The recruiting calendar is the hot topic across the college basketball landscape this summer. The Athletic’s Kyle Tucker and CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander both featured stories with quotes from coaches expressing their frustrations with what the off-season has become. Many in the industry acknowledge something needs to be done to curtail burnout and prove coaching college basketball can be a sustainable career.
One coach, however, has a different approach. Siena’s Carm Maciariello says, “My take is for college coaches to make their own schedule. Recruit how they want to recruit.”
Maciariello heads into his 15th season as a Division 1 coach and fifth as the head coach of his alma mater. He’s learned from the likes of Ed Cooley and Fran McCaffrey along the way.
“Ed Cooley was probably the biggest in terms of you can work from anywhere. The most important thing was our players in the program and then recruiting, but work smart. He would always say it’s better than digging ditches.”
“I learned from Fran how much of a business it is and how things need to be done organizationally. He would always have his kids running around practice.”
Cooley and McCaffrey are polar opposites, but they’re both players’ coaches in their own way. When Marciariello took over at Siena in 2019, he made sure to remember the lessons from his mentors while instilling his own beliefs and values into the program.
So far, it’s worked. In four years since taking the reins, he’s gone 64-44 and won two MAAC regular season championships – he’s learned how to win without sacrificing what’s important to him.
Family First
Off the court, “Coach Carm” is a family man. The 45-year-old dad of three and his wife Laura will celebrate their 8th anniversary in August.
“A normal in-season day starts off getting up with my kids between 5am-6am and dropping my daughter off at school. The missus will let me sleep in if it’s a gameday or day before a game. I live 12 minutes from campus so if I have to go back to work or bring one of my kids with me I can come grab them. I’m a planner so I always try to account for a morning run or a workout with my wife.”
The Clifton Park, N.Y. native makes the family a priority and delivers that same message to his staff.
“There is that old-school mentality that you have to be in the office when the boss is in. I don’t want my assistants sharpening pencils waiting for me to leave. Happy family life leads to happy and productive head coaches and assistant coaches.”
As for off-season recruiting, Maciariello doesn’t change his tune.
“No one on my staff went out this period. I went out one day. My players, my community and our families are more important.”
The approach is refreshing to hear in a sport where working hard is normally measured by how many days your spend on the road.
“Create the model that is sustainable for you and your program. Go out when permissible and when it fits.”
Maciariello acknowledged the time investment in recruiting is dependent on the level and number of scholarships you have, but noted that every head coach is in charge. They have the power to make the schedule and shouldn’t rely on the NCAA to do it for them.
“We aren’t solving the world’s problems, we are coaching basketball and teaching life lessons, hopefully. Even if the calendar doesn’t change, it doesn’t mean you have to recruit. Build it how you like.”
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