Chris Pinto was promoted to Associate Head Coach of the men’s volleyball team prior to the 2011 season. He served as Assistant Coach from 2008-10. He continues to work with Head Coach Jose Pina on game preparation, practice organization and off-season training programs. Pinto also helps monitor the players’ academic progress and is involved in all aspects of recruiting and talent evaluation.
Last season, Pinto helped several talented, but inexperienced student-athletes find their comfort level in the college game. NYU finished 6-17 overall and closed out the season with two consecutive victories.
NYU has gone 39-45 in Pinto’s three seasons, but his first year with the program represented its best showing ever. In 2008, the Violets went 23-8, good for their second-most victories ever. The squad reached the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA) Tournament semifinals for the first time and finished the season ranked #5 in the CBS College Sports Network/American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division III Poll.
Pinto also served as interim head coach of the NYU women’s volleyball team in 2010 following two years as an assistant. The squad went 38-6 overall with Pinto at the helm and recorded an Elite Eight finish at the NCAA Division III Championship.
Pinto arrived in Washington Square after having served as the head boys’ and girls’ volleyball coach at Walt Whitman High School in South Huntington, NY, from 2004-08. He was named Suffolk County Coach of the Year and led Whitman to division championships in 2004-06. Pinto’s squad also earned the New York State Scholar Athlete Team Award in 2006.
Pinto, who has also coached at the Empire State Games, completed a mentorship program at Athlete’s Performance, a state-of-the-art training facility in Tempe, Arizona, which focuses on sport-specific training methods. He holds certification in personal training, professional coaching and advanced nutrition, and is the founder and director of Performance Fitness, a strength and conditioning facility in Smithtown, NY.
A 2005 graduate of C.W. Post University with a Bachelor of Science degree in physical education, Pinto is a native of South Huntington. He currently resides in Huntington Station, NY.
