 Paul Biancardi Accepts Position with ESPN
July 1, 2008
ST. LOUIS - Saint Louis head men's basketball coach Rick Majerus announced today that assistant coach Paul Biancardi is departing the program to become ESPN's National Recruiting Director of High School/College Basketball. "I am very happy for Paul," Majerus said. "He did a terrific job for us. Paul is an excellent teacher of the game and an outstanding coach who will be missed by me, our staff and our players. Paul was a tireless worker. In a difficult situation, he excelled. Paul distinguished himself by his class and work ethic. "ESPN is a great organization," Majerus said. "They call them the 'World Wide Leader' for a reason. Paul will fit right in. He has demonstrated the adept ability to identify and evaluate talent at a high level. He is diligent, determined, very smart and a self-starter. Above all else, Paul is the consummate family man. This is a terrific opportunity for his wife and kids. It provides job security. I'm happy for both ESPN as well as for Paul. I am sad for myself and especially our players because they will miss his coaching prowess as well as his genuine care and concern for their academic and athletic well being." "I feel extremely fortunate that ESPN has offered me a position on
its team," Biancardi said. "This will be an exciting opportunity to
lead ESPN in the world of high school and college basketball
recruiting. It has been a pleasure and a privilege to work with coach
Majerus. I have been blessed over the years to have some special
relationships that will last a lifetime, and I consider coach Majerus
one of those special people. He is a man who cares deeply for his
student-athletes' education while possessing the rare ability to bring
out the best of their basketball skills. It was an honor to work with
a future Hall of Fame coach.
"I will miss the outstanding student-athletes in the program, along with the coaches and support staff who are exceptional people," Biancardi said. "Coach Majerus established the foundation for greatness in the Saint Louis program this past season, and I know first hand that the Billikens are heading to the top of the Atlantic 10 Conference under his tutelage. It was rewarding to be a part of that process. The SLU athletic department is in the hands of a dynamic leader in Chris May. I foresee excellence in the future for the entire department with his vision and leadership. I would also like to thank Father Biondi and the entire Saint Louis University community for a wonderful experience." Prior to his one-year tenure as Majerus' assistant, Biancardi was the head coach at Wright State from 2003-04 through 2005-06. In 2004, he was selected the Horizon League Coach of the Year, a first for WSU. Biancardi recruited and coached Deshaun Wood the Horizon League Player of the Year. The Boston native spent six years as an assistant coach at Ohio State where he was named associate head coach in his final season, and was an assistant coach at Boston College for seven seasons. During the 1989-90 campaign, Biancardi was an assistant coach at Boston University. He also served as an assistant at Suffolk University and Salem State College. During his career, he has been to a Final Four, an Elite Eight and coached two Big Ten co-championships, a Big Ten Tournament title and a Big East Championship. Biancardi is a 1985 graduate of Salem State, where earned a degree in physical education, and was captain of the basketball team. |
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