Dutchess Community College has announced Robert Piano as their new head men’s basketball coach.
Born and raised in Cairo, NY, Coach Piano graduated from Cairo-Durham High School in 2009. After high school he played college basketball at Columbia-Greene Community College. He then continued his education and graduate from Springfield College with a bachelor’s degree in Sports Management in 2014.
Coach Piano started his college coaching career at Columbia-Greene Community College as an Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach in 2016. From 2018-2020 Coach Piano served as an Assistant Coach at Hudson Valley Community College where the program posted a record of 45-16 in his two seasons with the Men’s Basketball Team.
Coach Piano will assume the role of Head Coach at Dutchess Community College after Coach Gayle stepped down at the conclusion of the 2019-2020 season.
Coach Piano comes highly recommended by Coach Gayle. When asked about the coaching transition at Dutchess, Coach Gayle stated “”It’s sad to leave after the many years I served as an Assistant Coach and Head Coach at Dutchess Community College. It was an honor and a privilege to work with so many great coaches and administrators and to serve as a role model and mentor to the students while teaching them the game of basketball. Coach Piano is an excellent coach and a great fit for Dutchess Community College. Coach Piano has a coaching pedigree; he knows the game of basketball and is an excellent recruiter. I am confident that he will uphold the philosophy of Dutchess Athletics and work diligently to build a competitive Men’s Basketball Program. I wish Dutchess Community College and Coach Piano the best in the 2021-2022 season”.
Coach Piano stated “As the Dutchess Head Men’s Basketball Coach, I am excited to support the mission and vision of Dutchess Athletics by developing a team culture that promotes exemplary student success on and off the court.”
Athletic Director Matthew Paquet stated, “Dutchess Community College extends a warm welcome to Coach Robert Piano. I am confident that Coach Piano will transition smoothly into the position and carry on the positive culture and winning tradition that Coach Gayle established during his time at Dutchess Community College. Our next step is to surround Coach Piano with an experienced coaching staff and begin preparations for competition in the 2021-2022 season. I also want to take a moment and thank Coach Gayle for his many years of dedicated service. I wish him al the best in the future and look forward to keeping in touch. Coach Gayle’s time at Dutchess was a blessing and he will always be remembered as a fierce competitor, an exemplary teacher, and an amazing role model. Thank you Coach Gayle for all that you’ve done for the student-athletes at Dutchess Community College.”
