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Men's Basketball Coach Reaches Milestone

To suggest that NJIT men's basketball coach Jim Catalano has had an outstanding career would be an understatement.

Catalano put an indelible mark on his 20-year career at NJIT when he won his 400th game, Feb. 6, with a victory against Southampton University. The victory improved his record to 400-146, a winning percentage of .733 that places him ninth among all active NCAA Division II coaches.

"It's a nice feeling to have won so many games and a pleasure to have won here at NJIT," said Catalano. "But as a coach, I have to look at the season as a whole and realize we are working toward a goal of making a postseason tournament."

During the past two seasons, the victories have been a little more difficult to come by because NJIT stepped up into the rugged Division II New York Collegiate Athletic Conference (NYCAC). In the 1997-1998 season, the Highlanders were 12-14, but won 11 of their final 16 games. NJIT defeated Queens 73­71 in the first game of the NYCAC playoffs bringing this year's record to 16-11. The team plays conference leader St. Rose, in Albany, N.Y. on Thursday, Feb. 25.

During his career at NJIT, Catalano's teams have won 11 conference titles and appeared in the NCAA Tournament five times in the 1990s. Catalano, at one point in his career, won six consecutive Coach of the Year titles. The National Association of Basketball Coaches named him Division III Atlantic District Coach of the Year in 1993 and 1995.

In 1994-1995, the Highlanders posted a school-record 28-2 season, won 22 consecutive games, hosted the NCAA Atlantic Region finals and advanced to the "Elite Eight" of NCAA Division III Tournament. All of the accomplishments added up to the best-ever men's basketball season at NJIT.

Catalano recorded his 200th victory when the Highlanders defeated Mount St. Vincent during the 1993-1994 season. That milestone came during a stretch in which the Highlanders finished the regular season with 17 consecutive victories.

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