Hofstra has officially turned the page on the basketball program’s darkest chapter.
Wednesday the school announced the hiring Joe Mihalich as head coach, who left Niagara after 15 years and agreed to a six-year contract on Long Island.
The Pride, coming off a 7-25 season, had the past season stained by the arrests of four players who were charged with burglarizing dorm rooms, with two more players also getting arrested after the season, leading to the firing of former coach Mo Cassara on March 22.
“I wasn’t looking so much to leave [Niagara], but it was too good of an opportunity to pass up,” Mihalich said. “Is the timing perfect? That’s life. You can’t choose the opportunity that comes. It would’ve been easy to say I’m gonna stay there. That speaks to how excited I am about this opportunity.”
Though only four scholarship players are returning, with Stephen Nwaukoni leading all players with 6.8 points, the four walls at the press conference on campus were surrounded by smiles yesterday. Optimism was omnipresent.
Mihalich, 56, has the most wins in MAAC history, having guided the Purple Eagles to a 265-203 record at the school, which included a regular season title this season and two NCAA Tournament appearances.
Athletic director Jeff Hathaway was “particularly proud” of Mihalich earning the Skip Prosser Man of the Year award last week, given for moral integrity, and wanted an established coach. Cassara was hired as a 36-year-old assistant.
“Given some of the things that we’ve seen recently and given some of the things we’ve seen in past years, to know that the players play hard, do the right thing and that they want to be on his team, really resonated with me,” Hathaway said.
Hofstra has lost three players since Cassara was fired, but Mihalich said he was already working on keeping players who had already verbally committed. He met with the remaining players yesterday morning, with multiple returnees describing him as “a perfect fit.” while Hofstra legend Speedy Claxton came to show his support, serving as a visual reminder of what the program once was and could be again.
Mihalich said he didn’t have immediate plans on who will be on his coaching staff, but knows he wants to play an up-tempo style. He repeatedly talked about embracing the challenges ahead, talking about a “new day,” “new beginning” and “new life.”
The season of shame is over and the school is still standing.
Tomorrow will be better. Yesterday was.
“It’s like playing a video game. Sometimes when you’re losing you just want to hit the reset button and start over,” guard Jody Card told The Post. “This is a good chance to start a new legacy.”