Former LIU Post head men’s basketball coach Tom Galeazzi, one of the most accomplished coaches in the history of college basketball, passed away yesterday.
“The LIU community is saddened to hear of the sudden death of our former beloved basketball coach Tom Galeazzi,” said Athletic Director Bryan Collins. “His Hall of Fame career touched the lives of so many student –athletes as well as the entire LIU Post community. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Galeazzi family.”
Galeazzi’s career as head coach of the Pioneers spanned 25 illustrious seasons and saw him post a 466-260 overall record. He won ten NYCAC Championships and took the Pioneers to nine NCAA Regional appearances. Galeazzi’s Post squads won 21-plus games 11 times on his watch, including back-to-back 25-win seasons in the 2002-03 and 2003-04 campaigns. The Pioneers made three round-of-16 appearances in the NCAA Division II Championship during that time, including an “Elite Eight” appearance in 1985. From 1968-94, he enjoyed 26 straight winnings seasons.
The legendary collegiate mentor had an overall collegiate coaching record of 775-366, which included 11 years of coaching at SUNY Farmingdale (1970-81) and four seasons at Suffolk County (N.Y.) Community College (1966-70). He won a pair of junior college regional championships at each of those schools, and posted a combined ledger of 308-107 at the JUCO level. At one points in time, he was the only active coach in the United States with 300 wins at both the JUCO and NCAA levels.
Galeazzi was named Coach of the Year seven times during his 40-year coaching career, and was inducted into the New York State Basketball Hall of Fame (Glens Falls, N.Y.) in August, 1996. Also a member of the SUNY Farmingdale Athletic Hall of Fame, Galeazzi was recently selected as one of the inductees of the 2013 LIU Post Athletics Hall of Fame class.
Galeazzi is survived by his two sons, Richard and Robert, his fiancée, Gale, and grandchildren.
Arrangements will be released at a later time.
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