BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The next coach in the Moravian College Department of Athletics & Recreation's Get to Know Coach series is Head Men's Basketball Coach Shawn Postiglione, who is in his second year with the Greyhounds. He guided the Hounds to a 14-12 record and a Landmark Conference Tournament berth in his first season in Bethlehem.
Shawn Postiglione
College: Wagner College '08
What is your favorite part of your sport? I really love how team-oriented basketball is. In my opinion, it is the ultimate team game. I love all the ways basketball can teach you about yourself and life, and how it gives you a ton of opportunities for daily growth and improvement. I am biased, but to quote a line from Hoosiers, basketball is "the greatest game ever invented!"
How did your experience as a student-athlete help shape you as a coach? I was a pretty mediocre player, so those shortcomings (literally?) forced me to think the game like a coach from an early age, and later on to look for other avenues to stay involved with basketball outside of playing. My passion for coaching grew out of that.
What do you love most about coaching at Moravian College? The people here at the College. We have great young men who I get to coach and a very supportive, energetic community of administrators, students, faculty, and staff who really get behind us and want to see us succeed.
What is your favorite place on campus and why? The basketball court at Johnston Hall of course. A close second would be the Star dining hall in the HUB.
What is your most memorable moment at Moravian? In my short time here, I would have to say being under-manned due to injury but still managing to defeat a very good Scranton team at home this past February.
Do you have any pre-event/game rituals or superstitions? Peace & Quiet. I try to get to a secluded place by myself a couple of hours before tipoff and then meditate, listen to "Thunder Road", and read a select non-fiction book that has nothing to do with basketball.
Sum up your coaching philosophy in one sentence? Players win games.
What do you look for in a recruit? Character, coachability, toughness, passion for the game, skill
What is the best piece of advice you've been given? Enjoy the journey.
Who are your role models/most influential people? I have been fortunate to work for and learn from some really great coaches. My first boss who gave me my start in coaching, Mike Deane, has become a father figure for me. Nathan Davis, John Krikorian, and Fran O'Hanlon are tremendous coaches who have been very impactful to my career as well. I am blessed to have a bunch of great, long-lasting friends from the various stops throughout my career, both inside and outside of the coaching world. Those friendships mean the world to me and are very influential in my life.
Which three people, living or dead, would you like to share a meal with? Bruce Springsteen, Anthony de Mello, Marcus Aurelius
What have you done more of since March that you wouldn't have if sports had not been postponed? I have never been much of a runner, at all. However, once this mess started, I took up running pretty regularly and managed to do some Forrest Gump-levels of running over the past few months. Running barefoot on a beach is a little slice of heaven.
If you weren't coaching, what would you be doing? My parents said I should have been a lawyer or a doctor. I probably would have settled for a finance job in Manhattan where I would be miserably riding the subway to work every day. I am lucky to have been able to coach for as long as I have.
Tell us something about yourself that would surprise most people. I graduated college in three years after attending three different schools (Lafayette, NYU, & Wagner). I started coaching college basketball at Wagner in 2007 at the age of 20. I was born and raised in New York City but have almost completely lost that thick NYC accent after living in the great Commonwealth of Virginia for ten years.
Quick Hits:
Favorite Color – Carolina Blue
Favorite Food – Chicken
Favorite Restaurant – Top 3 by Geography: Joe & Pat's Pizzeria from my hometown the Island of Staten; the Windrift in Avalon, NJ; and Chick's Oyster Bar in Virginia Beach, VA
Favorite Movie – Tie between The Shawshank Redemption and Hoosiers
Favorite TV Show – Currently? After Life on Netflix. Of All-Time? Game of Thrones (even with the bitterly disappointing ending)
Favorite Musical Artist – Bruce Springsteen
Favorite Athlete – The entire USWNT
Favorite Pro Team – NY Yankees & NY Giants
Hobbies – What are those? I sometimes go golfing, poorly
Most Prized Possession – My book collection, and the pieces of the net from the three conference championships I have been a part of as a college coach
Ideal Travel Destination – Costa Rica, Pura Vida!
Your Spirit Animal – Bald Eagle
Superpower you'd Like to Have – Time Travel
