ROCK HILL, SC--Winthrop men's assistant basketball coach Paul Molinari has been ranked by CollegeInsider.com as one of the top 25 mid-major assistant coaches in the nation. He was ranked No. 24 on the list which is headed by longtime Gonzaga assistant Leon Rice.
Molinari, the only assistant coach at a Big South Conference school who made the top 25 list, is set to begin his sixth season as an assistant at Winthrop in 2009-10 and his 19th overall on the NCAA Div. I level. The Oneonta, NY native has also served as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Villanova, Kent State, UNLV, Wichita State and Cleveland State. The 1990 Villanova graduate served under the legendary Rollie Massimino for eight years at Villanova, UNLV and Cleveland State.
During his 18 years as an assistant, the schools that he has been associated with have appeared in eight NCAA tournaments, including the Elite Eight with Villanova in 1988, and four NIT tournaments.
“Ranking the quality of a team is never easy. Ranking the quality of a coach is even harder. Ranking an assistant coach is well… almost down right impossible,” says columnist Jason Belzer who compiled the ranking. Belzer says, “There are so many factors that go into determining what exactly makes a good assistant coach; work ethic, servants mentality, reliability, attention to detail, recruiting skills, overall basketball knowledge, the list goes on and on. What is most imperative to remember is that even though assistant coaches are integral parts of each program, they are not irreplaceable. A good assistant supports his head coach, and not the other way around.“
In compiling this list, Belzer said several factors were weighed, one of the more significant of which was an assistant’s longevity with the program. “Those that have served their time and paid their dues with unquestionable loyalty to their head coaches have proven their worth as an assistant and will themselves be rewarded one day with the opportunity to lead a program,” he writes. Other factors that went into the rankings include; overall program success while on staff, total years as an assistant, head coaching experience, recruiting, reputation amongst peers, and future potential. Almost all of those listed will one day be head of their own programs and those that are not will only be so by choice.
“Most importantly is the realization that this list was created not to classify the haves from the have-nots, but to honor those assistants who have done great work throughout their careers and bring something truly special to a staff,” he says.
To see the complete list of Top 25 Mid-Major Assistant Coaches, click on the following link:
http://www.collegeinsider.com/belzer/
