Pikiell, New Men's Basketball Coach, Looks to Recharge Program

High expectations follow the Seawolves' new men's basketball coach, Steve Pikiell, from George Washington University, where as associate head coach he was widely credited with turning a moribund program around. Pikiell becomes the tenth coach in the Stony Brook program's history, coming to Stony Brook after four years at GW and highly successful assistant coaching stints at Central Connecticut State, Wesleyan, Yale and Connecticut.

"We are thrilled to welcome Coach Pikiell to our Seawolves family," says Stony Brook University Director of Athletics Jim Fiore. "He has a passion, enthusiasm and work ethic that is extremely contagious. Most importantly, he has a keen understanding that the relationship between athletic and academic excellence is paramount for success as a head coach at Stony Brook University."

Pikiell (pronounced PIKE-el), 37, who is known as one of the top assistants and one of the most successful recruiters in the nation, has been an integral part of the rebirth of the George Washington basketball program over the last four seasons. In 2004-05, the Colonials recorded 22 wins, the most since the 1997-98 season and the second most in 50 years, en route to their first-ever Atlantic-10 title and automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The 14 conference victories were the most in GW's Atlantic-10 Conference history, signaling a complete turnaround for a team that finished last in the Atlantic-10 in 2001. The remarkable resurgence was punctuated with the Colonials appearance in the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today Top 25 national polls in 2004-05. At GW, Pikiell landed two Top 25 national recruiting classes and brought four Top 100 players to the program. Two of Pikiell's recruits, Mike Hall and Pops Mensah-Bonsu, recently declared for the 2005 NBA draft.
 
Pikiell's inaugural season at Stony Brook promises to be an uphill battle against formidable competition, but he's no stranger to challenges. He joined the GW staff in 2001 and in his third season under Karl Hobbs, the Colonials posted an 18-12 mark, a second-place finish in the Atlantic-10 West Division and earned a bid to the National Invitation Tournament. The second-place finish marked the best showing for the program in the previous five years.

"I am overjoyed at the opportunity to be the head men's basketball coach at Stony Brook University," says Pikiell. "I look forward to working with President Kenny and Jim Fiore in elevating our basketball program to new heights."

Prior to GW, he served for five seasons (1997-01) as an assistant coach at Central Connecticut State University which, prior to his arrival, had never posted a winning season at the Division I level. During his tenure, CCSU posted an 81-63 (.563) record, including a 25-6 mark in 1999-2000 and the university's first bid to the 2000 NCAA tournament. He was part of a staff at CCSU that posted three straight winning seasons, including the 25-6 campaign which set a new Northeast Conference record for victories in a single season.

Pikiell was also instrumental in recruiting three players who won Northeast Conference Player of the Year awards in 2000, 2001 and 2004 including CCSU's first-ever NBA draft pick, Corsley Edwards. Seven of his recruits went on to earn all-conference recognition and he helped the 1999-00 team post the highest G.P.A. in the school's Division I history.

A 1990 graduate of the University of Connecticut, Pikiell was a two-year captain and four-year letterwinner at point guard for the Huskies from 1987-91. UConn won its first Big East title and advanced to the "Elite Eight" and "Sweet 16" during the two years that Pikiell captained the Huskies. He played in 106 career games and averaged 8.2 points a game as a freshman. In 1991, Pikiell was given the UConn Club Senior Athlete Award for outstanding contributions to UConn athletics.

Pikiell also spent three years as an assistant coach at Yale (1993-95) after spending one season as an assistant coach at Connecticut under head coach Jim Calhoun in 1991-92. He replaces Nick Macarchuk, who retired from coaching at the conclusion of the 2004-05 season. He is the first former UConn alum who played under Calhoun that has gone on to become a head coach at the Division I level.

The Bristol, Conn., native has been an instructor at several summer basketball camps, including his own camp from 1991-99 in Cheshire, Conn. Pikiell and his wife, Kate, have three children: Brooke Elizabeth, 5, John Patrick, 3, and Olivia Kathryn, 2.

Follow Stony Brook men's basketball on the Seawolves site.