St. Thomas Aquinas College Director of Athletics Margaret Alaimo announced today (April 17) the appointment of John Alesi as the next head men’s basketball coach at the College.
Alesi, who becomes the ninth head coach at STAC, and brings more than two decades of collegiate coaching experience to Sparkill, including head coaching stints at Baruch College and Hunter College, as well as assistant coaching and support roles at Manhattan College, the University of Pittsburgh and Hofstra University.
For the past year, Alesi served as the Associate Athletic Director at St. Thomas Aquinas College, but was most recently the Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Baruch College from 2012-2025, where he established one of the premier Division III programs in the region. During his tenure, he led the Bearcats to five conference championships, ten postseason appearances, and five NCAA Tournament appearances while compiling 221 victories. His .643 career winning percentage ranks as the highest in CUNYAC history, while his 234 career wins rank fifth in conference history. Alesi’s career 234-win mark also includes his time as bench boss at Hunter College.
In addition to his coaching accomplishments, Alesi served as the NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball National Committee Chair for the 2024-25 season, further demonstrating his leadership and impact on the game at the national level.
“We are excited to welcome John as our new head men’s basketball coach,” Director of Athletics Margaret Alaimo said. “He is no stranger to St. Thomas Aquinas College or the basketball community. John brings a wealth of experience and we are fortunate to have him back on the sidelines leading our program. He is a winner and is committed to the growth and development of our student-athletes on and off the basketball court. We are also grateful to Matt Capell for his thirteen years with us and we wish him well.”
Throughout his career, Alesi has built a reputation for developing highly competitive teams that excel defensively, compete with toughness, and play with a high level of discipline and basketball IQ. His teams consistently ranked among the nation’s leaders in field goal percentage defense and scoring defense.
In addition to his success on the court, Alesi has demonstrated a strong commitment to academic achievement and student-athlete development. Under his leadership, Baruch earned 46 NABC Honors Court selections and six Team Academic Excellence Awards. He coached 24 All-Conference selections, seven 1,000-point scorers, two NABC All-Americans, and four NABC Division III All-Star Game participants.
A native of New York, Alesi comes from a strong basketball lineage. His father, Jack Alesi, was the longtime head coach at Xaverian High School in Brooklyn, while his brother, Chris Alesi, was recently named head men’s basketball coach at Queens College. Alesi also enjoyed a standout playing career at Baruch College. As a four-year player and team captain, he helped lead the Bearcats to the program’s first CUNYAC Tournament Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance. He finished his collegiate career with 1,091 points, ranking among the top scorers in school history, while also establishing himself as one of the program’s all-time leaders in steals, three-pointers made, and free throw percentage.
At St. Thomas Aquinas, Alesi will take over a program that has seen sustained success under the direction of both Tobin Anderson and Matt Capell over the last 13 seasons. The Spartans have amassed 7 ECC Regular Season titles, 8 ECC Tournament championships, 10 trips to the NCAA Division II Tournament and an NCAA Elite Eight appearance in that span.
“STAC has all the ingredients for sustained success, and I’m excited to get to work. We will recruit the right people, develop relentlessly, and compete for championships,” said Alesi. “My family and I have found a home here and we are incredibly thankful to Director of Athletics Margaret Alaimo and President Ken Daly for this opportunity to lead a program with such a rich tradition of excellence.”
Alesi and his wife Melissa reside in New Jersey with their two children; Sofia and Olivia.
https://www.stacathletics.com/sports/mbkb/2025-26/releases/Alesi_Hire
