Greg Dashnaw, affectionately known as “Hammer,” has retired from his role as head athletic trainer at Siena College after an impressive 39-year run. His favorite moment during his time with the college did not involve a victory. Rather, it was the time a women’s lacrosse player from Minnesota whose parents couldn’t attend her Senior Day asked Dashnaw to walk her out, calling him “Dad.” He recalled this moment as “special” and it serves as a testament to the impact he had on the students he worked with.
After notifying the school of his retirement on Monday, which will officially take effect on July 5, the college celebrated his contributions to Siena’s athletics program at a dinner on April 22. It was after this celebration that Dashnaw knew it was time to move on. Though he loved working at Siena and called it his “dream job,” he recognized that it was time for “younger blood” to take over.
Dashnaw began working at Siena in May 1984 and helped build the sports medicine program from the ground up. During his tenure, Siena’s facilities also evolved and expanded. When he first arrived, the training room was small and crowded, but in 2017 the school opened a spacious 2,800 square foot sports medicine suite. Even with all the changes, Dashnaw remained dedicated to his players and the college’s athletic programs.
Dashnaw earned his nickname from a football player he worked with during his first year at Siena; the player had seen Greg “The Hammer” Valentine wrestle at an event and thought Dashnaw should have the same moniker. It stuck. Dashnaw’s impact at Siena extends beyond athletics; he once administered life-saving CPR to a professor at the Alumni Recreation Center and, in 2019, helped a passenger experiencing chest pains on a flight home with the men’s basketball team.
Siena Athletic Director John D’Argenio praised Dashnaw’s legacy, stating that he was “an intrinsic part of the fabric of Siena Athletics for the past four decades.” Despite its challenges, Dashnaw’s tenure at Siena will be remembered for the dedication he showed to the school’s student-athletes and his impact in building a strong sports medicine program.
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