Director of Athletics Susan Cassidy-Lyke announced the hiring of Joe Conefry as the head coach of the Molloy men’s basketball program effective immediately. Conefry, who became the third head coach in the program’s history, comes to Molloy after over two decades of coaching experience, including 19 at Holy Trinity High School.
“I first want to personally express my appreciation to Coach Charlie Marquart for guiding our program for the past 31 years,” said Cassidy-Lyke. “Charlie was extremely loyal, a true gentleman, and a mentor to so many of his student-athletes and made a tremendous impact on our department and men’s basketball program. While his presence on the bench will be missed, I am also extremely excited to usher in a new era with Coach Joe Conefry’s leadership.”
Conefry is the winningest coach in the Titans’ history, winning 284 games to go with three Nassau Suffolk Catholic High School Athletic Association titles and one New York State Catholic High School Athletic Association Championship. In addition to his work with the boy’s varsity program at Holy Trinity, Conefry was also in charge of the direction of the junior varsity and freshman teams to ensure the development and recruitment of personnel.
Conefry has seen over 50 players go on to successful careers at the collegiate level, including Division I, and has put the Holy Trinity program on the map as one of the top basketball programs in New York State. His accomplishments were recognized by the NSCHSAA as Coach of the Year in 2013, 2015, 2019, and 2022 and he was deemed the Nassau Coach of the Year by Newsday in 2014 following his NSCHSAA and CHSAA Class A championships.
“I have watched Coach Conefry for the past 19 years and know that the combination of his passion of the game, his basketball IQ, his familiarity of our conference, and his knowledge of untapped talent, both local and beyond, will be the right formula for us moving forward,” explained Cassidy-Lyke.
Not a stranger to the collegiate athletic scene, he spent nearly a decade as an assistant coach at the Division I and Division III levels, spending time with Columbia, Merchant Marine, Rider, and Hofstra. In those roles, he was heavily involved in the recruiting and scouting processes and assisted with fundraising efforts.
A student-athlete himself, Conefry was a two-year captain for the men’s basketball team at Catholic University and made an NCAA Tournament appearance and earned All-Conference selection.
“I am honored to have the opportunity to build a program that the Molloy community will be proud of, both on and off the court,” stated Conefry.
Conefry named Head Basketball Coach at D2 Molloy
