Bad Company Returns to Adelphi

In the 1970s, four Adelphi students from different walks of life bonded over pickup basketball games, a knack for drawing a crowd to their dorm rooms and enjoying a "big men on campus" attitude. They called themselves Bad Company then, and still do today, nearly 50 years later.

In the years since their Adelphi days, each member of Bad Company has built a remarkable career. Neil Bergelt '78is the retired founder and partner of Bergelt International Inc., a rare coin collecting firm. Steven Myers '77is president and owner of Office Furniture Direct. Anthony Sparber '78is founder and president of the nationally recognized Camp Pocono Trails, a pioneer in the youth weight-loss camp industry. Former Adelphi trustee Dennis McDonagh '78rose to senior managing director and chief financial officer of the Blackstone Real Estate Groupbefore retiring and redirecting his focus to philanthropy.

The Legacy of Bad Company

Recently, Bad Company returned to their old stomping grounds for a walk down memory lane. At the baseball diamond where Bergelt once played varsity, they admired the renovated clubhouse bearing a plaque in his honor and recalled watching games from their Linen Hall windows. They got to catch up with Danny McCabe, director of Athletics and Campus Recreationand the new head baseball coach Mike Gaffney, whose father, Bill, was Bergelt's teammate in the '70s.

Stories, laughs and jokes were traded among the friends-one about a "borrowed" bathrobe, another proudly claiming to be "31-1" over their four-year intramural basketball career. They marveled at the changes to campus, like the 76,000-square-foot Center for Recreation and Sports (CRS), which expanded and modernized the amenities of their cherished Woodruff Hall era.

Inside the CRS, Dennis, Neil, Tony and Steve posed by the Panther Fueling Stationand a plaque in honor of Bad Company. Made possible in 2018 through a generous gift from McDonagh, the fueling station is an essential stop for Adelphi's 23 varsity teams, providing free recovery shakes and snacks to the student-athletes. Two graduate student-athlete leaders, Matthew Price(men's basketball) and Delaney Kiendra(volleyball), took a moment to personally thank McDonagh for his support of their success on the court and in the classroom.

Advice for Adelphi Students Today

The lifelong bond between McDonagh, Bergelt, Myers and Sparber shows how Adelphi lays a strong foundation for shaping lives, friendships and futures. Nearly half a century after their camaraderie began, Bad Company's advice for today's students clearly reflects their own unforgettable experience:

Have an open mind and be accepting-friends can make your entire college experience and stay with you for life.

Apply yourself while you're here. College is an opportunity you'll never have again.

Be present, find your people and make the most of your time with them.

There's no redo button. You have to come to college ready to get out of it what you put into it. We made the most of our time here, and I hope you will too.

Steadfast Supporter, Dennis McDonagh '78

McDonagh joined the President's Advisory Council in 2013 and served on the Board of Trusteesfrom 2016 to 2021. He contributed to the creation of the Panther's new baseball clubhousein 2017 and, in 2018, he funded the Panther Fueling Stationin the CRS. During the pandemic, McDonagh established the Immediate Impact Scholarship, which provided urgently needed aid to 76 rising seniors. He also established the McDonagh Family Lacrosse Scholarship. As a trustee, he led the board committee that oversaw the renovations of our Ruth S. Harley University Centerin 2020-21. On Giving Day 2025, McDonagh matched $75,000 raised by Athletics to provide another $150,000 to support the continued success of the Panther Fueling Station.