St. Lawrence University Intercollegiate Athletics has announced the hiring of Riley Naclerio as head coach of the men’s basketball program for the 2026-27 season, marking a homecoming for Naclerio who returns to Canton after previously serving as a standout member of the roster and graduate assistant coach.
“We are thrilled to welcome Riley back to our program,” said Franco Bari, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics. “Throughout his time as both a student-athlete and coach, he has consistently embodied the values that define our basketball program while establishing himself as an outstanding coach, mentor, and leader.”
“Riley returns with a wealth of collegiate basketball experience, having been part of a championship level program with NCAA Tournament success,” Bari said. “His deep understanding of our Scarlet and Brown traditions, combined with his passion for developing student-athletes, makes him the ideal person to lead our program. We are confident he will build upon the strong foundation established by Coach Downs and continue to move Saints men’s basketball forward.”
The hire comes as Bari also announced Chris Downs as new head coach of the women’s basketball program, transitioning from the men’s head coaching spot after 29 years.
Naclerio spent the last four seasons as a full-time assistant at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), where the team compiled a 90-19 overall record with him on the bench, good for an .826 winning percentage. WPI finished at the top of the NEWMAC in each of his four seasons and advanced to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 in 2024-25.
During his tenure, Naclerio helped coach four 1,000-point scorers, three NEWMAC Player of the Year selections, two NEWMAC Defensive Player of the Year selections, 11 All-NEWMAC selections, seven All-Region selections and three NABC and D3hoops.com All-Americans. He also carried significant recruiting and administrative responsibilities, successfully recruiting the 2022 Delaware Gatorade Player of the Year to WPI along with multiple Division I transfers.
Prior to WPI, Naclerio spent the 2021-22 season as an assistant coach at Gettysburg College, where he coached a Centennial Conference Rookie of the Year and a First Team All-Conference selection.
The Cohoes, N.Y., native returns to where his coaching career began, where he served as an assistant at St. Lawrence from 2019 to 2021, helping create daily practice plans, developing scouting reports on opponents and breaking down game film, while coaching a Liberty League Rookie of the Year and an All-Conference selection.
But Naclerio’s ties to St. Lawrence run even deeper. He starred for the Saints as a forward from 2014 to 2018, finishing his career with 1,502 points, the second-most in program history. He was a two-time team captain and two-time All-Liberty League selection and earned NABC and D3hoops.com All-East Region honors along with a spot on the Liberty League All-Academic Team. Naclerio helped lead the Saints to the 2017 NCAA Tournament, a season in which St. Lawrence went 13-3 in conference play and 20-7 overall.
Now, nearly a decade after he first put on a Saints uniform, Naclerio returns to lead the program he once played and coached for, taking over a team that made 20 postseason appearances and won more than 400 games under Downs.
“I would like to thank athletic director Franco Bari and the St. Lawrence administration for the opportunity to come back to a place that has always felt like home,” said Naclerio. “As an alum, I know firsthand the impact that St. Lawrence and the men’s basketball program can have on a person’s life. I look forward to help provide that same experience for our student-athletes. I also want to thank Coach Downs for everything he has done for St. Lawrence and for me personally. The relationships he built, the tradition he established, and the impact he had on so many people have built a strong foundation for this program.”
“I’m excited to get to work with our players and continue building relationships with our alumni and community,” he continued. “There is a tremendous amount of pride in this program, and I’m honored to be back home leading it.”
Naclerio begins his recruiting work immediately, having already began his tenure in the men’s basketball head coaching chair.
