Saints hire NBA scout as assistant
Castagna was coach who recruited Maciariello
Bobby Castagna, whose relationship with Siena men’s basketball coach Carmen Maciariello goes back a quarter-century, is joining the Saints as an assistant coach.
Siena announced Wednesday the hiring of Castagna, who has spent the past 19 years as a scout with the NBA’S Utah Jazz.
When Castagna was an assistant coach at New Hampshire from 1996 to 1999, he recruited and coached Maciariello, a Shenendehowa High star who played for UNH before transferring to Siena.
“It is such an honor that I am able to announce the addition of Coach Bobby Castagna to our coaching staff,” Maciariello said in a news release. “He is a tremendous teacher who builds lifelong relationships with the studentathletes that he mentors not only in the game of basketball, but in life, with myself and Andy Cavo ’02 being two prime examples. I cannot wait to welcome Coach C and his wife Kim to Loudonville.”
Cavo also transferred from New Hampshire to Siena.
Castagna worked in the scouting department for the Jazz on a parttime basis from 2002-10, while also serving as senior associate athletic director at UC Santa Barbara. After retiring from UCSB, he continued as Utah’s West Coast regional scout on a full-time basis.
“First and foremost, I’d like to thank the Utah Jazz for giving me the opportunity to work for them for the past 19 years,” Castagna said in the news release. “The Jazz are a great organization with first-class people in it. I’m leaving a job that I’ve loved for nearly two decades, but this was an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up. Carmen is family. I’ve mentored him for 25 years, and I look forward to continuing that mentorship while helping him, the staff, and the players achieve their goals. I’m a teacher above all else, and I can’t wait to get started working with our players.”
Castagna has served as an assistant coach at UCSB, UNH, Baylor and Fresno State.
Castagna joins Antoni Wyche and Greg Fahey as Maciariello’s assistant coaches. Fahey was recently promoted from director of basketball operations. Matt Miner was elevated to director of basketball operations from special assistant to the head coach.
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