Siena Basketball alumnus Carmen Maciariello '01 has been named the 18th head coach in Siena Men's Basketball history. The native of nearby Clifton Park, New York recently completed his first season as an assistant coach in his second stint on the Siena Basketball staff.
Maciariello will be formally introduced at a press conference Tuesday at 3 p.m. in the Times Union Center atrium. The press conference will be streamed live on the Siena Saints Official Facebook page via Facebook Live.
"I am unbelievably grateful to Br. Ed, John D'Argenio, and the whole Siena College community to have the opportunity to serve as your head coach," said Maciariello. "I am extremely excited to be able to lead this program for years to come. It's a great day to be a Saint!"
The 40-year-old Maciariello, who was first named interim head coach Thursday, helped guide Siena to a 17-16 overall record including an 11-7 mark in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference this season. The Saints' 17 wins tied for the most of any MAAC team, and the squad's eight-and-a-half game improvement is currently tied for the 12th best turnaround nationally. Siena finished in a tie for second place in the MAAC – placing nine spots higher than their preseason poll prediction – which tied UT Arlington for the largest improvement nationally.
Maciariello served as the coordinator for a Siena defense this season which currently ranks 42nd nationally allowing 66.0 points per game, the third best mark during the program's 43-year Division I era. Earlier this season, Maciariello's defense held the opposition to 70 points or fewer for 15 straight games, marking the program's longest such streak in 26 years.
"Carmen is uniquely qualified to take over the reins of our men's basketball program," said Siena College President Br. F. Edward Coughlin, O.F.M, Ph.D. "In addition to being an excellent basketball coach with a proven track record, his passion for Siena College and our student athletes is inspiring. He carries a deep understanding and commitment to the Siena mission, the community, and this special program that will serve him well. I share his vision of championship basketball, developing and graduating student athletes, and leading the way in the Capital Region. I know our fans join me in welcoming back a son of Siena to this key position at this key moment in our history."
Maciariello first entered the collegiate ranks as Siena's director of basketball operations during the 2005-06 season under the direction of 2017 Siena Athletics Hall of Fame inductee Fran McCaffery. In Maciariello's lone season with McCaffery, the Saints posted a nine-win improvement, helping lay the groundwork for the greatest three-year run in Siena Basketball history which yielded a trio of MAAC Championships and NCAA Tournament appearances from 2008-10.
Maciariello graduated cum laude with a marketing and management degree from Siena in 2001. He helped guide the Saints to 20 wins and a share of the MAAC Regular Season Championship during his senior season, after having sat out the previous year per NCAA transfer regulations following his matriculation from the University of New Hampshire. In his lone season playing for Siena, he appeared in 31 games (one start) and averaged 3.5 points and 1.6 rebounds spanning 11.3 minutes of action. Maciariello played three seasons for the Wildcats, where he was tabbed the team's Defensive Player of the Year in 1998, and was a team captain during his junior season in 1998-99.
"Carmen has an outstanding coaching resume at all levels of basketball, and has been part of championship teams everywhere he's been," said Siena College Vice President and Director of Athletics John D'Argenio. "He has forged strong relationships both here in the Capital Region and across the country. Carmen and his family have been part of the fabric of both the Siena College community and the Capital Region for a long time, and his love of Siena is evident through his energy and professionalism."
Maciariello recently completed his 11th season as a Division I assistant coach, which has included stops at Siena (2018-19), George Washington (2014-18), Boston University (2011-14), and Fairfield (2008-11). Maciariello's teams have made seven national postseason tournament appearances, while averaging 20.5 wins and a .624 winning percentage. He has also helped guide his programs to a 124-70 (.639) conference mark and, including his time as an undergraduate at Siena, has won a conference regular season or postseason title at each school.
George Washington amassed 87 wins and made three national postseason tournament appearances over Maciariello's four seasons with the program. The Colonials captured the 2016 NIT Championship and won a program-record 28 games.
Maciariello assisted Boston University to 57 victories including a 38-12 (.760) league record over his three seasons working under head coach Joe Jones. BU made a pair of national postseason tournament appearances during his tenure, punctuated by a NIT berth in 2013-14 when the Terriers achieved a 24-11 overall record and the program's first Patriot League Regular Season Championship with a 15-3 conference mark.
Maciariello helped guide Fairfield to a 65-34 (.657) overall record and a 37-17 (.685) mark in the MAAC in three seasons on Ed Cooley's staff. The Stags made a pair of national postseason tournament appearances during his tenure, highlighted by a school-record 25 wins, MAAC Regular Season Championship, and NIT Second Round appearance in 2011.
Maciariello first entered the coaching ranks with a two-year stint as vice president and head coach of the Albany City Rocks AAU program, where he coached a number of future Division I players and professional stars including Siena legend Edwin Ubiles, Jimmer Fredette, Mark Lyons, and Talor Battle.
Following his collegiate playing career, Maciariello received Italian citizenship and played four professional seasons in Italy. He first signed with Bignami Castel Maggiore, before playing with GS Basket Massafra where he averaged 30 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists. Maciariello concluded his professional career in the League Due with Virtus Rigusa and Cimberio Novara in Sicily.
Maciariello was inducted into the Capital District Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012. A 1996 graduate of Shenendehowa High School, he was named the Albany Times Union Player of the Year after guiding the Plainsmen to a 22-2 overall record and Section II Championship. Maciariello and his wife, Laura, are the proud parents of a two-year-old daughter, Reese.
