ALBANY — Albany Patroons general manager and head coach Will Brown announced Tuesday the rest of his coaching staff, which features multiple well-known basketball figures within the Capital Region.
Joining Brown on the Patroons’ coaching staff as assistants are former Saint Rose men’s basketball coach Brian Beaury, former Syracuse women’s basketball star Julie McBride and former Niagara men’s basketball assistant coach Marc Rybczyk. Additionally, Don Bassett — who has coached for decades within the Capital Region at a variety of levels — will serve as special assistant to the head coach.
“This is a championship-level staff. I am beyond excited about the talent and experience we have put together to represent the Patroons organization as we move into the 2022 season,” Brown said in a statement issued from the Patroons, who play in The Basketball League. “Each of these coaches have strong local ties and have been invested in this community for a very long time. I am confident that our staff will impact our players on and off the court. I cannot wait to get to work.”
Prior to joining the Patroons earlier this year, Brown served as head coach for the UAlbany men’s basketball program for two decades and led the Great Danes to five NCAA tournament appearances. Bassett served as a special assistant for Brown with the Great Danes. Notably, Bassett coached for many successful years at Catholic Central High School, and also was an assistant with the Patroons — for head coach George Karl, who later won more than 1,000 NBA games as a coach — during their 1990-91 season.
Brown served as an assistant coach for a few years for Beaury. At Saint Rose, Beaury’s teams finished 643-326, made 14 NCAA tournament appearances and appeared in one Division II Final Four during his tenure that lasted for more than three decades.
McBride was a star at Catholic Central before heading to Syracuse, where she graduated as the program’s all-time leading scorer. A Mechanicville native, McBride played professionally following her college career
Rybczyk coached college basketball for more than 20 years, and was most recently coaching at Niagara. Rybczyk is married to former Siena women’s basketball head coach Ali Jaques, who was recently announced as one of the members of the Patroons’ broadcast announcing team.
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