Hartwick College has announced with great sadness that assistant Men’s basketball coach, Michael Freilich has passed away. Mike began on Oyaron Hill this past August, after very successful stints at Eastern Connecticut University, LaGrange College and SUNY Oneonta. He quickly had a positive impact on the Hartwick Men’s basketball program, as well as the department as a whole.
“Mike had an incredibly infectious personality,” said Head Coach Nick Ciresi. “His energy was unmatched by anyone I have come across in the coaching profession. He truly embodied our program’s ideals of Trust, Commitment, and Care. The Hartwick community has suffered an immense loss.”
A graduate of Eastern Connecticut University, Mike was a very proud ambassador of Division III basketball, with a reach that spanned the country. Whether he was on the road recruiting, in the gym with his student-athletes, or recording a new episode of his DIII basketball podcast, he was constantly trying to have a positive impact on the D3 hoops world. The College and the Athletic Department sends its deepest condolences to his wife, Megan, his family and all of the student-athletes and coaches that he worked with over the course of his career.
Services will be held at Beth David Synagogue in West Hartford, CT on Monday, December 20th, beginning at 11:00 am.
Tributes poured in over Twitter this weekend:
