NYU Athletics

After turning in one of the finest coaching performances of his distinguished tenure, Joe Nesci is entering his 21st season as head coach of the New York University men’s basketball program.

During his time as the Violets’ bench boss, Nesci has led his squads to 19 winning seasons, 13 postseason appearances – including seven straight NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Championship trips from 1992-98, as well as the 2007 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III Metro Tournament title – and a 353-164 (.683).

Last season, Nesci won his 350th game when the Violets defeated Case Western Reserve University, 64-54, before 1,914 at the Coles Sports Center. He is the program’s pacesetter in coaching winning percentage, and trails only NYU Hall of Famer Howard Cann in career victories (411) and games coached (641).

In 2007-08, Nesci took a youthful and unproven roster and developed them into one of the surprise teams in the competitive University Athletic Association (UAA). NYU went 16-11, including a 6-8 UAA mark, and advanced to the ECAC Tournament semifinals after earning their fourth postseason invitation in five seasons. This included a thrilling 92-85, double-overtime victory over the University of Rochester, then ranked #6 nationally, at the Jerome S. Coles Sports Center on Feb. 17, 2008.

Nesci’s role in developing the trio of senior guard Charlie Parker, junior center John Mish and sophomore Keith Jensen helped them earn a spot on the UAA All-Association Honorable Mention squad. Additionally, the freshman tandem of forward Richie Polan and D.J. Glavan became key members of the Violet rotation, with Polan emerging as a starter.

Off the court, six Violets earned UAA Winter Sport All-Academic honors.

Once again, Nesci fielded an outstanding defensive squad last winter, as NYU ranked 18th nationally in scoring defense, allowing just 62.4 points per game. In 2006-07, the Violets led all of Division III in field-goal percentage defense (35.4) and rebounding margin (+10.5 rpg) en route to going 22-6 (8-6 UAA) and capturing the ECAC Metro Tournament championship – the first postseason title in program history.

For his efforts in 2006-07, Nesci captured the National Invitational Tournament (NIT)/Metropolitan Basketball Writers’ Association Division III and Basketball Coaches Association of New York Coach of the Year. That season, center Jason Boone became the program’s first All-American in 40 years when he earned D3hoops.com Third Team All-America accolades. In addition, Boone and swingman Michael DeCorso became the 13th and 14th Violets, respectively, under Nesci to finish their careers with more than 1,000 points.

Nesci, along with fellow NYU coaching greats Cann and Lou Rossini, also holds the distinction of having led his team to the NCAA Final Four. After winning the UAA championship and a school-record 25 games, he led NYU to the 1993-94 NCAA Division III National Championship Finals, where they fell 66-59 in overtime to Lebanon Valley College. Thusly, Nesci was honored by the MBWA as its Division III Coach of the Year for the third consecutive season after earning Co-Coach of the Year honors the previous two seasons. In addition, he and his assistants were also named UAA Coaching Staff of the Year for the second consecutive season after successfully defending their 1992-93 title.

The 1994-95 season may well have offered the strongest evidence of Nesci’s impressive coaching skills. After losing all five starters from the 1993-94 team, Nesci took an inexperienced group of players and led them to a 22-5 record that included a first-round NCAA Tournament win.

Nesci, whose NYU head-coaching career began during the middle of the 1988-89 season, posted his milestone 300th career victory on Nov. 26, 2005, against Elmira College (81-40).

After joining the NYU staff as an assistant coach in June 1984, Nesci took over as head coach in Jan. 1989. That squad went 6-5 under his guidance and 16-12 overall. He posted his 300th career victory on Nov. 26, 2005, when the Violets beat Elmira College, 81-40.

Nesci began his coaching career at Xavier High School in Manhattan, where he was Chairman of Physical Education from 1982-87.

A 1979 graduate of Brooklyn College with a degree in health, Nesci and his wife Jane have three children: Alyssa, who graduated from NYU in 2008; Andrew, (who currently attends NYU, and Amanda. The family resides on Staten Island, NY.

x - Became head coach after 17 games
e - ECAC Metro Tournament
E - ECAC Metro Champions
* - NCAA First Round
** - NCAA Sweet Sixteen
*** - NCAA Championship Runner-Up