University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Joe Lombardi Hired as Assistant Men's Basketball Coach
5/13/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Joe Lombardi Hired as Assistant Men's Basketball Coach
5/13/2003
PITTSBURGH ? University of Pittsburgh head men?s basketball coach Jamie Dixon announced the hiring of Sharon, Pa. native Joe Lombardi as an assistant coach Tuesday. The hiring completes Dixon?s four-member staff which includes assistant coaches Barry Rohrssen, Pat Sandle and Lombardi along with director of basketball operations Orlando Antigua.
With a reputation for working with overachieving basketball programs, Lombardi arrives at Pittsburgh with 21 total years of coaching experience, 18 years of NCAA Division I basketball experience and a wealth of East Coast ties. For the past two seasons, Lombardi served as an assistant coach at LaSalle University in Philadelphia under Bill Hahn. During his tenure with the Explorers he helped coach Rasual Butler, an All-NBA Rookie Team honorable mention selection with the Miami Heat and helped build the foundation for a program that is being labeled as an up-and-coming team in the Atlantic-10.
?We are extremely excited to have Joe on staff here at Pittsburgh,? Dixon said. ?Everywhere he?s been, that school has had its best season in school history. His freshman class last year at LaSalle was the best in the conference. Joe has won and has been successful everywhere he?s been and we?re excited to have him here.?
Prior to his two-year stint at LaSalle, Lombardi coached eight years as an assistant and associate head coach at St. Bonaventure. Lombardi helped orchestrate a dramatic basketball revival at St. Bonaventure as the Bonnies went 21-10, advanced to the NCAA Tournament, set a school-record for conference wins with 11 and reached the Atlantic 10 championship game in 1999-00. During his tenure at St. Bonaventure, Lombardi helped lead the Bonnies to three National Invitation Tournament appearances in 1994-95, 1997-98 and 2000-01. While laying the foundation for St. Bonaventure?s success, Lombardi played a key role in the recruitment of recent All-Atlantic-10 honorees including Peter Van Paassen, All-NBA Rookie team honorable mention selection J.R. Bremer (Boston Celtics), Marques Green and Kevin Houston. St. Bonaventure played at Pittsburgh in the 2000 NIT, an 84-75 Panthers win.
As an assistant to current Rhode Island head coach Jim Barron at St. Francis (Pa.) from 1987-92, Lombardi played a major role in the Red Flash?s success. During his tenure, St. Francis went 74-71 overall including league records of 17-10 in 1989-90 and 24-8 in 1990-91. The latter season marked a Northeast Conference championship and the school?s first trip to the NCAA Tournament. He also played a key role in the development of Mike Iuzzolino, who was a second round NBA Draft pick by the Dallas Mavericks.
Lombardi served as an assistant coach at St. Francis (Pa.) from 1987-89 before being promoted to assistant head coach in 1989. He was involved in all aspects of the Red Flash program, including administrative responsibilities and scheduling.
He began his basketball coaching career as a graduate assistant at Ohio University during the 1981-82 seasons where current Duquesne head coach Danny Nee gave him his first opportunity in coaching. He served a one-year stint at Youngstown State in 1982-83 as the restricted earnings assistant coach before being named as assistant coach at Indiana University (Pa.), where he served from 1984-87.
Lombardi also has international experience as he was a member of the 1992 Pan American National Team coaching staff which participated in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament of the Americas against the United States? ?Dream Team.?
Lombardi is a 1981 honors graduate of Youngstown State University where he received his degree in education. He was a four-time basketball letterwinner and two-year team captain from 1979-81. He played high school basketball at the former Kennedy Christian High School in Hermitage, Pa. Lombardi and his wife Janet, an Indiana, Pa. native, have three children: Dominic (14), Alyssa (11) and Dante (7).
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