ROCK HILL, SC–Paul Molinari, who has served as an assistant coach at three different schools under the legendary Rollie Massimino, has been hired as an assistant on the Winthrop University men’s basketball coaching staff.

Molinari, a native of Oneonta, NY, and a 1990 graduate of Villanova with a degree in operations management, has served as an assistant coach at Kent State, his alma mater Villanova, UNLV, Wichita State and most recently Cleveland State. He spent a total of 14 years working under Massimino, including the past eight at CSU.

"Coach Molinari has worked under coach Rollie Massimino for several years at the highest levels of Division I basketball," said Winthrop head coach Gregg Marshall. "He is a very committed and loyal assistant coach who has a great passion for coaching and working with student-athletes. We are excited to have him with us and we look forward to learning from the basketball knowledge that he brings from Villanova in the East, Wichita State and Cleveland State in the Midwest and UNLV in the West."

During his 14 years as an assistant the schools that he has been associated with have appeared in two NCAA tournaments, including the Elite Eight with Villanova in 1988, and four NIT tourneys. In addition to his coaching duties, Molinari has served as director of the Rollie Massimino Basketball Camp as well as the Shocker Basketball Camp and Coaches Clinic at Wichita State and the Viking Basketball Camp and Coaches Clinic at CSU.

In addition to his coaching, scouting and recruiting duties, the new Winthrop assistant also coordinated the administrative operations of two 14-day European tours during the summers of 1995 and 2001.

"I am very happy for the opportunity to work with a very successful basketball program and to serve under one of the up-and-coming young coaches in Gregg Marshall," said Molinari. "I look forward to helping Winthrop achieve even greater success in the years ahead."