Mark Calzonetti is entering his 11th season as an assistant coach at Monmouth University. Calzonetti is responsible for handling the Hawks' frontcourt players and recruiting.
At Monmouth, Calzonetti has helped guide the Hawks to three Northeast Conference Tournament championships and three trips to the NCAA Tournament, while also claiming two NEC regular season titles.
Last season, Calzonetti helped mentor freshman forward Travis Taylor to his All-Rookie Team selection.
In 2005-06, as the Hawks enjoyed their sixth consecutive winning season, Calzonetti's big men helped set school-records for blocked shots and total rebounds. The frontcourt, paced by second-team All-NEC performer Marques Alston, Corey Hallett and John Bunch, led Monmouth to the number three seed in the NEC postseason and its first-ever NCAA victory over Hampton.
In 2003-04, he saw his work with the Hawks' frontcourt pay dividends as Blake Hamilton blossomed into one of the league's premier players. He helped shape Hamilton into an All-NEC and All-Metropolitan first-team performer and the Most Valuable Player of the NEC Tournament. In 2004-05, Hamilton continued to excel, earning NEC Player of the Year and Associated Press All-America honorable mention.
In 2002-03, he was the driving force behind the evolution of Kevin Owens into the league's Defensive Player of the Year. He also played an integral part of MU's historic run to the NCAA Tournament during the 2000-01 season.
Calzonetti has extensive international experience. He has recruited in England, France, Israel, Austria and the Netherlands and has helped run clinics in China and France.
Calzonetti came to Monmouth after spending seven seasons at Fairfield (Conn.) University. During his tenure with the Stags, he helped build the program into a perennial contender in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.
Prior to his arrival, Fairfield had gone just 8-20. However, with Calzonetti, the Stags posted a winning season in 1992-93 and reached the MAAC semifinals in 1995. Fairfield captured the 1995-96 regular-season conference title, but settled for a bid to the National Invitation Tournament (NIT), the school's first post-season appearance since 1987, after losing in the MAAC Tournament championship game. The following year, after injuries hampered the team all season, the Stags became the first No. 8 seed to win the MAAC Tournament. Fairfield earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament where they battled top-seeded North Carolina to the final minute before falling, 82-74.
Before arriving at Fairfield, Calzonetti was an assistant coach at Shepherd College in Shepherdstown, West Virginia and at St. Michael's College in Colchester, Vermont. He started his coaching career at his alma mater Bentley in Waltham, Massachusetts.
A 1985 graduate of Bentley, Calzonetti was a standout for the Falcons. During his two seasons at Bentley, the team compiled a 43-15 record. In his senior season, Calzonetti guided the team to the NCAA Division II tournament and a No. 13 national ranking in the final poll. Calzonetti was the team leader in every offensive category and was selected as the South Jersey College Player of the Year by the Courier Post.
Calzonetti is married to the former Shannon Thompson, and the couple has two sons, Cooper and Riley. The Calzonettis reside in Neptune City, New Jersey.
