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Home , Howie Dickenman, Karl Hobbs, Mike Hall (basketball), Steve Pikiell

Head Men’s Coach

A father of four who has led the resurgence of Rutgers Basketball, both on and off the court, Steve Pikiell enters his third season as head coach of the Scarlet Knights in 2018-19. With 27 years of coaching experience, the Bristol (Conn.) native is under contract to remain courtside at the RAC through 2023-24 after signing a three-year extension this past season.

"Steve is doing a fantastic job and it's our intent to do everything we can to keep him at Rutgers for a very long time," said Director of Athletics Pat Hobbs. "There is incredible excitement around our program. We are going to compete with the very best because of Steve's leadership. Our program could not be in better hands."

Pikiell has assembled and retained an elite staff to bring winning back to Piscataway. The coaching and support staff is comprised of six former collegiate players, including five that played point guard. All six served as collegiate team captains, including Pikiell, who was a two-time captain under at UConn. During their careers as assistants and head coaches, the staff has combined to recruit and/or coach 30 players who have competed in the NBA, including those who have made 19 All-Star appearances collectively. In addition, Rutgers’ four-member coaching staff of Pikiell, , Brandin Knight and has made 57 post-season appearances, including 37 National Championship Tournament berths, and won 20 conference tournament titles as players and coaches at multiple levels.

Furthering this winning mission is The RWJBarnabas Health Athletic Performance Center, which is rising next to the RAC and slated for completion in summer of 2019. The 307,000-square-foot, four-story sports facility and parking deck will provide state-of-the-art practice facilities, training areas, locker room and office space for men's basketball, in addition to serving as headquarters for a world-class sports medicine program. A café serving healthy meals to student-athletes, as well as a merchandise store open to the general public, will also be included in the facility.

Both of Pikiell’s seasons “On the Banks” have concluded with positive momentum, courtesy of Big Ten Tournament victories. In 2017-18, Rutgers advanced to the quarterfinals at Madison Square Garden via wins over Minnesota and five-time national champion Indiana. It marked the first time RU won two conference tournament games since 1998. The Scarlet Knights are 3-2 in Big Ten Tournament games under Pikiell.

Despite playing the second toughest conference schedule in the Big Ten in 2017-18 according to Ken Pom analysis for the second straight year, Rutgers ranked 17th nationally in both scoring defense (64.8) and offensive rebounding (13.15), while placing 27th in 3-point FG% defense (27.0). The Scarlet Knights ranked among the top three in the Big Ten in eight statistical categories, including leading the league in offensive rebounding and 3-point FG% defense. RU accomplished these improvements while playing 10 games against programs that advanced to the round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament.

Peers, the media and fans continued to recognize the team’s progress. Rutgers enjoyed multiple home sell-outs at the RAC in the same season for the first time since 2011. The 8,325 attendance vs. Purdue (Feb. 3, 2108) was the largest at the RAC in 15 years. 8,318 fans on Dec. 16, 2017 witnessed the 71-65 defeat of No. 15 Seton Hall in the annual Garden State Hardwood Classic. Rutgers was honored as the NABC D-I National Team of the Week for its win over the Pirates.

“They're doing the right things,” said Northwestern head coach Chris Collins after RU’s 67-58 defeat of the Wildcats on Feb. 14, 2018, “They have a great plan. They play incredibly hard, they show up every night and compete. Their young players are getting experience. Even throughout some losing streaks or times that maybe are going bad, you have to stay the course and keep believing in what you're doing, which (Steve) will. He's a terrific coach and there's no question this program's on the rise."

Rutgers issued another strong classroom performance under Pikiell this past season, posting a 2.9 cumulative team grade point average in the fall. Three student-athletes earned recognition on the Dean's List with GPAs of 3.5 and above, while seven achieved GPAs of 3.0 or greater. In the NCAA Graduate Success Rate (GSR) report, the team achieved a score of 80. The score ranked seventh among Big Ten Conference programs and was 60 points ahead of the national average. In addition, the team's Academic Progress Rate (APR) score was 984, which ranked fifth among Big Ten programs.

A commitment to the community has also been emblematic of Rutgers basketball under Pikiell. On Nov. 5, 2017, the program sponsored a charity exhibition that raised $15,000 for American Red Cross Disaster Relief. The day prior, the team hosted a clinic with the Special Olympics New Jersey unified basketball team that represented the Garden State at the 2018 Special Olympics USA games. The team has also volunteered at Elijah's Promise Soup Kitchen in New Brunswick, participated in the SAAC Holiday Toy Giveaway, visited children at RWJBarnabas Health facilities around the state and participated in the Tunnel to Towers 5K Run, which pays homage to the 343 FDNY firefighters, 71 law enforcement officers, and thousands of civilians who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001. For the second consecutive season, Rutgers men's basketball had 100% team participation in Rutgers Leadership Academy community service initiatives.

In the media, Pikiell continues to be a popular studio guest on TV and radio programs with national reach. After RU bowed-out of the Big Ten Tournament via an 82-75 loss to No. 8-ranked Purdue in the quarterfinals, he was a guest analyst for Inside : Bracket Week presented by Kubota on the CBS Sports Network. Pikiell also joined Christopher Russo on SiriusXM's Mad Dog Sports Radio and was a guest of Bruce Beck on WNBC-4's popular Sports Final show on multiple occasions. He appeared on B1G Basketball & Beyond on BTN live from San Antonio during the Final Four.

Pikiell began his tenure in Piscataway with a 9-1 start, the best head-coaching debut in Rutgers men's basketball history. The Scarlet Knights more than doubled their overall win total in 2016-17, while tripling their conference victory total. Rutgers achieved a plus-117 rank improvement in RPI, as well as major NCAA ranking improvements in margin (+299), scoring defense (+272), three point FG defense (+247), offensive rebounds (+244), rebounds (+232), percentage defense (+226) and blocks (+114).

The Scarlet Knights ranked among the top 100 in 10 NCAA statistical categories, including among the top 50 in seven, after ranking among the top 150 in just two statistical categories in 2015-16. RU posted an undefeated home mark in non-conference play and jumped-out to a 6-0 record, the sixth-best undefeated start in the 110-year history of the program.

The Scarlet Knights played 17 games, 52 percent of its schedule, against programs that earned NCAA (13) or NIT (4) bids in 2016-17. Rutgers out-rebounded opponents in 11 of 18 conference games, after winning the boards in just three league contests the prior year. Ten Big Ten games were decided in single digits after suffering 15 conference losses by double digits in 2015-16.

Prior to being named the 19th head coach in the history of Rutgers men’s basketball on March 22, 2016, Pikiell led Stony Brook to six postseason appearances over seven years and was the 2016 Coach of the Year.

Pikiell orchestrated an impressive turnaround at Stony Brook. Prior to his arrival, the Seawolves had limited success after completing their transition from the Division III to Division I level in 1999. Following a 4-24 record in his initial season, Stony Brook showed marked improvement in each successive campaign, culminating in the school’s first NCAA Tournament berth this past season. During his tenure, the Seawolves won four America East regular season championships, achieved 22 or more victories on six occasions and captured five conference player of the year awards. A four time America East Coach of the Year, Pikiell compiled a 119-48 (.713) record over his final five seasons.

Pikiell’s hard work on the North Shore of Long Island culminated in 2015-16, when the Seawolves posted a 26-7 (14-2) record, won the America East regular and post-season titles, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament to meet Kentucky. Led by New Jersey natives Jameel Warney and Carson Puriefoy, the Seawolves outscored opponents by an average of 12.1 points and ranked among the top 30 nationally in personal fouls (12th, 15.8), rebound margin (17th, 7.7), scoring defense (20th, 64.1), assists (26th, 16.4), -to-turnover ratio (26th, 1.43) and rebounds (30th, 39.76).

A top tactician with a strong reputation for player development, Pikiell mentored the America East Player of the Year (Warney, 2013-16; Tommy Brenton, 2012-13; Muhammed El-Amin, 2009-10) in five of his last seven seasons in the conference.

Much of Stony Brook’s success under Pikiell can be attributed to defense. The Seawolves ranked among the top 20 nationally in rebounding margin in four of his last five seasons, while limiting opponents to 41 percent shooting or worse four times during that same stretch.

Before arriving at Stony Brook, Pikiell served as an assistant at George Washington under Karl Hobbs from 2001-05. In 2004-05, the Colonials earned 22 wins, their most since 1997-98 and the second most in 50 years, en route to a top 20 ranking. The team won its first Atlantic 10 title, earning an automatic NCAA Tournament bid. The 14 conference victories were the most in GW's A-10 history, signaling a complete turnaround for a team that finished last in the conference standings in 2000-01.

At GW, Pikiell landed two top 25 recruiting classes and brought four top 100 players into the program. Two of Pikiell's recruits, and Pops Mensah-Bonsu, declared for the NBA Draft in June 2005. His responsibilities at GW included recruiting, game and practice preparation, scheduling of games and assisting with operations.

Prior to GW, Pikiell served as an assistant at Central Connecticut State (1997-01) which, before his arrival, had never posted a winning season at the Division I level. During his tenure at CCSU under , the Blue Devils notched an 81-63 (.563) record, including a 25-6 mark in 1999-2000 and a bid to the 2000 NCAA tournament. It marked the school's first NCAA berth. He was part of a CCSU staff that recorded three straight winning seasons, including the 25- 6 campaign which set a new Northeast Conference record for victories in a single season.

Pikiell was instrumental in recruiting three players who won NEC Player of the Year awards, including CCSU's first-ever NBA draft pick, Corsley Edwards. Seven of his recruits went on to earn all-conference recognition and he helped the 1999-00 team earn the highest GPA in the school's Division I history.

A 1990 graduate of Connecticut with a bachelor's degree in finance, Pikiell was a four-year letterwinner from 1987-91. After placing ninth in the Big East with a 4-12 record his freshman season, UConn won its first Big East title and advanced to the Elite Eight and Sweet 16 during the two years that Pikiell captained the Huskies. As a senior, he helped No. 11 seeded UConn to a 79-62 win over Shaquille O’Neal and No. 6 seed LSU in the round of 64. He played in 106 career games and averaged 8.2 points a game. Pikiell was the recipient of the UConn Club Senior Athlete Award for outstanding contributions to UConn Athletics.

Pikiell stayed on under Calhoun at UConn in 1991-92 to begin his coaching career. His first roster as an assistant featured future NBA players , Chris Smith, , Donny Marshall and .

After one season with the New Haven Skyhawks of the USBL (1992), Pikiell spent three years as an assistant at Yale (1992-95). He then moved on to take over as interim head coach at Wesleyan, a Division III school in Middletown, Conn. for one year.

One of nine children, Pikiell grew up with three brothers and five sisters and enjoyed a storied career at St. Paul Catholic High School in Bristol, Conn. A three-time all-state selection, he had his No. 21 jersey retired by the school and ranks among its all-time leaders in points, assists and steals. He was inducted into Bristol's Hall of Fame in 2006.

Pikiell (50) and his wife Kate are the proud parents of four children: Brooke (19), John Patrick (17), Olivia (15) and Kevin (12). Brooke is a sophomore in the Big Ten on the Northwestern women’s basketball team.

8/23/18