On July 30, SUNY New Paltz’s Men’s Basketball program welcomed new Assistant Coach Keith Hack to the nest.
Hack joined second-year Head Coach Mike Rejniak for the Hawks’ 2012-13 season. Hack will be responsible for recruiting, game-day tasks and scouting duties in hopes of enhancing the New Paltz Basketball team for seasons to come.
The new assistant coach said a position like this has always been a dream of his.
“I knew I wanted to be a coach since the age of 10,” Hack said.
Growing up in Hopewell Junction, N.Y., Hack has a history of both coaching and playing basketball in the area. Hack spent two years as an assistant coach at Niagara County Community College (NCCC), where he helped recruit, scout, oversee academic achievements of student-athletes, prepare the team and staff on game day and provide on-the-court instruction. During the 2011-12 campaign, NCCC went 19-9.
Also during that season, Hack served as the U-16 AAU boys’ head basketball coach with the 716 Basketball Crusaders.
Coming out of his stint with NCCC, Hack said his time there helped him gain the experience needed for a fruitful relationship with the SUNY New Paltz athletic program.
“Coach [Rejniak] and I have diversity in philosophy when it comes to the game and I think that that will really help our team on the court,” Hack said. “By joining forces we are capable of creating dynamic plays and my experience at NCCC gave me an arsenal of drills that I hope will help develop the team’s agility and skill level.”
A Medaille College alumnus, Hack had an impressive career as a student athlete. He currently ranks among the program’s top 10 all-time in career scoring, career rebounds, career field goals made, career games played, career three-point field goals made and career free throws made.
With his university education focused on coaching, extensive experience on the court and a sincere desire to create a successful team through quality coaching strategies, Hack hopes he can help the Hawks soar to another level during the 2012-13 season campaign.
Adi McHugh