John Pelin, now in his eighth season as an assistant coach with the New York University men’s basketball program, was promoted to Senior Assistant Coach prior to the 2014-15 season.
On staff since the 2008-09 campaign, Pelin’s role in recruiting, practice planning and player development has helped the team compile a 121-68 (.640) overall record and qualify for the postseason each year.
Last season, the squad posted a 19-9 overall record with an 8-6 mark in University Athletic Association (UAA) play. NYU earned its ninth consecutive postseason berth by qualifying and then advancing to the finals of the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Metro Championship Tournament.
There were also many individual accomplishments last season, as four players earned All-UAA honors (junior Evan Kupferberg and Hakeem Harris – First Team; junior Costis Gontikas and freshman Ross Udine – Honorable Mention. Udine was also named Co-Rookie of the Year).
In 2013-14, the Violets posted a 16-10 overall mark and earned an ECAC Metro Championship Tournament bid. The squad, which returned only one starter from the previous season, finished 6-8 in the ultra-competitive UAA.
The season was also marked by superb individual accomplishments, as Kupferberg emerged as a star, producing one of the finest sophomore seasons in school history and leading the team in both scoring (17.5 points per game) and rebounding (9.2 rebounds per game). He was named First Team All-Met, First Team All-UAA, Jewish Sports Review First Team All-American, D3hoops.com Second Team All-East Region, and NABC Second Team All-East District. Captain Ryan Tana produced his best individual season, earning Second Team All-UAA accolades and graduating as NYU’s all-time leader in three-point field goal percentage (.434).
In 2011-12, Pelin helped NYU record one of the most successful seasons in school history, as the squad earned a bid to the NCAA Division III Championship for the first time since 1997-98. The Violets went 21-6 overall, 9-5 in the UAA, and reached the second round of the NCAA’s. They hosted their first-round contest at the Coles Sports Center, defeating Misericordia University 84-65 for their first NCAA win in 15 seasons. The squad broke the school record for team field-goal percentage, shooting at a clip of .501, which ranked sixth in all of Division III. NYU was also third in the nation in assists per game (19.1), fourth in three-point field-goal percentage (40.8%), and seventh in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.35).
For their efforts, Pelin and the rest of the staff earned UAA Coaching Staff of the Year honors.
In only Pelin’s third year at NYU in 2010-11, the Violets finished near the top of Division III in several offensive categories. They led the nation in assists per game (19.4) and finished fifth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.45).
Before coming to NYU, Pelin served two years as an assistant coach at Drew University (2006-08), where he was involved in all facets of the Rangers’ program.
Prior to beginning his coaching career, Pelin was a four-year member of the Gettysburg College basketball team. During his playing days, the Bullets earned one NCAA Division III Championship appearance and two ECAC Division III South Championship invitations.
A 2005 graduate of Gettysburg with a Bachelor of Arts degree in management, Pelin earned a Master of Science degree in sports leadership from Duquesne University in 2011.
A native of Brockport, NY, Pelin lives with his wife Laura and son Ryan, in Harrison, NY.
