A veteran of the coaching industry and one very familiar to the Hofstra community, Tom Parrotta was named an assistant coach with the Pride today, it was announced by Head Coach Speedy Claxton.
“I’ve known Coach Parrotta for a long time now and I’m thrilled to bring him back home to Hempstead, commented Claxton. “His ties throughout New York City and internationally speak for themselves, and his wealth of experience throughout NCAA Division I basketball is what will help this program the most. He’s been through the wars as a head coach already, and will help pull together an already strong staff. Coach Parrotta will help us to continue to recruit and develop student-athletes at the highest level.”
“It’s unbelievably exciting to return to Hofstra University where my family and I have so many fond memories,” mentioned Parrotta. “The opportunity to assist Coach Speedy Claxton in his vision to build upon so much success is really humbling and I can’t wait to get started. The people are what makes Hofstra a special place and I am so appreciative to be a part of it.”
Parrotta, who was on the Hofstra coaching staff from 2001 to 2006, returns to Hempstead after spending this past season at Columbia University in New York, New York.
Parrotta brings extensive experience to the Hofstra bench, having worked on the NCAA Division I level since 1996. A former head coach at Canisius College in Buffalo, New York, from 2006 to 2012, Parrotta paid immediate dividends at the helm, improving the team’s win total by three in his first year. He would guide the Golden Griffins to a pair of 15-win seasons during his tenure at Canisius and oversaw the development of seven different Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference postseason award recipients. The back-to-back 15-win seasons marked the first time in a decade that the program had achieved that win total in consecutive seasons.
While leading the Golden Griffins, he oversaw all aspects of the program including a staff of more than 10 people. His program had a 100% graduation rate and he helped initiate a program that allowed his student-athletes to complete their undergraduate degree and pursue their master’s degree while completing their eligibility. Parrotta was very strong in the donor relations area as he created a booster program that assisted in raising funds to supplement recruiting and improve facilities.
Prior to his year at Columbia, Parrotta worked at Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut, from 2015 to 2019. He helped the Stags to double-digit win totals in three separate seasons including 19 wins in 2015-16 and a berth in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament.
Parrotta worked for three seasons (2012 to 2015) at Fordham University in the Bronx, New York, where he assisted in all areas of the program and served as the recruiting coordinator.
Parrotta’s time at Hofstra occurred prior to being the head coach at Canisius as he was an assistant coach from 2001 through 2005 before being named the associate head coach in his final season. He joined the staff as the department transitioned to the Colonial Athletic Association and by the time of his departure he was part of back-to-back 20-win campaigns as the team won 21 games in 2004-05 and 26 in 2005-06. Both of those teams would earn berths in the National Invitation Tournament and the 2005-06 squad advanced to the NIT Quarterfinals. At the time the 26 wins tied the school record for victories.
Parrotta’s first experience at the NCAA Division I level came at Niagara University from 1996 to 2001. He helped the Purple Eagles improve their win total in each of his first three seasons on staff and oversaw the program’s summer camps and assisted in a variety of other areas within the program. Niagara also made back-to-back trips to the MAAC semifinals during his time there.
Parrotta started his career at Nazareth College in Rochester, New York, in 1995.
Parrotta also served as a consultant for the National Basketball Association in 2019, assisting the league with the NBA Africa Basketball Combine and Global Youth Basketball.
A 1991 graduate of Fordham with a degree in communication, he earned his master’s degree in sports administration from Canisius in 2011. He scored 998 points for the Rams during his career and was an All-Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and All-Met honoree as a senior. Parrotta played three seasons of professional basketball in the Portuguese Basketball Association, helping the team to a undefeated 33-0 season in his first campaign and leading the squad in scoring and rebounding.
Parrotta, who attended Archbishop Stepinac in White Plains, New York, was inducted into the Stepinac Hardwood Club, the school’s hall of fame, in 2010.
Parrotta and his wife, Dina, have three children (Michael, Carmen, and Lucianna).
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