Jan Cocozziello is the Head Basketball Coach at Saint Joseph High School in Metuchen, NJ. “Joe’s” is one of the most storied high school programs in New Jersey producing NBA first-round draft picks Andrew Bynum, Jay Williams, Karl Anthony Towns, and Wade Baldwin. Jan was a four-year letter winner at Hartwick College, where he led his team to an Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference championship as a senior. He is the third all-time leading scorer in school history with 1,868 points.
Jan played basketball professionally in China for one season before returning to the United States to serve as a basketball coach and teacher at the high school level in New Jersey, including serving as an assistant coach at Saint Joseph before ascending to the head coaching role. He was also head men’s golf coach at Raritan Valley Community College in New Jersey where he helped the team place second in the Garden State Athletic Championships and qualify for the Region XIX Championships.
In this episode, Mike and Jan talk about his experiences in the recruiting process as a basketball player through high school, prep school, and Hartwick College. Jan also discusses his role in building the storied St. Joe's basketball program in his image. Listeners will learn how a former college and professional basketball player navigated many difficult transitions through his athletic career. Jan talks candidly about how he guides young men through these same challenges as CEO of a very successful high school basketball program.