STANDISH, Maine – Rob Sanicola '99 recorded the 200th victory of his career as the Head Coach of the Saint Joseph's College men's basketball program when the Monks defeated GNAC foe Norwich University, 91-64, at the Harold Alfond Center on Thursday evening.
Coach Sanicola, now in his 12th season at the helm, is currently 200-117 (.631) during his head-coaching career. A three-time GNAC Coach of the Year honoree, Sanicola has led the Monks to GNAC Tournament berths in each of the last seven seasons with six trips to the semifinal round and three championship game appearances. The 2009 team, led by Sanicola, claimed the program's first GNAC Championship with a thrilling 74-72 overtime victory over Emmanuel College and, with the automatic berth afforded to the conference champion, advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in team history.
To date, the Monks have recorded a 97-39 (.713) mark in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) since joining the league in 2007. Coach Sanicola has recorded 10 winning seasons with three 20-win campaigns over the last 11 years.
A former standout player for the Monks, Sanicola tallied 594 points, 383 rebounds, 317 assists and 193 steals over 100 career contests and helped the Royal Blue post an outstanding 95-18 (.841) record during his four years on the hardwood. Tabbed as an assistant under Rick Simonds – the winningest coach in team history – immediately following graduation, Sanicola helped guide the Monks to a 69-37 (.651) mark over four years before being named as the head coach going into the 2003-04 season. In all, Coach Sanicola has played a role in 364 total victories during his 20 years as a player, assistant and head coach at Saint Joseph's.
Coach Sanicola's first NCAA victory was against University of Maine-Farmington, a 79-67 road win on November 25th, 2003. The aforementioned 2009 GNAC Championship triumph over Emmanuel was the 100th victory of his career.
Saint Joseph's, currently 8-8 overall and 6-4 in GNAC play, will face conference-rival Anna Maria College in Paxton, Massachusetts on Saturday at 1:00 PM.
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Saint Joseph's College is Maine's only Catholic liberal arts college, providing a supportive, personalized and career-focused education for more than 100 years. From its 430-acre campus on the shores of Sebago Lake, the College offers more than 40 undergraduate programs to a population of approximately 1,000 students. Saint Joseph's College Online provides certificates, undergraduate and advanced degrees for working adults through an online learning program. For more, visit www.sjcme.edu.