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Anthony Crocitto, head women's basketball coach for the N.Y. Institute of Technology in Old Westbury
by Bernadette Starzee , Long Island Business News
A graduate of Hofstra University, Crocitto got into collegiate coaching by chance. As a young adult, he coached several Long Island high school teams, and one of his coaching colleagues, Phil Stern, was offered a position at Dowling College in Oakdale. "Phil asked me if I wanted to come and work for him," Crocitto said. "I thought it would be good to work there and go for my master's degree. I didn't realize it would become my career, but here I am 13 years later. "
Between road games and recruiting trips (NYIT's program recruits from Massachusetts to Virginia and as far west as Ohio), Crocitto spends at least 50 percent of his time traveling.
Crocitto said his greatest aspiration for the year is for the betterment of his players, particularly the seniors. "We have eight seniors, and I want them to have a memorable year," he said. "They didn't win a lot of games in their first three years, and I want them to have a senior year they can be proud of. Hopefully, the harder I work, the more they will succeed. "
Like other Division II teams, NYIT's women's basketball program strives to produce well-rounded student-athletes. "I make sure the kids are going to classes and not falling behind in their work," Crocitto said. "We also make sure they get out and do community service. There's almost a 100 percent chance they won't play professionally, and we want to make sure they're prepared for life after graduation. "
Even in Division II, however, coaches are expected to produce winning teams, Crocitto said. "But if your ideology is for the girls to do well and graduate on time and get jobs and become women, then you're doing your job," he said. "The winning will take care of itself. "
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