KeaneyBlue - The URI Basketball Forum

Was recently thinking about some of the assistants that have been on the URI coaching staff over the years. It is a pretty impressive list as many have at some point been college head coaches with another even becoming a long time NBA coach.

Some Former URI Assistants that have also been D1 College Head Coaches:
Lou Campanelli
Billy Hahn
Fran Fraschilla
Claude English
Al Skinner
Tim O'Shea
Bill Coen
Ed Cooley
Jerry DeGregorio
Larry Farmer
Jeff Jones
George Blaney
Pat Skerry
Tom Moore
Bobby Hurley
David Cox


Former URI Assistant that has also been an NBA Head Coach
Mike Fratello (NBA)


I would think with several others currently serving in top assistant positions, it will just be a matter of time before more are also someday head coaches. These names seem like future possibilities:

Luke Murray
Antonio Reynolds-Dean
Preston Murphy


What other assistants have I missed that have gone on to become head coaches?

When was Lou Campanelli a URI assistant ?

Everyone else I knew

reef wrote: ↑1 month ago When was Lou Campanelli a URI assistant ?

Everyone else I knew

On Tom Carmody's staff:

https://collegehoopedia.com/coaches/lou-campanelli

Later head coach at James Madison and Cal (where he was replaced by his assistant and former URI player Todd Bozeman).

Wow had some nice upsets with JMU and coached Jason Kidd @ Cal his last year 92-93

RIP he recently passed away

Was Bozeman on the URI staff for the last year of Cox?

RF1 wrote: ↑1 month ago Was Bozeman on the URI staff for the last year of Cox?

I think he was

Bozeman was also an assistant for Campanelli @ Cal and took over for him when he got fired in 93

reef wrote: ↑1 month ago

RF1 wrote: ↑1 month ago Was Bozeman on the URI staff for the last year of Cox?

I think he was

Bozeman was also an assistant for Campanelli @ Cal and took over for him when he got fired in 93

Campanelli got fired when the players snuck up the back stairs and complained to the AD. A more cynical observer would have wondered whether Bozeman had something to do with the rebellion. Good thing I'm not cynical.

Whatever the reason it seemed to work Cal upset Duke and made the sweet 16 in 1994 after the firing

Also amazing to think we had two head coaches that won NCAA national championships at one time in their careers and another that made the Final Four. Could even add Keaney as he took URI to the NIT championship game when that tournament was considered more prestigious than the NCAA by many. We have been quite fortunate in the people that have been on our coaching staffs.

RF1 wrote: ↑1 month ago Also amazing to think we had two head coaches that won NCAA national championships at one time in their careers and another that made the Final Four. Could even add Keaney as he took URI to the NIT championship game when that tournament was considered more prestigious than the NCAA by many. We have been quite fortunate in the people that have been on our coaching staffs.

eh. They didn't do it here so what's the big deal? This is like a small company who had a bunch of employees become CEO's at S&P 500 companies, but the small company still can't make a profit.

Jack Kraft lost in the title game to UCLA

theblueram wrote: ↑1 month ago

RF1 wrote: ↑1 month ago Also amazing to think we had two head coaches that won NCAA national championships at one time in their careers and another that made the Final Four. Could even add Keaney as he took URI to the NIT championship game when that tournament was considered more prestigious than the NCAA by many. We have been quite fortunate in the people that have been on our coaching staffs.

eh. They didn't do it here so what's the big deal? This is like a small company who had a bunch of employees become CEO's at S&P 500 companies, but the small company still can't make a profit.

No. They did not win them here. Given that only about 55 coaches have ever won a natty, I however think it is worth noting that two of them at one time coached URI.

theblueram wrote: ↑1 month ago

RF1 wrote: ↑1 month ago Also amazing to think we had two head coaches that won NCAA national championships at one time in their careers and another that made the Final Four. Could even add Keaney as he took URI to the NIT championship game when that tournament was considered more prestigious than the NCAA by many. We have been quite fortunate in the people that have been on our coaching staffs.

eh. They didn't do it here so what's the big deal? This is like a small company who had a bunch of employees become CEO's at S&P 500 companies, but the small company still can't make a profit.

It’s not a big deal, but it’s cool to see someone win a title who a few years before, worked his ass off here, enjoyed his time, connected with fans and alumni, and brought Rhody into the national spotlight for two straight seasons.

reef wrote: ↑1 month ago Jack Kraft lost in the title game to UCLA

Future Celtics player and coach, Chris Ford was on that team. Then there was the Howard Porter fiasco that vacated 'Nova's season.

Brendan Malone.

RF1 wrote: ↑1 month ago Was Bozeman on the URI staff for the last year of Cox?

He was. Many people were saying it would have been no big deal to fire Cox mid-season with an experienced coach like that on staff

RF1 wrote: ↑1 month ago Also amazing to think we had two head coaches that won NCAA national championships at one time in their careers and another that made the Final Four. Could even add Keaney as he took URI to the NIT championship game when that tournament was considered more prestigious than the NCAA by many. We have been quite fortunate in the people that have been on our coaching staffs.

I think it continues to go back to the fact that URI has never had an issue attracting talent - especially in the coaching ranks.

Yet, it took decades to learn our lesson of needing to invest in our program and infrastructure to make talented people want to stay here. Had we been able to afford to pay a Preston Murphy, ARD, or Luke Murray a commiserate wage - how much longer do we hold onto Hurley for?

Now that we've learned about the requirements to pay a coach, pay assistants (sort of), and have a practice facility...NIL comes into play and most of our fans are saying that it's unnecessary. So we'll probably get left behind again.

Just remember...if KJ leaves, and resumes landing 5 star kids...he was never going to do that here without the NIL budget he'll have at Georgetown.