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 ābig men on campusā 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 ā78 is the retired founder and partner of Bergelt International Inc., a rare coin collecting firm. Steven Myers ā77 is president and owner of . Anthony Sparber ā78 is founder and president of the nationally recognized , a pioneer in the youth weight-loss camp industry. Former Adelphi trustee Dennis McDonagh ā78 rose to senior managing director and chief financial officer of the before 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 and the new head baseball coach Mike Gaffney, whose father, Bill, was Bergeltās teammate in the ā70s.
Stories, laughs and jokes were traded among the friendsāone about a āborrowedā bathrobe, another proudly claiming to be ā31ā1ā 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 and 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 Adelphiās 23 varsity teams, providing free recovery shakes and snacks to the student-athletes. Two graduate student-athlete leaders, (menās basketball) and (volleyball), took a moment to personally thank McDonagh for his support of their success on the court and in the classroom.
Bad Company: A Half-Century of Friendship and Legacy
Take a walk down memory lane. Neil Bergelt ā78, Steven Myers ā77, Anthony Sparber ā78, and Dennis McDonagh ā78 revisit old haunts and celebrate decades of friendship. Launch Gallery
Bad Company: A Half-Century of Friendship and Legacy
Take a walk down memory lane. Neil Bergelt ā78, Steven Myers ā77, Anthony Sparber ā78, and Dennis McDonagh ā78 revisit old haunts and celebrate decades of friendship. 6 Photos-
Back at the baseball diamond where he once played varsity, Neil Bergelt ā78 reconnects with Danny McCabe, director of Athletics and Campus Recreation, during Bad Companyās walk down memory lane.
-
At the field they once watched from their Linen Hall windows, Bad Company catches up with Mike Gaffney, Adelphiās new head baseball coach, continuing a multigenerational Panther connection.
-
Members of Bad Company reconnect during a campus walk-through with Adelphi Athletics leadership, sharing memories and observations from decades of Panther athletics.
-
Former Adelphi trustee Dennis McDonagh ā78 shares a laugh while touring the Center for Recreation and Sport during Bad Companyās return to campus.
-
Neil Bergelt ā78, Dennis McDonagh ā78, Anthony Sparber ā78, and Steven Myers ā77 stand outside the Panther Fueling Station named in honor of their lifelong bond as āBad Company.ā
-
Neil Bergelt ā78, Dennis McDonagh ā78, Anthony Sparber ā78, and Steven Myers ā77 are joined by graduate student-athlete leaders Delaney Kiendra (volleyball) and Matthew Price (menās basketball) at the Panther Fueling Station, where the students personally thanked McDonagh for his support of their academic and athletic success.
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 Companyās advice for todayās students clearly reflects their own unforgettable experience:
Have an open mind and be acceptingāfriends can make your entire college experience and stay with you for life.
Apply yourself while youāre here. College is an opportunity youāll never have again.
Be present, find your people and make the most of your time with them.
Thereās 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 ā78
McDonagh joined the Presidentās Advisory Council in 2013 and served on the Board of Trustees from 2016 to 2021. He contributed to the creation of the in 2017 and, in 2018, he funded the in 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 Center in 2020ā21. 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.
Former Adelphi trustee Dennis McDonagh ā78 shares a laugh while touring the Center for Recreation and Sport during Bad Companyās return to campus.