Hempstead, NY - Newly-named Head Men's Basketball Coach Mo Cassara recently sat down with Hofstra alum Pete McCarthy of MLB.com for a question and answer session about his new position.
Cassara comes to Hofstra after serving for the last four years as an assistant coach at Boston College from 2006-10. While with the Eagles, he was responsible for recruiting, scouting, on-floor coaching, off-season workouts and scheduling. He has coached in three NCAA Tournaments as a Division I assistant, including two at Boston College (2007, 2009) and one at Dayton (2004).
During Cassara's four years with Boston College, the Eagles compiled a combined 72-57 record and made two NCAA Tournament appearances. In his first season in 2006-07, he helped the Eagles finish with a 21-12 record, including 10-6 in the ACC (good for fourth place), and reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament. That Boston College team featured ACC Player of the Year and second-team All-American Jared Dudley, who currently plays for the Phoenix Suns of the NBA. The Eagles once again qualified for the NCAA Tournament in 2008-09, when they finished 22-12. Boston College also earned a signature win that year when it upset No. 1 North Carolina on the road to hand the eventual national champion Tar Heels their first loss of the season.
Prior to joining the Boston College staff, Cassara served as the head coach at Division III Clark University in Massachusetts for two years from 2004-06. He also spent one year as an assistant coach at Dayton University in 2003-04, when he helped the Flyers to a 24-9 record. Dayton also earned a Maui Invitational championship, a regular season Atlantic 10 conference title, and a berth in the NCAA Tournament, when it fell in a double-overtime thriller to DePaul in the opening round.
Cassara also had success as a prep school coach at Worcester Academy in Massachusetts from 1999-2003, leading the Hilltoppers to a 90-21 record. In 2002-03, he led his Worcester team to the school's first conference title in 16 years. While at Worcester, he also coached Craig Smith, who went on to star at Boston College and currently plays in the NBA for the Los Angeles Clippers.
Cassara's other collegiate coaching experience includes one year as an assistant coach at The Citadel (1998-99) and one year as an assistant coach at Washington & Lee (1997-98). He played basketball for three seasons at St. Lawrence, while serving as a team captain as a senior.
A 1997 graduate of St. Lawrence with a degree in physical education, Cassara also earned his master's degree in higher education and administration from Boston College in 2002.
