Maciariello hires Castagna as Siena men's basketball assistant coach

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LOUDONVILLE — Bobby Castagna will fill the vacant assistant coaching position for the Siena men's basketball programl, head coach Carmen Maciariello announced Wednesday in a statement issued through the school's athletic department.

A 1975 graduate of California State University, Northridge, Castagna has worked at the high school, college and professional levels of basketball. Most recently, Castagna spent the last years as a scout with the NBA's Utah Jazz. Prior to that, Castagna's resume includes 14 years as a Division I assistant coach and 11 years as a Division I athletic administrator. One of Castagna's stints as an assistant coach was from 1996-99 at New Hampshire, where he recruited Maciariello to join the program. Maciariello later transferred to Siena, where the current Saints head coach graduated from in 2001.

"First and foremost, I'd like to thank the Utah Jazz for giving me the opportunity to work for them for the past 19 years," Castagna said via Siena's press release. "The Jazz are a great organization with first-class people in it. I'm leaving a job that I've loved for nearly two decades, but this was an opportunity that I couldn't pass up. Carmen is family. I've mentored him for 25 years, and I look forward to continuing that mentorship while helping him, the staff, and the players achieve their goals. I'm a teacher above all else, and I can't wait to get started working with our players."

Castagna started his coaching career with three seasons spent at California's Chatsworth High School, where he was a JV coach and assistant varsity coach. He then coached at the junior-college level for seven seasons, before spending time as an assistant coach at Fresno State, Baylor, UC Santa Barbara and New Hampshire. He also spent nearly a decade as senior associate athletic director at UC Santa Barbara.

"Coach Castagna's knowledge of the game is vast, and his relationship building skills are second to none," Maciariello said. "He will be a tremendous asset in all phases of our program. It's a great day to be a Saint."

Siena replaced two assistant coaches this offseason, as Harley Fulley and Bob Simon left the Saints' coaching staff. Besides Castagna, Greg Fahey — previously the program's director of basketball operations — is now a Siena assistant coach. Antoni Wyche, an assistant coach each of Maciariello's first two seasons as head coach, remains an assistant coach for the Saints.

Matt Miner, previously a special assistant to Maciariello, was promoted to replace Fahey as director of basketball operations, while Miner's old position currently remains unfilled.

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