0 cum GPA
- 66 students-athletes earned a 4.0 in the 2025 spring semester
- 82.5% maintained a cum GPA greater than 3.0
- 66.8 % of student-athletes on the Dean's List
- Department wide cum GPA of 3.446, which now makes 33 straight semesters over a 3.0
The NJIT Highlander student-athletes remain active in the Newark and local community logging over 3000 community service hours annually.
Kaplan played a major role in significant conference announcements:
- New Jersey Institute of Technology accepted an invitation from the Big South Conference and will join the NCAA Division I league as an associate member in the sports of men's and women's tennis, effective for the 2025-26 academic year.
- New Jersey Institute of Technology became the 10th full member institution of the America East, effective for the 2020-21 academic year. NJIT officially joined the league on July 1, 2020.
- On July 1, 2015, NJIT accepted an opportunity to become the eighth full member of the multi sport ASUN Conference for 14 Highlander teams. The ASUN was the first multi-sport postseason-qualifying home at the Division I level for NJIT.
- NJIT accepted an invitation from the Northeast Conference Council of Presidents and joined the NCAA Division I league as an associate member in the sport of men's lacrosse during the 2020 season.
Kaplan's tenure at NJIT has seen growth in the institution and in its athletics program on multiple fronts.
- New Jersey Institute of Technology and Montclair State University partnered to renovate Yogi Berra Stadium, part of a multi-million-dollar collaboration that will provide a home field for both schools' NCAA baseball programs with an official announcement on September 27, 2023. The NJIT baseball team played their first home game at Yogi Berra Stadium on March 12, 2024.
- NJIT Highlander Athletics entered a new era in the Fall 2019 after the completion of its highly anticipated outdoor multipurpose facility, Lubetkin Field at Mal Simon Stadium.
The state-of-the-art facility will be the home for NJIT men's and women's soccer and men's lacrosse programs. When paired with the Wellness and Events Center, it gives the Highlanders one of the elite athletic venues in the Northeast.
- NJIT celebrated the official ribbon-cutting of the new Wellness and Events Center (WEC) on November 10, 2017. The 3,500-seat arena exemplifies the creation of transformable venues to meet the varied programmatic needs of each event. With all of the lower bowl seats in place, it is a dynamic Division I basketball and volleyball venue. Retracting half of those seats and adding a portable stage converts it to a convocation hall.
- In 2005, with the anticipated move to Division I - NJIT Athletics committed to play home baseball games in downtown Newark, in the professional Bears and Eagles Riverfront Stadium and also hosted select basketball home games in the Prudential Center, home of the NHL's New Jersey Devils. The NJIT club hockey team plays all of its home contests in the Barnabas Health Hockey House, which is part of the Prudential Center complex.
- In 2004, NJIT renovated its two main on-campus venues—Lubetkin Field at Mal Simon Stadium at Lubetkin Field and the Estelle and Zoom Fleisher Athletic Center prior to launching the development of the new Wellness and Events Center and Turf Field.
Under Kaplan's leadership, many teams achieved regional and national Division I ranking. Success for several men's and women's teams was unprecedented, with basketball, tennis and soccer all reaching postseason play for the first time in his administration.
- The 2024 men's tennis team captured the 2024 Southland Conference title with a 4-3 victory over top-seeded Incarnate Word on April 20, 2024. The Highlanders registered their first-ever conference title at any level and advancing to the NCAA Men's Tennis Tournament for the first time in school history. The 19 wins were the most wins since the 2009-10 season. Additionally, the Highlanders were ranked for the second time ever, and earned the best ranking in program history, climbing to as high as #57.
- The 2021 baseball team qualified for the first-ever NCAA Division I Tournament with an NCAA Tournament berth and a trip to the NCAA Fayetteville Regional. The Highlanders recorded the first-ever NCAA Division I Tournament win for any sport, defeating Northeastern 3-2 on June 5, 2021.
- The NJIT men's and women's fencing teams captured the first NCAA trophy in program history with a fourth-place finish at the 2021 NCAA Fencing Championships. Women's fencer Marina Arrese earned the 2021 Elite 90 Award at the NCAA Fencing Championships, marking the second time in program history an NJIT fencing student-athlete earned the award; Women's Fencer Julia Garcia, a two-time All-American was a recipient of the Elite 90 award in 2015-16.
- The NJIT men's volleyball team concluded the 2021 season ranked No. 14 in the AVCA D-II Men's Volleyball Coaches Poll, including a top10 rankings (No. 10), marking the first top 10 ranking.
- In 2019, the NJIT men's soccer team won the school's first-ever ASUN Conference Championship (in any sport), advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the first time at the Division I level.
- The NJIT men's basketball team put NJIT on the map with an upset win over No. 16/17 Michigan on December 6, 2014.
- In 2013, the NJIT women's basketball team were crowned Great West Conference Tournament Champions. The 16 total wins are the most wins at the NJIT Division I level. Only the 2004-05 team (18 wins) and the 2005-06 team (17 wins in the program's final Division II season) have won more wins.
- In 2012, following a run to the championship game of the Great West Conference tournament, senior captain Isaiah Wilkerson received honorable mention on the Associated Press Division I All-America team, becoming the first NJIT student-athlete to earn honors from the AP in the Division I era.
- In 2010-11, the Highlanders earned their first-ever Division I conference team championship when women's tennis captured the Great West title. The women's tennis team repeated as Great West Champions in 2011-12.
- In 2009-10, NJIT's first year as a full active member of Division I, the women's volleyball team and senior Sabrina Baby became the school's first national statistical champions at the Division I level, as team and individual leaders, respectively, digs per set. Baby was honored as the school's first CoSIDA Academic All-America in the Division I era, earning third-team national honors.
- Christian Baumbach, a sophomore at the time, made history in 2009 as NJIT's first individual conference champions at the Division I level, when he won the Great West Conference men's cross country race. He also won the prestigious IC4A University Division race in the 101st annual running of that contest.
For over 20 years, Kaplan has coordinated the Highlander Athletics Golf Outing, raising over $1.5 million towards scholarships and operations for Athletics. He has helped guide and complete a $5 million campaign focused on Athletics and took part in a University-Wide $150 million NJIT Next Campaign. In addition, Kaplan established the Highlander Athletics Fund, launched the Kilted Club for Alumni Athletes and increased endowment for Athletic Scholarships to over $5 million.
Kaplan teamed with Athletic Directors of other Division I Independent schools in jump starting the United Soccer Conference (women’s soccer), Atlantic Soccer Conference (men’ soccer) and Great West Conference (all-sport conference).
He has led leadership positions with: EIVA Conference President and USILA Board of Directors (first season for both in 2022), United Soccer Conference, Atlantic Soccer Conference, Great West Conference, Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference, Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association and will be the NCAA Division I Men's Volleyball Committee for five years, including the last three as chair for (2019-20 to 2021-22).
Kaplan assisted in NJIT campus leadership: Pandemic Recovery Committee, Strategic Planning Committee, Middle State and multiple search committees for: Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Vice President for Advancement and Student Life, Dean of Students and Alumni Relations.
Kaplan is a member of the DI-AAA Executive Board (since 2012-13) and Awards Committee, ASUN Conference (Chair of the Athletic Directors & Strategic Planning), Eastern College Athletic Conference, EIVA Executive Board and Coastal Collegiate Sports Association.
Before coming to NJIT, Kaplan served 11 years at Manhattan College, where he began as Manhattan's director of operations and was assistant athletics director from 1991-2000.
A native of Merrick, New York, Kaplan and his wife Nancy have two sons, Michael and Joshua.
(last edit July 2025)
