Montanaro returns to area as ISA basketball coach
Dec. 29—AJ Montanaro has worked his way back to the area.
Montanaro, who grew up in Ashtabula and attended Lakeside as a freshman and played for coach Rob Pisano, is Director of High School Basketball & National High School Prep Head Coach for the International Sports Academy in Willoughy.
The ISA full-time academy combines year-round sport and performance training with an elite academic curriculum at Andrews Osborne Academy that prepares student-athletes grade 7th-12th or Post-Graduates (Gap Year) for higher education through a focus on critical and creative thinking, public speaking, and global awareness.
"We have 57 players on four teams from 19 different countries," Montanaro said. "We want to expand their game."
ISA players mostly at high-level tournaments across the country.
"Development and training is very important to us," Montanaro said. "Our prep team players have received Division I offers."
The academy is similiar to what SPIRE Institute has to offer.
"Coach [Gravelle] Craig [head coach of the high school national team) and I are friends," Montanaro said.
The teams are scheduled to play Jan. 26 at SPIRE and to be determined at Andrews.
Montanaro said the players receive the social aspect while attending Andrews.
Bob Bossman is Executive Director of Academy and Co-Founder of ISA and John Kopcso is Executive Director of Athletics and Co-Founder of ISA.
"I worked with John at Cleveland State," Montanaro said. "Family is important. We play hard, but have a good time. We're all on the same page."
He graduated from Eastlake North High School.
After earning a degree at Cleveland State, he went to West Virginia as a student assistant from 2010-12.
From 2012-2017, Montanaro on Gary Waters' staff at CSU.
Montanaro comes to ISA from Arkansas-Little Rock, where he was an assistant coach from 2019-21. He helped lead the Sun Belt Conference team to a 21 — 10 record in 2019-2020 and an NCAA tournament bid.
At Arkansas-Little Rock, Montanaro had the opportunity to learn under current head coach Darrell Walker. Prior to his time at Arkansas-Little Rock, he was an NBA skills trainer for Bryn Forbes, who played for the San Antonio Spurs at the time. Forbes currently plays for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Montanaro's dad, Joe, coached at North and is now leading the Berkshire boys team. But coaching wasn't necessarily in Montanaro's wheelhouse.
"I went to West Virginia," Montanaro said. "[Former Geneva] coach [Brad] Ellis knew one of the assistants, and I wanted to do more."
Montanaro's uncle, John, is the Jefferson Area Local Schools Superintendent.
It's the family atmosphere that drew Montanaro back to Northeast Ohio.
"It's a hard lifestyle," said Montanaro, who lives in Perry with his fiance, and son, Luca 2. "I was able to come back and coach at a high level."
But Montanaro, with game travel and recruiting, isn't completely at home.
"I'm scheduled to go to Italy and India in the spring," he said.
Building relationships with recruits is important.
"It's the best environment for developing and getting the social environment for them," Montanaro said.
Montanaro said several players are in the mix for Division I scholarships.
