University of Vermont Athletic Hall of Fame
Roland V. Massimino 1956 - Basketball
A three-letter winner in basketball under the late Fuzzy Evans, Roland Massimino, inducted into the UVM Hall of Fame in 1983, went on to become one of the premier college basketball coaches in the nation most notably at Villanova where he guided the Wildcats to the 1985 NCAA Championship. In his 30 years as a head coach at Stony Brook, Villanova, UNLV and Cleveland State, Massamino recorded a 515-391 (.568) record. He became the 95th coach in NCAA history to reach the 500-victory plateau in the 2002 season.
At Villanova, Massimino directed the Wildcats to 11 trips to the NCAA Championship Tournament including five appearances in the regional finals. In the last seven years his clubs have made six post-season tournament appearances, and compiled a sparkling record of 152-67 (.694). In the 1985 title game, Massimino's Wildcats topped number-one ranked Georgetown, 66-64, at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky. in one of the best-ever national championship games. It is a source of pride to this educator and coach that every player to go through the basketball program at Villanova in his last 15 years has graduated.
He later moved on to UNLV and then was the head coach at Cleveland State. Along the way he never forgot his alma mater inviting the Catamounts to take on Villanova, UNLV and Cleveland State. Early in the 2001-02 season, he brought Cleveland State to Patrick Gym and was honored prior to the contest.
Before taking the helm at Villanova in 1973, Massimino spent two seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Pennsylvania, when the Red and Blue compiled a record of 46-10. From 1969-71 he served as head basketball coach and assistant director of athletics at Stony Brook University.
His coaching career began at Cranford (N.J.) High School, immediately after he graduated from UVM with a bachelor's degree in business. After leading Cranford to a conference title he returned to his hometown of Hillside, N.J., where he directed Hillside High to a record of 71-24. Before moving to the college ranks at Stony Brook he coached Lexington (Mass.) High School to 90 wins in six seasons, including the 1964 Bay State Class A championship. The father of five children, Massimino now resides in Florida.
