Dave Sokolnicki, former head coach of St. Thomas Aquinas High School, has accepted the head coaching position of the men’s basketball program at Great Bay Community College. Sokolnicki joins Allyson Britton and Amy Maltagliati as the inaugural head coaches of Great Bay’s three new athletic programs.

Sokolnicki, 40, earned his MBA at Nichols College where he was a four-year star on the hardwood. At the age of 23, he was named head coach of Nichols’ men’s basketball team and held the position for the following 13 years. Over that span Sokolnicki was the most successful coach in the schools’ history, accumulating 150 wins and leading the school to the Commonwealth Coast Conference Championship Tournament in 10 different seasons.

After taking time off to pursue other interests, Sokolnicki returned to the job he loved in 2012 when he was hired as the head coach of the boys’ basketball team at St. Thomas Aquinas high school in Dover. His teams reached the playoffs in each of his three years as coach and this past season they completed a huge upset when they defeated second-ranked Manchester West in the playoffs.

“I am excited to bring a fast paced brand of basketball to Great Bay,” said Sokolnicki, whose coaching philosophy focuses on the mental aspects of the game as much as the physical. “There are two core fundamentals that each of my players are going to instill: positive energy and positive attitude. We want individuals who strive for greatness and are committed to bettering themselves on and off the court. Most importantly, we want individuals who uphold the standards of Great Bay Community College.”

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