BY JOHN WESTERMANN
Stony Brook University head
basketball coach Steve Pikiell is
the 2010 Village Times Herald
Man of the Year in Sports. Th e
Setauket resident, now in his
sixth season at the helm, has,
with grace and good humor,
elevated Seawolves basketball
to the top of the America East
Conference and onto the national
stage. Last year the Seawolves
hosted Big 10 power Illinois
in a fi rst-round game of
the NIT. His 2010-11 team plays
to sold-out houses on campus
and has appeared on television
nine times during this current
regular season. Pikiell appeared
on the Mike Francesa Show
on WFAN this fall to promote
Stony Brook basketball.
Unlike many coaches, the
outwardly placid Pikiell does not
scream at referees or throw colorful
tantrums on the bench. His
tough-as-nails team is a model of
decorum — except when a loose
ball is rolling through the paint.
Top-fl ight recruits, such as recently
signed 6-foot-8 Scott King
of the Holderness School, now
consider Stony Brook among the
attractive Division I options that
include a fi rst-class education.
Last year Pikiell was the fi rst
coach in Stony Brook history to
be named America East Coach
of the Year, All-Met Coach of
the Year and the Sporting News’
America Coach of the Year. His
SBU players were similarly honored
for both their play and
their academic achievements
— winning America East Conference
Player of the Year in the
person of Muhammad El-Amin
and Conference Scholar Athlete
of the Year, Andrew Goba,
awards for the fi rst time in program
history.
“Steve helps us keep the focus
on the student,” said Courtney
Sanfelippo, assistant athletic
director for student-athlete development.
“Practice, shootarounds,
departure times, I’m
involved in all the decisions. He
kind of puts an assistant coach
hat on me. It helps so much when
the players hear about academics
and discipline from the coach,
the man who holds their playing
time in his hands. Last year we
had a perfect APR score of 1,000,
meaning all of our players graduated
or returned eligible to play
this year.”
“Honestly,” Sanfelippo continued,
“that doesn’t always happen
in men’s basketball. On a
Friday night recently I had seven
players in the Goldstein Center
voluntarily writing papers,
which is pretty amazing.”
“What sets Steve apart are
his class, his loyalty to the university
and to his family,” said
Stony Brook athletic director Jim
Fiore. “He has a swagger that is
pleasantly persistent. He makes
you want to help him and his
program. And he’s been an incredible
representative for this
university. Steve has hall of fame
potential as a professional. His,
and our, best days are ahead of
us and we’re glad to be along for
the ride.”
A 1990 graduate of the University
of Connecticut, Pikiell
was a point guard and two-time
captain for the Huskies under
the legendary Jim Calhoun.
Both years of his captaincy the
Huskies advanced to the NCAA’s
Elite Eight. He then served his
sideline apprenticeship as an
assistant at UConn, Yale, Wesleyan,
Central Connecticut State
and George Washington University.
He is one of nine children.
He and his wife Kate have four
children.
“Steve’s a phenomenal coach
and an even better person,”
said Harborfields boys head
basketball coach Chris Agostino,
a neighbor and friend.
“I’m lucky enough to know
him on a personal level and
thrilled to see him win this
award. My former player Ben
Resner is a sophomore on his
Stony Brook team now. Ben has
coach written all over him, and
he couldn’t learn the profession
from a better man.”