Chris Pinto is in his first season as the New York University women’s volleyball interim head coach. He ascended to the role of interim head coach after serving the 2008 and 2009 seasons as an assistant coach for the women’s team and 2007-09 with the men.
The Violets had two of their most successful seasons with Pinto as an assistant. In his first year, NYU went 25-16 and won the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III Metro/Upstate Championship.
In 2009, the squad posted its best record (29-10) since 2006 en route to a berth in the NCAA Division III Championship, where it advanced to the second round. The Violets went 6-5 in the ultracompetitive University Athletic Association (UAA), won three in-season tournaments and posted their seventh 20-win season in the last eight years.
The men’s volleyball team has also found success with Pinto as an assistant. The Violets experienced a breakout campaign in 2008, winning the second-most matches in school history and finishing 23-8 overall. NYU made its first-ever trip to the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA) Tournament semifinals that year and was ranked #5 in the final CBS College Sports Network/American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division III poll.
Prior to arriving at NYU, Pinto served as the head boys’ and girls’ volleyball coach at Walt Whitman High School in South Huntington, NY, beginning in 2004. 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, AZ, 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 and currently resides in Huntington Station, NY.
