China Jude, Assistant Vice President of Queens College (NY) has announced that Head Coach Kyrk Peponakis tendered his resignation, effective June 30, 2013; as the head coaching position is to become full time. The 2012-13 campaign marked Kyrk Peponakis’s 19th season at the helm of the Queens College men’s basketball program, and he ended the season with an 11-16 overall mark, including an 11-7 East Coast Conference record and a spot in the ECC championship tournament.
He took over the program after serving as an assistant coach from 1991-95 under Norm Roberts, and posted a career record of 266-264 (.502); good for the most victories in school history.
Peponakis coached the Knights to a quintet of 18-plus win seasons – including three 20-win campaigns, most recently in 2010-11, where the team finished 20-8. His 2004-05 and 2005-06 squads registered records of 22-9 and 21-8, respectively, with the 2004-05 squad winning Peponakis’s second New York Collegiate Athletic Conference (now East Coast Conference) championship. In addition to the 2004-05 season, the Queens, N.Y., native led QC to the NCAA Division II Championship in both the 2000-01 and 2001-02 seasons, with the Knights capturing the NYCAC title in 2002.
"I want to thank Kyrk for all that he has done for Queens College during his 19 years," said China Jude, Assistant Vice President for Athletics. "He has significantly impacted the lives of young men by serving as an educator, mentor and role model on and off the court. We can’t replace a Kyrk Peponakis, but we can find a coach who reflects the good natured, positive and committed person that Kyrk is. We wish him and his family all the best as they move onto a new chapter in their lives."
“I am grateful for the time I spent at Queens College,” lamented Peponakis. “I am deeply moved by the young men I have affected during my time here. I look forward to maintaining the friendships I built and look forward to the next chapter in my life.”
Queens College will conduct a national search for a full-time head coach to replace Peponakis.
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