There is a special bond between a player and a coach, a relationship that often continues well after playing careers come to a close. For Head Coach Sydney Johnson, his bond with Pete Carril and Bill Carmody, his former Princeton University coaches, has remained intact since he left Old Nassau after his graduation.

This past week, Johnson announced that Carmody will join his staff at Fairfield University as a Special Assistant/Advisor to the Head Coach beginning on January 26. While he will not coach the players during practices or games, Carmody will serve as an advisor to Johnson and his staff in regard to preparation and strategy for practices and games.

“When I was a player, I had the great fortune of learning the game from outstanding coaches,” Johnson said. “My head coach in college, Hall of Famer Pete Carril, stands out in my mind but his assistant coaching staff was no less exceptional. As a member of that staff, Bill Carmody has been a great influence in my life. I stayed in touch with him after graduation and have relied on his input at times on everything related to running a college program. I am excited to have Coach on our staff to bring his unparalleled experience and knowledge of the game to Fairfield. He will continue to be an invaluable resource for me and our staff as he becomes officially involved in our day-to-day operations.”

“All successful coaches keep up with former players and staffs, as I have throughout my career,” Carmody said. “Since leaving Northwestern, I’ve looked for opportunities to help and learn from talented colleagues – it’s not just mutual admiration, but a chance to continue getting better at what we do. The opportunity to work with Sydney at Fairfield is a natural outgrowth of our long-standing personal and professional relationship, and I look forward to helping the Stags finish strong in conference play.”

Carmody won 284 games during his time as the head coach at Princeton University and Northwestern University. He served as an assistant coach at Princeton for 13 years under Coach Carril before taking over the program as its head coach prior to the 1996-97 season. In his first season as the Tigers’ head coach, Carmody led Princeton to a 24-4 overall record, the Ivy League title, and a berth to the 1997 NCAA Tournament after posting a 14-0 league record. He is one of only four coaches to record an undefeated season in Ivy League play and the first to do it in his first season at the helm.

He led Princeton to postseason play in each of his four seasons at the helm, going to the 1998 NCAA tournament as well as the 1999 and 2000 NITs. Carmody was the runner-up for the Associated Press National Coach of the Year following the 1998 campaign. He owned a 92-25 overall record and a 50-6 Ivy League slate during his four-year stint at Old Nassau. Carmody left Princeton after the 1999-2000 campaign to become the head coach at Northwestern University.

At Northwestern, Carmody brought the Wildcats to unprecedented success that included the longest postseason run in Wildcats history. He has led Northwestern to the two winningest seasons in program history (20, 2009-10 & 2010-11), the most wins over a two-year span (40, 2009-11), over a three-year span (59, 2009-12) and over a four-year span (76, 2008-12).

Under Carmody’s watch, the Wildcats earned at least six Big Ten wins in eight of his 12 years at the helm. Prior to his arrival in Evanston, the team reached six conference victories just five times in 31 seasons. He was named the 2003-04 Big Ten Coach of the Year.

“Bill Carmody’s basketball acumen is unsurpassed, and respected throughout the college coaching fraternity,” said Fairfield Athletic Director Eugene Doris. “When Sydney came to me with the idea to have Coach Carmody join his staff, I thought it was a great opportunity to have his long standing advisor join him in an official capacity. He brings experience, wisdom and his winning tradition at Princeton and Northwestern that would enhance any basketball program.”

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