Bucknell University Athletics
Fischer Promoted to Associate Head Coach, Leonardelli Joins Bison Hoops Staff
7/6/2011 8:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
July 6, 2011
LEWISBURG, Pa. -- Bucknell head men's basketball coach Dave Paulsen has announced the promotion of Dane Fischer to associate head coach, along with the hiring of Nick Leonardelli as manager of basketball operations.
Fischer just completed his third season as Paulsen's lead assistant coach, helping Bucknell to the 2011 Patriot League championship and a berth in the NCAA Tournament. The 2002 Ithaca College graduate has already proven to be a top-notch talent evaluater both at Bucknell, where he recruited reigning Patriot League Player of the Year Mike Muscala, and in previous stints at Rider and Williams.
"This is well-deserved recognition for the extraordinary job that Dane has done since he has been at Bucknell," said Paulsen, the 2011 Patriot League Coach of the Year. "His fingerprints are quite literally on every aspect of this program, and I really value his expertise and his input. He has done a terrific job recruiting, scouting, on-the-floor coaching and helping to administer the program. I do not know of any assistant in the country who is more effective or efficient at his job than Dane is here. He will be a teriffic head coach some time in the near future, but selfishly, we hope to have him here at Bucknell as long as we possibly can."
Leonardelli takes over the basketball operations position vacated by Thomas Joyce, who recently accepted an assistant coach opportunity with the Virginia Tech women's basketball program.
Leonardelli is a 2007 graduate of Dickinson College, where he was a four-year basketball letterman and team captain as a senior. Last season, he was an assistant coach at St. Michael's College in Burlington, Vt., where he helped the Purple Knights to 10 Northeast 10 Conference victories -- double their total from the previous year -- and their first postseason victory in four years.
In 2009-10, Leonardelli served as an assistant coach at St. Lawrence, where he was part of a Liberty League championship team that made it to the NCAA Division III Tournament. From 2007-09, Leonardelli was a graduate assistant at Rutgers-Newark, where he was part of a team that reached the New Jersey Athletic Conference finals for the first time in program history and also made two ECAC Tournament appearances. The Chester, N.J., native and Mendham High School graduate received a master's degree from Rutgers-Newark in May 2009.
"Nick comes highly recommended by everyone who has worked with him in his young career," said Paulsen. "I first met Nick two years ago and have watched his development as a coach and a professional. He has had the opportunity to work for three teriffic college coaches who I know quite well, and he played for one of the best high school coaches in New Jersey in Jim Baglin. I am excited to work together with Nick over the coming years."
The Bison finished 25-9 overall and 13-1 in the Patriot League last season, and they made their fifth NCAA Tournament appearance. The 2011-12 schedule will be announced soon.
