The University of Maine at Farmington Department of Athletics has announced the hiring of Chris Piscioneri as the Head Men’s Basketball Coach ahead of the 2026-27 academic year. Piscioneri becomes the program’s eighth head coach in the modern era.
Piscioneri comes to Farmington after spending the last two seasons as the head coach at Elms College, a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) institution located in Chicopee, Massachusetts.
“I am thrilled and honored to be the next Head Men’s Basketball Coach at UMF. I am extremely grateful and want to thank Director of Athletics Jamie Beaudoin, Assistant Director of Athletics Molly Wilkie, and the rest of the search committee for believing in me to lead this program. I would also like to thank all of my previous coaches, mentors, and my family for their love and support throughout this process,” Piscioneri said.
“It was obvious from the moment I stepped foot on campus and throughout the interview process that UMF is full of passionate people who truly care about relationships and the student-athlete experience. As a coach, I could not ask for a better environment to make a lasting impact that is bigger than basketball.”
In his first season with the Blazers, Piscioneri led the program to its first playoff appearance in five seasons and its first as a member of the GNAC. He continued to elevate the program in his second season, guiding the Blazers to a 10-15 record while recording the program’s most wins in a single season in more than a decade.
“Our athletic department is extremely fortunate to welcome Chris as the next head coach of our storied men’s basketball program. His track record of elevating every program he has been a part of, along with his unwavering commitment to connecting with student-athletes, exemplifies the type of person and coach that he is. I have no doubt that Chris will continue to lead our program with class and humility while fostering the holistic development of our student-athletes on the court, in the classroom, and throughout the community,” Director of Athletics Jamie Beaudoin said.
Piscioneri got his start in coaching as a student assistant with the women’s basketball team while attending MCLA. He spent one season with the Trailblazers before returning to his high school alma mater, Drury High School, where he served as the Head Junior Varsity Coach for two seasons. It was his experience at Drury that fueled his passion for coaching and inspired him to pursue it as a career.
Piscioneri was named a Graduate Assistant under Head Coach Paul Culpo at Vermont State Castleton in 2016. During his three seasons under Culpo, Piscioneri gained valuable experience in
recruiting, relationship building, and the overall development of a collegiate basketball program.
His time at Castleton led to a role as a Special Assistant at St. Bonaventure, a Division I program in the Atlantic 10, where he spent two seasons. With the Bonnies, Piscioneri was responsible for player development, analytics, opponent scouting, assisting the video coordinator, and camp operations for the Mark Schmidt Basketball Camp. In his second season, St. Bonaventure captured both the Atlantic 10 regular-season and conference tournament championships, earning a No. 9 seed in the 2021 NCAA Tournament, the highest seed in program history during the modern NCAA Tournament era.
Piscioneri returned to Division III in 2021 after being hired as an assistant coach at Elmira College. In his first season, he helped lead the Soaring Eagles to six victories, a five-win improvement from the previous season. That success carried over into his second year, as Elmira recorded its most conference wins since the 2014-15 season and its most overall victories since the 2017-18 campaign.
After two seasons at Elmira, Piscioneri joined one of the nation’s premier Division III men’s basketball programs, Nebraska Wesleyan, where he served as an assistant coach for the 2023-24 season. Under NABC and D3hoops.com National Coach of the Year Dale Wellman, the Prairie Wolves posted the third-best record in program history, finishing 26-5, capturing the American Rivers Conference regular-season championship, advancing to the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight for the first time since 2017-18, and finishing No. 9 in the final D3hoops.com Top 25 poll.
Piscioneri takes over a Beaver program coming off the most successful season in its history. Farmington finished with a 23-6 overall record, captured the North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Championship for the first time since 2010, and earned the program’s second NCAA Tournament victory. Piscioneri will look to guide the Beavers back to the NCAA Tournament while continuing to build upon the strong foundation established within the program.
“I’m looking forward to leading such a storied basketball program to even greater success while providing a positive and memorable experience for our student-athletes and building meaningful relationships with students, staff, alumni, and the local community,” Piscioneri added.
Piscioneri is a graduate of Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies. He also holds two master’s degrees: a Master of Science in Athletic Leadership from Vermont State Castleton and a Master of Science in Sport Psychology from Capella University. He will officially assume his duties on August 17.
D3 NEWS: Piscioneri named Head Basketball Coach at Maine Farmington
