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About P.J. Carlesimo

About P.J. Carlesimo

Rev. Kevin P. Quinn, S.J.

P.J. Carlesimo sure has put his stamp on college and professional basketball since the days he spent on The ÐÓ°ÉÔ­°æ campus in the 1950s and 1960s. While his father, Peter, was serving the ÐÓ°ÉÔ­°æ for nearly 25 years, including 15 as the director of athletics, P.J. was building a foundation that would make him a household name in the basketball world.

The ÐÓ°ÉÔ­°æ will present the 2024 Peter A. Carlesimo Award to P.J. Carlesimo at the annual Carlesimo Golf Tournament and Award Dinner on Monday, June 24 at Philadelphia Cricket Club in Flourtown, Pa.

Quandel Construction Group is the title sponsor for the event, which supports and enhances the student-athlete experience at Scranton.

Since 2011, the Carlesimo Award, named for the late ÐÓ°ÉÔ­°æ head coach and director of athletics, has been presented to someone who has made special contributions to athletics and Catholic education.

The golf portion of the event is currently sold out, but individuals can still register for the evening award dinner honoring P.J. Carlesimo.  

In nearly 40 years as a basketball coach, P.J. Carlesimo enjoyed immense success at both the college and NBA levels. After graduating from Fordham in 1971, he got his start in coaching at his alma mater before moving on to New Hampshire College and then Wagner. In 1982, he was named the head coach at Seton Hall and oversaw the rebuilding of the Pirates’ program to national prominence. In 1989, he led Seton Hall to the Final Four, where it lost in overtime in the national title game to Michigan, 80-79.

In 12 seasons at Seton Hall, Carlesimo won 212 games, including five seasons of 20-plus victories, and made six NCAA Tournament appearances. He would eventually be named Seton Hall’s “Coach of the Century” as a result of his success.

During that time, P.J. was also an assistant coach of the 1992 U.S. men’s Olympic basketball team that was better known as “The Dream Team.” That team would go on to win the gold medal, ending an eight-year drought and beginning a run of eight gold medals in nine Olympic games from 1992 to 2020.

In 1994, Carlesimo was named the head coach of the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers, marking the start of a 17-year career on the NBA sidelines. He would go on to win 239 games as a head coach over parts of nine seasons with five organizations - Portland, Golden State, Seattle/Oklahoma City and Brooklyn. As an assistant coach, he won titles with the San Antonio Spurs in 2003, 2005 and 2007.

In addition to his coaching success, Carlesimo has been a significant contributor in the broadcast booth. He has worked for ESPN, TNT, Westwood One, Fox Sports, the Pac-12 Network, NBC and Comcast Sportsnet; additionally, Carlesimo is the only broadcaster in history to call the Olympic Gold Medal basketball game, the NCAA Championship game, and the NBA Finals. He remains a regular contributor on SportsCenter and calls select NBA games, including the Finals, for ESPN Radio, as well as working NCAA basketball for Westwood One.

A member of the Hall of Fame at both Wagner College and Seton Hall ÐÓ°ÉÔ­°æ, Carlesimo was also inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the 1992 Olympic team.