February 17, 2004

TCNJ'S CASTALDO EARNS HIS 150TH
MEN'S BASKETBALL COACHING WIN

11TH-YEAR LIONS COACH REACHES PLATEAU WITH VICTORY OVER RIVAL NJCU

The College of New Jersey men's basketball coach John Castaldo earned his 150th collegiate coaching victory on February 14 as the Lions topped NJAC rival New Jersey City, 88-79. The victory was the fourth straight for TCNJ and improved the career record of the 11th-year head coach to 150-116.

Castaldo earned his 100^th collegiate win against Rutgers University-Newark on January 29, 2000.  During his tenure at TCNJ, he has coached three 1,000 point scorers over the past eight years in Sean Covington (1999), Bill Burr (1998) and Joe Amari (2000). Most recently, he coached the 2002 NJAC Rookie of the Year selection, Scott Findlay.

During the 1997-98 season, Castaldo led the Lions to a 22-5 overall record. TCNJ also captured the NJAC regular season championship with a 15-3 conference record, earning the top seed in the 1998 NJAC Tournament. The Lions then defeated Rowan to win the NJAC Tournament for just the second time in school history. TCNJ also secured the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1990. Castaldo was rewarded for his direction by being selected as both the NJAC and NJCBCA Division III Coach of the Year.

A 1982 graduate of Trenton State College, Castaldo remained at TSC following his graduation and earned a master's degree. He came to TCNJ from nearby McCorristin High School where he had been serving as both the boy's basketball coach and the athletic director. Since 1983, Castaldo's McCorristin teams had compiled a 210-60 overall record, including a Mercer County record 56-game win streak spanning from 1986 to 1989. In addition, Castaldo's 1989 and 1990 McCorristin squads captured the NJSIAA Parochial A Championship. His teams also won three South Jersey Parochial A state titles and seven conference championships during his career. His record over his last eight years at McCorristin was 192-32, with his teams averaging 21 wins per season.