by Alex Schwartz

Every year there are new faces in suits on Division I benches across the country, as coaches earn there first gigs as assistants. Northstar Basketball has check out some of the local up-and-coming coaches and has seen that there are a number of people in the New York/New Jersey/Pennsylvania area, and a few from just outside, who have a shot to be a DI assistant in the near future should they choose to do so. Right here you will able to take a look at some of those people. I will also tell you where they are now, and why they have that chance. Check out my list of a dozen local soon-to-be DI assistants:

Mike Farrelly, The Hoop Group, Director of Hoop Group Elite
Farrelly is next in line for Rob Kennedy's New Jersey-based basketball organization, which churns out DI coaches like St. Patrick's produces DI players. Almost every year, if not more frequently, the Director of Hoop Group Elite receives a DI coaching job. Last summer it was Lamar Barrett (Brown), and before him it was people such as Andy Toole (Robert Morris), Billy Hahn (West Virginia), Steve Sauers (Iona), Ashley Howard (La Salle, now at Drexel), etc. Farrelly played at St. Joseph's with Dalonte West and Jameer Nelson, where he was a two-year scholarship player. A well-respected man with great connections, especially in Philadelphia, don't expect Farrelly to be at The Hoop Group all that much longer.

Joey Gallo, Merrimack College, Assistant Coach
Yes, Merrimack College is in Massachusetts, but Gallo is from New Jersey, and actually played his high school ball in Mercer County at Princeton Day School. Gallo played his college ball at Merrimack after graduating from PDS. One of the hardest working Division II coaches out there, Gallo can always been seen at events, even if they are almost completely filled with DI coaches. Gallo recruits New Jersey very well, and the Garden State is a hotbed for hoops talent. He recently landed Wayne Mack '08, getting the player to not only pick a DII school, but choose the hardwood over the gridiron. Gallo also works a lot of Hoop Group events, which helps get his name out there. With all the DI schools in New Jersey and nearby, Coach Gallo has a good shot at landing a job somewhere, and soon.

Peter Gash, TBD
Last year Gash was a Graduate Assistant at Indiana University, and has previously been the Video Coordinator at La Salle University. A graduate of Lynn College in Florida, Gash is well-connected and has an outgoing personality that will definitely help him out. He is not sure exactly what he will be doing this year, but returning to IU as a GA is a distinct possibility.Regardless of where he winds up in 09-10, down the road he may well have a DI assistant job.

Bobby Jordan, TBD
Jordan is Mr. Philadelphia. A four year starter at point guard for powerhouse Roman Catholic (PA), Jordan then played at Drexel for four years, including one year as a scholarship player. Jordan knows everyone and everything in Philly hoops, and is at just about every event he can go to. Jordan just graduated from Drexel in June, yet has already coached some high-profile AAU teams, including Team Kobe, Team Philly, and Team NJABC, which have boasted players such as Rakeem Christmas '11, St. Joseph's-commit CJ Aiken '10, Juan'ya Green '11, Shaq Duncan '10, and more. Although Jordan's job for this upcoming year is not 100% set in stone-when all is said and done, look for him to end up as a Drexel University Graduate Assistant—he could be coaching somewhere in the DI ranks before you know it.

Dennis Kazimir, Seton Hall University, Director of Basketball Operations
With a wealth of experience and a number of good conenctions, it won't be long before Kazimir is a full-time DI assistant. Right now he is the DBO at Seton Hall University,y and has previously held the same title at Wright State University. "Kaz" as he is known has also had a major gig with Reebok, and was one of the main people involved with the 2008 Reebok U. In addition, he has held jobs with The Hoop Group. Despite being a DBO and not even a full-fledged assistant, Kazimir was one of the first coaches—it was within 30 miles of SHU— to arrive at the Summer in the City event on the last day of the July Live Evaluation Period. Clearly a go-getter, Kazimir has a good job right now, but might have an ever better one soon.

Brett MacConnell, Delaware Valley College, Assistant Coach
A graduate of Montgomery HS (NJ) and Rutgers University, MacConnell is now an assistant coach at Delaware Valley College, which is just outside of his primary stomping ground of New Jersey. While at RU for college, MacConnell was a student manager along with others such as Kean University Assistant Coach Tom Wagenblast, so he clearly knows people. He also works a great deal of Hoop Group events, and is another coach who can always been seen at tournaments and games getting the Del Val name out there. Also, Rutgers University Deputy Athletic Director Kevin MacConnell is his father, which certainly cannot hurt. MacConnell is a hard worker, and that wuill help him land a DI gig someday.

Kyle Neptune, Villanova University, Video Coordinator
Neptune played his college ball at Lehigh University and then spent a year overseas on the hardwood before being set to take an assistant coaching job at Bishop Loughlin (NY), but when Villanova came calling, Neptune took the job soon after being one of a handful of people to work the 08 Hoop Group Junior Elite Camp. Still a young man, Neptune is already paying his dues, and that should help him out in the long run as he looks to keep moving up the ranks.

Nima Omidvar, UNC-Charlotte, Graduate Assistant
Omidvar knows his stuff, period. He gets out to a lot of events, whether it is a Hoop Group camp, a Nike showcase, or something else. He just took a Graduate Assistant spot at UNC-Charlotte after previously being being an assistant coach under Glenn Farello at Paul VI Catholic HS (VA), Omidvar was also an assistant coach with DC Team Takeover, which won the AAU Super Showcase in Orlando and had a prime job for NY2LA Sports, a high school basketball recruiting website. As more opportunities come up, Omidvar should have some good options in the future due to his knowledge and connections.

Steve Ott, The Hoop Group, Director of Team Tournaments
Usually it is the Director of Hoop Group Elite that gets the coaching job (see Mike Farrelly), but Steve Ott just might be able to land one coming from a different Hoop Group position. As the Director of Team Tournaments, Ott not only deals with hundreds of AAU coaches, but many NCAA coaches as well. The former Director of Basketball Operations at Siena College, Ott is a well-liked, smart guy who should be able to land a DI job in the near future.

Chris Potash, University of the Sciences in Philly, Assistant Coach
When you see how often Potash is on the road recruiting, it is hard to fathom that his job at DII University of the Sciences in Philly is merely a part-time gig. Potash is the former coach at both Princeton Day School—he coached Joey Gallo—and Peddie School (NJ), a big-time prep program. With his background in the New Jersey area, combined with the great job of recruiting that he is doing at USP, it might not be long before he lands a full-time job with a DI program.

Robert Sullivan, St. Joseph's University, Director of Basketball Operations
Known as "Sully," this hard-working St. Joseph's University Director of Basketball of Operations would be labeled a high-motor player if he were a recruit. When an assistant coaching spot opened up at SJU last summer, Sullivan was out on the road recruiting until the job was filled, but he did not seem at all overwhelmed and you hadn't known, you would have thought he was a full-fledged coach. A DBO now, "Sully" will likely be an assistant coach sometime soon.

Kimani Young, New Heights NYC, Athletic Director
Young was the Athletic Director for big-time AAU program New Heights NYC before taking an ops job with St. John's University prior to the 08-09 season. Young was forced to resign due to family reasons after one year on the job and is now back in his old role as the New Heights AD. Young used his St. John's and NYC connections to help run Summer in the City at the school on the final day of the July Live Evaluation period with some of NY's finest squads. Although Young may wait a bit longer to take a job for family reasons, once he is ready, there should be some schools that he could coach at in the DI ranks.

Others to Watch for
Oswald Cross, St. John's University, Administrative Assistant
Matt Keefe, Tarleton State University, Graduate Assistant
Marco Morcos, Rice University, Director of Basketball Operations
Winston Smith, Drexel University, Director of Basketball Operations
Lenny Stanziano, Neumann College, Head Coach
Adam Turner, Bard College, Head Coach
Tom Wagenblast, Kean University, Assistant Coach
Chris Zupko, The Hoop Group, Director of Hoop Group Elite