NASHUA – The Daniel Webster College baseball team has a new No. 1 fan.

His name is Chris Gilmore, and on Tuesday he became officially responsible for the NCAA tourney-bound Eagles baseball program and every other athletic team on campus as the school’s new athletic director.

He replaces Robin Seidman, who resigned abruptly in December in a move that was kept quiet for months.

Seidman was hired two years ago after several years as the assistant AD at Brandeis University. This time, rather than go after an up-and-comer looking for his or her first AD post, the school went for experience and grabbed Gilmore, who served as the athletic director at Green Mountain College in Poultney, Vt. for 18 years until the middle of the last decade.

Gilmore had been a major figure at Green Mountain, as he oversaw the transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II, and then the move down to NCAA Division III. During his time there, the school added men’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s cross country and tennis, and men’s golf. He also served from 1982-2004 as the school’s men’s soccer coach, a position he later held at the College of St. Rose in Albany, N.Y. from 2007-2011.

He had been pretty successful at it, too, with 279 career wins at Green Mountain, seven Mayflower Conference titles, four NAIA regional titles and five NAIA national tourney trips.

Gilmore said in a statement he’s “extremely excited” to take over as the new AD, a job that sports information director and assistant AD Ken Belbin filled on an interim basis.

“The college has shown great commitment to its athletic programs and we look forward to building upon the success that has been established,” Gilmore said, “particularly over the past five years as DWC has challenged for and won a number of conference championships.”

Gilmore has reportedly been on campus of late making evaluations and learning the environment. The school is hopeful he can provide stability at the top, as there have been at least three at the helm in the last three years since John Griffith resigned to take the Pine Manor job.

Not counting interims, the Plymouth State graduate becomes the seventh full time AD in the school’s NCAA era that stretches back to the late 1980s, and 10th since 1980.

“He brings a rich and diverse background to our campus through his experience,” DWC President Dr. Michael Diffily said in a written statement. “We have great confidence his leadership will continue to advance our athletic program.’’

over the coming years.”

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