College sports are an indelible part of the culture of college life. By showcasing the hard work, determination, and cooperation by a sports team, they exhibit the character important for all aspects of students to work toward. A college coach, then, leads not only the team, but sets an example for the school itself.
2024: Long Island Voted Ron Cooper/Football/Long Island University Best College Sports Coach!
Ron Cooper/Football/Long Island University
720 Northern Blvd, Brookville
(516) 299-3328 – liu.edu
Ron Cooper is the esteemed head football coach at Long Island University (LIU), recognized for his leadership, expertise, and commitment to excellence on and off the field. With a distinguished coaching career spanning decades, Coach Cooper brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to LIU’s football program. Under his guidance, the LIU football team has demonstrated remarkable growth and success, achieving milestones and garnering accolades within the NCAA. Coach Cooper’s strategic vision, dedication to player development, and emphasis on teamwork have inspired athletes to strive for greatness both athletically and academically. As a respected mentor and role model, Coach Cooper continues to shape the lives of student-athletes, instilling values of discipline, perseverance, and sportsmanship.
2023: Long Islanders Voted Ron Cooper/Football/Long Island University Best College Sports Coach!
Ron Cooper/Football/Long Island University
720 Northern Blvd, Brookville
(516) 299-3328 – liu.edu
Football coach Ron Cooper is leading the LIU Sharks to what may be their most successful era yet. His decades of coaching experience is more than impressive — at the NCAA Division I level he worked with big names like Notre Dame, University of South Carolina, and University of Alabama. He created nationally recognized athletes at each school and led his teams to multiple Bowl appearances, with some players going on to NFL careers. With that kind of coaching at their backs, there’s no stopping the Sharks. During his first season with them he developed successful, multi-faceted student athletes who earned 10 All-NEC postseason honors and seven academic all-district awards. Cooper closed his first season with four consecutive wins, giving Shark fans a taste of what’s to come.
2022: Long Islanders Voted Rob Morgan / Women’s Ice Hockey / Long Island University Best College Sports Coach on Long Island!
Rob Morgan / Women’s Ice Hockey / Long Island University
720 Northern Blvd, Brookville
liuathletics.com – 516-299-4043
Behind every great team is a great coach, and there’s no exception for the Long Island University Women’s Ice Hockey Team. Rob Morgan has been with the Sharks as inaugural head coach since fall 2018 and led the team into its first season of competition during the 2019-20 season. He led the team through a historic season that included its first-ever matchup against a No. 1-ranked opponent, the University of Wisconsin, and leading the way in combined special teams. The team also ranked 10th nationally in scoring offense with 3.12 goals per game under Morgan’s coaching. Prior to joining LIU, Morgan helped develop professional women’s hockey in China and was the head coach of the Vanke Rays professional women’s ice hockey club team, and he has also coached at Dartmouth, Yale, and St. Norbert’s.
2021: Long Islanders Voted Kayla Bettineschi – Farmingdale State College Best College Sports Coach on Long Island!
Kayla Bettineschi – Farmingdale State College
Farmingdale.edu
FSC cheer coach holds a winning ticket! She’s knowledgeable about the sport, has a passion for competition and an unmatched dedication to her athletes. The attributes describe Kayla Bettineschi who came to the school in 2019 to coach the team along with Marie Esposito. The plan was to recruit the best local athletes so they switched to a coed team. That move led to a significantly better finish at nationals than ever before. The strategy is going to bring more success in 2020/21. The team is stacked with national and state champions from all over New York. “Dale State’s cheer team will compete virtually at nationals this year and plan to finish stronger than ever before.
2020: Long Islanders Voted Christine A. Nowierski-Farina / Cheerleading – Hofstra University Best College Sports Coach on Long Island!
Christine A. Nowierski-Farina / Cheerleading – Hofstra University
235 Hofstra University, Hofstra Fitness Ctr, Hempstead
(516) 463-6600 – hofstra.edu
Who’s got spirit? At Hofstra University, the cheerleading squad is led by head coach Christine A. Nowierski-Farina, who takes lots of pride in her squad. After graduating from Hofstra University in 1999, Nowierski-Farina joined the staff as the head coach of the cheerleading squad. Under her leadership, she has led the team to make Hofstra history, winning back-to-back national championship titles in 2006 and 2007 as well as in 2009-2011. When she’s not leading the charge for the cheerleaders at Hofstra University, she’s running cheerleading camps for the younger generation to instill the love of cheer into them. Coach Nowierski-Farina is fully committed to developing a strong family atmosphere, and will continually strive to keep Hofstra’s cheerleading program one of the best in the nation!
2019: Long Islanders Voted Pat McCabe – Women’s Lacrosse, Adelphi Best College Sports Coach on Long Island!
Pat McCabe – Women’s Lacrosse, Adelphi
1 South Avenue, Garden City
www.adelphi.edu
Pat McCabe has what it takes to mold young minds and guide them to success. He was announced as the fourth head coach of the women’s lacrosse program on Sept. 4, 2014, and enters his fifth season at the helm in 2019. In his four years at the helm, McCabe has guided the Panthers in their championship tradition, adding two NCAA Division II national crowns to the team’s résumé while reaching the national championship game in his first three years. The squad has also won three Northeast-10 Championships, running the team’s total to seven in nine seasons. Hooray Pat, and hooray Adelphi!
2018: Long Islanders Voted Chuck Priore – Stony Brook University Best College Sports Coach on Long Island
Chuck Priore – Stony Brook University
www.stonybrook.edu
Long Island native Chuck Priore is the head football coach at Stony Brook. He has held this position for over 10 years. Priore has ushered the program into a top-tier program that produced the school’s first NFL player and Priore’s third. The Division I program has risen to the top under Priore’s leadership. After the team moved to the more difficult Big South conference, Stony Brook still managed to perform well. Priore has also served as coaches for other universities with outstanding football programs.
2017: Long Islanders Voted Dominic Scala – Baseball – Adelphi University Best College Sports Coach on Long Island
Dominic Scala – Baseball – Adelphi University
1 South Ave., Garden City. 516-877-3266. adelphi.edu
Dom Scala is a coach extraordinaire and one that Adelphi University is proud to call its own. This former bullpen coach of the New York Yankees-turned-head coach at Adelphi has led the Panthers along a path paved with glory. Both an inspiration and key motivator, Coach Scala is more than a successful baseball coach: He is a force to be reckoned with, and according to voters, the Best College Sports Coach on Long Island!
2016: Long Islanders Voted Steve Pikiell Best College Sports Coach on Long Island
Steve Pikiell, Basketball – SUNY Stony Brook
100 Nicholls Rd., Stony Brook. 631-632-6000. stonybrookathletics.com
Steve Pikiell is a player’s coach. He is known for recruiting and developing a roster of ball players that come together in the clinch, and know how to win. As the winningest coach in Stony Brook men’s basketball history, Coach Pikiell has led the Seawolves to five postseason bids, three America East regular season championships and four America East finals throughout his 11-year tenure! Wow! It is not uncommon for players under his tutelage to be drafted to play pro ball overseas after graduation. Go Pikiell!
2015: Long Islanders Voted Dominic Scala – Baseball of Adelphi University Best College Sports Coach on Long Island!
Dominic Scala – Baseball – Adelphi University
Garden City. adelphi.edu
A good coach motivates his team. A great coach inspires them. Adelphi University has the good fortune to call Coach Dom Scala their own. The former bullpen coach of the New York Yankees, and now the head coach of Adelphi’s baseball team, Scala led the Panthers to a knock-out season and will surely lead them down the road to many more games of glory!
