By Bryce Kristall '15, Athletic Communications Intern
John Hauser ’07 - the first of four siblings to play basketball at the State University of New York at New Paltz - set a high standard for the Hauser name. John was an instant standout in his leadership, athletic and academic abilities, becoming a very driven and well-rounded student-athlete.
“I chose New Paltz because it provided me the opportunity to play basketball in college - which was always a dream of mine - while being able to pursue a top-notch degree in accounting,” Hauser explained.
John’s hard work and competitive drive allowed him to achieve greatness on and off the court, as he was a team player above all and always put his team first.
On the hardwood, John is one of 19 New Paltz men’s basketball players to join the 1,000-point club. During his four-year career from 2003-07, he totaled 1,299 points and in 2007 during his senior year, he was honored as State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Honorable Mention, College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District First Team, and CoSIDA Academic All-America Third Team.
In program history, John stands fourth in three-point field goal percentage, fifth in steals, and eighth in rebounds.
“While being a part of the 1,000 point club is definitely something of which I am proud, I would never have reached that milestone without my teammates,” Hauser stated. “It was also fun to watch one of my teammates (Amseshem Foluke-Henderson) join the club the same year in which I did.”
Off the court, he received a Bachelor’s of Science degree in accounting and finance from New Paltz and recently completed his law degree. John always strives to be the best he can be and this shows in his career after graduating.
“After working as a tax accountant for three years, I decided to pursue a law degree in order to enhance my skills as a tax professional. After graduating from law school, I worked for a law firm for about a year and actually ended up leaving to work for the place where I began my career,” Hauser continued. “The law degree gives me an extra set of tools that I use to help provide the best service to our clients. Although accounting and law are two different fields, I still use the skills I obtained in the accounting program at New Paltz in my job today.”
John said the biggest lessons he learned from being a student-athlete were time management and putting the team first, saying “Playing a college sport requires a substantial time commitment on top of academics.”
Aside from work, family is extremely important to John, who is one of seven children, so it is not surprising that one of his fondest memories during his career involves one of his younger brothers Matt.
“My fondest memory of my career at New Paltz was being able to play college basketball with one of my younger brothers, Matt. One moment in particular stands out. It was my Senior Night, and a lot of our family was there, and coach called out a play to begin the game, "Hauser," which was essentially a pick for Matt. He took a 25-footer and drained it. I am still not sure why I was the one setting the pick.”
A few years ago John’s family got a little bigger when he married his wife Caitlin and recently started a family of their own. When he takes a break from work, he enjoys spending time with Caitlin and their nine-month old daughter, Claire.
Like most student-athletes at New Paltz, John made lasting friendships and looks forward to Alumni Weekend to come back and reconnect with old coaches, teammates and friends.
“I generally come back to New Paltz to play in the Alumni Game. Having two brothers and a sister who also played basketball at New Paltz definitely makes it more fun to come back,” Hauser said.
“It is great to see my old teammates and coaches and reminisce about when we played. Coach Kenney and my brother, Matt, still challenge each other on who can take the most shots in one game. My first trip back for the alumni game was a year after graduating college. It was held in January during the winter break, and I think about 10 people came back. The athletic department has done a great job of consolidating all of the various sports' alumni games into one weekend and making the weekend a family friendly event.”
