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Title:Head CoachPhone:ext. 2537 |
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Ed CooleyEd Cooley became the 11th head coach in the history of Fairfield University's basketball program when he accepted the position in April, 2006. Through his first two seasons at the helm, the Stags posted a 27-35 overall record and a 21-15 MAAC record.
Cooley will look to bring the same success he has had
throughout his career as an assistant coach, a resume which
includes six NCAA tournament appearances as well as a National
Invitation Tournament (NIT) berth.
Although this is his first head coaching position, Cooley's
resume boasts coaching assignments at the University of
Massachusetts-Dartmouth (1994-95), Stonehill College (1995-96),
University of Rhode Island (1996-97), and Boston College
(1997-2006). He has served the last 10 years as an assistant coach
under Al Skinner, beginning with his one-year stay at Rhode Island
through his nine-year stint at Boston College.
At Boston College, Cooley helped the Eagles post a 175-108 overall record, which included five 20-win seasons. The team captured the 2000-01 Big East championship, earning one of five NCAA tournament berths during Cooley's tenure. The Eagles also advanced to the National Invitation Tournament one time, giving the team six post-season berths in nine seasons. In 2004-05, Boston College started the season with 20 straight victories, which established a school record for consecutive wins. This past season, Boston College advanced to the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) championship game against Duke University.
A graduate of Stonehill College, Cooley began his coaching
career at UMass-Dartmouth where he helped the team post a 25-4
record and a number three national ranking. He returned to his alma
mater for one season, before joining Coach Skinner's staff at the
University of Rhode Island for the 1996-97 campaign. With his
assistance, the Rams earned their second NCAA Tournament berth in
five years.
Cooley played basketball from 1990-94 at Stonehill College.
He was a three-year team captain with the Chieftains, and also
captured Northeast-10 Academics Honor Roll accolades. He secured
two Rhode Island High School Player of the Year awards before
enrolling at Stonehill College.
Cooley and his wife Nurys have a son Isaiah and daughter
Olivia.
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Title:Associate Head CoachEmail:rsimon@fairfield.eduPhone:ext. 2390 |
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Bob Simon begins his second season as the associate head coach at Fairfield University. He spent the last six years at the University of Toledo, including three years as associate head coach.
Simon joined the Rockets staff prior to the 2000-01 campaign
as an assistant coach. He served three years as an assistant,
before his promotion to associate head coach before the 2003-04
season.
The Rockets had nothing but success during his six-year
tenure, helping the program post three 20-win seasons. More
importantly, Toledo captured two National Invitation Tournament
berths (2001, 2004) during his stay in the Buckeye State.
The Rockets hit the national scene with wins over
14th-ranked Michigan State in 2003-04, which halted the Spartans
36-game home non-conference win streak.
At Toledo, Simon's duties included scouting, coordinating an
academic program, overseeing summer camps, and on-floor coaching.
He was also the program's lead recruiter during his tenure.
Simon helped Toledo breach new areas in recruiting, landing
top-prospect players from Chicago, Dallas, Boston, and
Philadelphia.
Freshman players always made an immediate impact under Simon
at Toledo. During his tenure, three freshmen earned MAC Freshman of
the Year honors and another received a berth to the All-Freshman
first team.
Simon began his collegiate coaching career at Wayne State
University, spending nearly a decade with the Warriors. He coached
the men's team for five seasons as an associate head coach, and
three seasons as an assistant coach.
During his stay, Wayne State posted eight straight winning
seasons, and reached the Division II Final Four in 1993. The
Warriors captured three conference titles which led to three NCAA
Tournament appearances.
Wayne State won a school record 25 games in 1994, and came
back to tie that standard in 1999. The 1994 squad posted a
school-best 17-game winning streak. A key player on that 1994 team
was Tony Goins, Simon's first recruit for the men's basketball
program. Goins went on to become WSU's all-time leading scorer and
an All-American.
After eight seasons with the men's program, Simon accepted a
new challenge when he became the head women's basketball coach at
Wayne State. In his one season with the women's team, Simon turned
around the program by posting 13 wins. The team earned conference
tournament berth for the second time in history.
Simon received his Bachelor of Science degree in
manufacturing technology from Eastern Michigan University in 1989,
and his master's degree in sports administration from Wayne State
in 1997. Simon and his wife Donna have a daughter Bobbie (18) and a
son Devin (17).
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Title:Assistant CoachEmail:bblaney@fairfield.eduPhone:ext. 3426 |
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Brian Blaney begins his first season as an assistant men's basketball coach at Fairfield University in 2008-09.
Blaney has a strong understanding of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, spending the last four seasons as a member of the Loyola College basketball staff. He was an assistant coach with the Greyhounds for the first two seasons before moving into the associate head coach position for 2006-07 and 2007-08.
Blaney's coaching resume also includes a one-year stay at Miami (Ohio) University under Herb Sendek. He helped the team earn a berth to the 1996 National Invitation Tournament (NIT), and coached Wally Szczerbiak through his first year as a college player. From there, Blaney accepted an assistant coaching position at George Washington University, where he worked with Mike Jarvis for two seasons and Tom Penders for one year. During his tenure, the Colonials participated in one NIT (1997) and two NCAA Tournaments (1998 and 1999).
After his three-year stay with George Washington, Blaney joined Nick Macarchuk's staff at Fordham University. He stayed with Macarchuk when he took the University at Stony Brook position, leading the Seawolves transition from Division II to Division I. Blaney stayed on staff for five years, leaving the program following the 2003-04 campaign.
He began his coaching career as an assistant at Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Va., where he spent one season following his graduation from Roanoke College in 1994.
At Roanoke College, Blaney led the Maroons to a 61-20 record
during his four-year career, and a berth to the Division III
Tournament as a senior. He earned his bachelor's degree in
sociology. He is the son of current University of Connecticut
assistant coach George Blaney, who also served as the head coach at
the College of the Holy Cross and Seton Hall University.
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Title:Assistant CoachEmail:cmaciariello@fairfield.eduPhone:ext. 2791 |
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Carmen Maciariello enters his first season as an assistant men's basketball coach at Fairfield University.
Maciariello comes to Fairfield University after serving as the director of basketball operations at Siena College under Head Coach Fran McCaffery. He spent one season with the Saints in that capacity, beginning with the 2005-06 season. He joined the coaching ranks after a successful playing career in Italy.
Maciariello played with Bignami Castel Maggiore, a professional team in Bologna, Italy in 2002. However, a torn ACL in April of that year forced him out of the lineup. He later signed with GS Basket Massafra in the Italian Minor League where he averaged 30 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists. In 2003, Maciariello moved to the Professional League with Virtus Ragusa in Sicily. He averaged four points and 15 minutes per game.
One year later, Maciariello declined a two-year contract from the professional team Cimberrio Novara to return to the United States and pursue a coaching career.
As a student athlete, Maciariello spent three years at the University of New Hampshire, where he served as team captain during his junior year (1998-99). During his stay, he was named to the program's Defensive Player of the Year in 1998. In 1999, Maciariello was named to the Mohegan Sun All-Tournament team as well as the New Mexico Inter Cable Classic All-Tournament Team.
He transferred to Siena College for his senior season, but had to sit out the 1999-2000 campaign per NCAA residency policy. He returned to the court the following year and helped the Saint to a 20-win season, and a share of the MAAC regular-season championship. He received the Rev. Benjamin Kuhn Student-Athlete Award following the season.
Off the court, Maciariello worked as a one-on-one aid for children with special needs. He also spent time as vice president and coach of the Albany City Rocks 17 and under team. In October, 2007 began as a financial advisor with Merrill Lynch in their Paths of Achievement program.
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Title:Director of Basketball OperationsEmail:twheeler@fairfield.edu |
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Wheeler graduated from the University of Rhode Island with a bachelor of arts degree in sociology. On the basketball court, Wheeler earned Atlantic-10 All-Rookie honors in 1995, and followed with All-Atlantic-10 second team accolades as a sophomore. He collected All-Atlantic-10 first team honors as a junior and as a senior. He led the Rams to the Elite 8 during the 1998 NCAA Tournament.
He won the New England Coaches Association Bob Cousy Award, and was a candidate for the John Wooden Award. He was a finalist for the USA Men's 22 & Under team in 1997. In 2005, Wheeler was named to the University of Rhode Island All-Century Team.
He continued his basketball career upon his graduation after being drafted by the Toronto Raptors in the 1998 NBA Draft. His career path took him to the Denver Nuggets for the 1998-99 campaign. His pro career also included stops in the CBA and the ABA. Wheeler played overseas in the Turkish Basketball League (199-2000), Israel Premier League (2002-03), the Italian League A (2003-05), France LNB ProA (2006-07), and Cyprus A1 (2008).
As Director of Basketball Operations, Wheeler will set travel
itineraries as well as handle the day-to-day operations of the
Fairfield University basketball program.
