America East Basketball: Top 10 head coaches of the century (2000-20)
By Joey Loose
7. Steve Pikiell – Stony Brook (2005-2016)
Pikiell began his head coaching career in 2005, taking over a Stony Brook program relatively new to D1 athletics. He had played and coached under Jim Calhoun at Connecticut while also serving as an assistant under former UConn assistants at Central Connecticut and George Washington. There was no guarantee that Pikiell could do anything with the Seawolves, especially with Vermont primed to dominate the conference for years to come.
It took time, but Pikiell turned Stony Brook into a real winner. After four slow seasons, Stony Brook won their first regular-season title in 2010, a feat they’d repeat in 2012 and 2013. Unfortunately, they had to settle for the NIT in each of those seasons, and the CBI in the years following that. In 2016, Pikiell and the Seawolves broke through with 26 wins and their first NCAA Tournament appearance in school history.
Pikiell transformed this program into a successful unit and is trying to do the same in the Big Ten, having left for Rutgers soon after that 2016 run. His work with Rutgers this past season has earned him some accolades, leading the Scarlet Knights to a fifth-place finish in a tight Big Ten race. He built this Stony Brook program into an America East contender and should continue to positively impact the game for years to come.