Westchester Community College Director of Athletics Michael Belfiore has announced that Andre Pennicooke has been hired as Head Men’s Basketball Coach. Pennicooke, a 2008 Westchester CC graduate, was most recently the Head Junior Varsity Basketball Coach and Assistant Varsity Coach at the College of Mount Saint Vincent in Riverdale, New York. Pennicooke has been a basketball coach in the Westchester County area since 2014, and brings to Westchester CC experience coaching at the High School, AAU, and College levels.
“We are thrilled to welcome Andre Pennicooke back to Westchester Community College as our Head Men’s Basketball Coach. During a process that truly became a national search, Andre emerged from an incredibly talented group of candidates as the perfect fit to lead our program. I believe Andre is a rising star within the basketball coaching ranks. His passion for coaching young men, experience in the basketball community in Westchester County, and vision for the future of men’s basketball at Westchester Community College made him the right person to hit the ground running, and continue the development of our program. We have an incredibly proud basketball tradition at Westchester Community College, and it is my pleasure to introduce Andre Pennicooke as the next Head Coach for our Vikings.” Belfiore said.
At Mount Saint Vincent, an NCAA Division III member of the Skyline Conference, Pennicooke was involved in all aspects of both the Junior Varsity and Varsity programs, as the Dolphins advanced to the Skyline Conference Semifinals during the 2021-2022 season for the first time since 2018. Pennicooke took an integral role in scouting, player development, recruiting, and academic support, as the varsity team earned the 2021 NABC All-Academic Excellence Award.
Prior to Mount Saint Vincent, Pennicooke served as the Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach and Recruiting Coordinator at NCAA Division III Manhattanville College for three years, where he was also involved in all areas of the program, and assisted the Valiants during their transition from the MAC Freedom Conference to the Skyline Conference. During the 2019-2020 season, Manhattanville won 16 games, achieving their highest win total since 2009.
Pennicooke has also served as Head Coach with the Minutemen Athletic Club AAU program since 2012, and was previously the Associate Head Coach at Sacred Heart High School in Yonkers, New York from 2014-2018. He has also been a regular on the basketball camp scene, working camps such as the University of Maryland Basketball Camp, and the Jim Engle Elite Basketball Camp at Columbia University.
“I am humbled and honored to be selected as the Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Westchester Community College. Being a college head coach has been a dream of mine, and I am grateful to see it come true. Thank you to Mike Belfiore, our Athletic Director, and the rest of the search committee for believing in my vision for the program,” said Pennicooke. “From the moment I stepped on campus, I have been impressed with the improvements made to enhance the students’ experience at Westchester Community College. As a proud alumnus of Westchester Community College, I am honored to return home and lead future Vikings in achieving championship success in the classroom and on the court. With support from the entire college community, we will continue to build upon the program’s rich history and take it to the next level. I am beyond thrilled to start a new legacy of Westchester basketball next fall. Let’s go Vikings!”
Pennicooke played four years of basketball at Cardinal Spellman High School in the Bronx, before enrolling at Westchester Community College. After graduating from Westchester CC, Pennicooke earned a Bachelor’s Degree from Iona College in Business Administration, and a Master’s Degree from Manhattanville College in Sports Business and Entertainment Management. He takes over a Vikings program that finished 10-12 during the 2021-2022 season, and advanced to the NJCAA Region XV Semifinals.
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING:
“Westchester Community College is getting a proven winner in Andre Pennicooke. From High School, to AAU, to College Basketball, Andre has proven to take programs and drastically improve every aspect of them. Coach Pennicooke will not be out-worked and his teams will play with a fire and will that will be contagious throughout the whole city. Great hire!”
— City College of New York Head Men’s Basketball Coach Spencer Boateng
“Coach Dre is a well known, well respected, and fully committed coach to the game of basketball. His hunger and desire to grow within the profession was on full display for me on a daily basis here at CMSV. His ability to recruit, develop relationships, and coach the game is why our program as a whole saw improvement from the previous season. He brings so much to the table, and I couldn’t be happier for him. It was just a matter of time before Dre would become a head coach and run his own program.”
— College of Mount Saint Vincent Head Men’s Basketball Coach James Mooney
“I couldn’t be more excited for Andre being named head coach at Westchester Community College. He is a proven winner and natural leader on and off the court. I am looking forward to watching him take the Westchester CC program to the next level!”
— Manhattanville College Head Men’s Basketball Coach Chris Alesi
