Alma Mater: University of Pennsylvania ‘03
Seasons as Head Coach: 3
Record at NYU: 39-14
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 2 (2023, 2024)
Dave Klatsky was named head coach of the New York University men's basketball program in May 2022.
Klatsky produced his second consecutive winning season at NYU in 2023-24, as he led the Violets to a 21-6 record, the University Athletic Association (UAA) Co-Championship (the program’s first title in 30 years), and to the Second Round of the NCAA Division III Tournament.
The Violets hosted the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, defeating Husson University 82-61 before falling to Tufts University 65-62.
NYU finished seventh in the nation in three-point shooting percentage (39.02) and 19
th in assist/turnover ratio (1.43). Under Klatsky’s guidance, Spencer Freedman garnered numerous awards including
D3hoops.com National Player of the Year, UAA Player of the Year, National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Third Team All-American, and First Team All-Metropolitan.
Three Violets grabbed All-UAA honors with Freedman a First Team selection and Zay Freeney and Michael Savarino chosen Second Team. Freeney and Savarino were also chosen Third Team All-Metropolitan.
Off the court, seven Violets were named UAA All-Academic, Freeney and Savarino earned College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District recognition, and Freeney and Quinn Clark were chosen Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Second Team.
In his first season at NYU, Klatsky led the Violets to their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2015-16. He set a new standard for the most wins by a first-year head coach in program history as the Violets posted an 18-8 overall record and added a 7-7 mark in the UAA, the most victories since 2015-16.
The Violets won their first 11 games of the season, with Klatsky’s first career victory coming against Farmingdale State College (102-75) on November 8. The squad also won its last five games of the regular season before being nipped by Lancaster Bible College, 67-64, in the NCAA Tournament.
There were many honors for Klatsky and his players during his inaugural season. He and his assistants were named UAA Coaching Staff of the Year, while Klatsky also earned
D3hoops.com Region 4 Coach of the Year accolades. Freedman was named
D3hoops.com Third Team All-American, Region 4 Most Outstanding Player and Region 4 First Team, as well as First Team All-UAA and All-Metropolitan, while both Freeney and Cinque Stephens were honored during the season as a UAA Athlete of the Week.
Klatsky’s student-athletes also excelled off the court as eight earned UAA All-Academic honors, four received CSC Academic All-District and NABC Honors Court accolades, and Ephraim Reed was named Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar First Team and received the MLK Athletic Department Award.
Klatsky came to NYU after an 11-year tenure as an assistant coach at NCAA Division I Colgate University, helping lead the program to three of the last four Patriot League Tournament titles.
At Colgate, under three-time Patriot League Coach of the Year Matt Langel, Klatsky had numerous responsibilities including scouting, practice and game planning, recruiting and analyzing advanced statistics. He was the primary recruiter of four All-League selections and two Defensive Players of the Year while directing Colgate's Elite Prospect Camp.
The Raiders' three Patriot League Tournament titles (2019, '21, '22) were their first since 1996. Klatsky helped grow the program from eight wins in his first season to an all-time best 25 victories in 2019-20. His extensive player development resulted in 10 All-League honorees over the past six seasons.
Prior to Colgate, Klatsky served as an assistant coach at Stevens Institute of Technology from 2007-11. While there, he played a key role in all facets of the program, helping guide the Ducks to their first-ever ECAC Metro Championships (2008, '11).
Klatsky, who earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics with a concentration in Finance and Accounting from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania in 2003, played for storied coach Fran Dunphy from 1999-2003. He set the program's then-single-season assist record in 2000-01.
After graduating from Penn, Klatsky worked as an equity analyst and trader in Manhattan and Jersey City, NJ. He is also the creator of StatChat, a podcast centered around how different programs utilize advanced statistics, and mentored a Colgate student in developing the startup company ShotQuality which measures the expected value of all shots attempted.
Klatsky, who became NYU’s 15th head coach and fourth since the program transitioned to Division III in 1982, is a native of Holmdel, NJ, and resides in Glen Ridge, NJ, with his wife Abby and their children Harrison, Leo and William.
KLATSKY'S YEAR-BY-YEAR RECORD
NYU
| Year |
Overall |
UAA |
| 2022-23 |
18-8 |
7-7 |
| 2023-24 |
21-6 |
10-4 |
| TOTALS |
39-14 (.735) |
17-11 (.607) |
