Aug. 8, 2007

NEWARK, NJ - Steve Brodzinski has joined the men's basketball coaching staff at New Jersey Institute of Technology as an assistant, head coach Jim Casciano announced.

Brodzinski, who played for four seasons at New York University, graduating in 2005, comes to NJIT having spent the previous two seasons as an assistant coach at Clarion University of Pennsylvania.

He is also a 2001 graduate of longtime Philadelphia high school basketball powerhouse Roman Catholic High, where he started on the Philadelphia Catholic runner up as a senior.

Brodzinski, who earned his bachelor's degree from NYU in 2005, added a master's degree from Clarion earlier this year.

He is the son of Barry Brodzinski, a former star at La Salle and a longtime coach renowned as a shooting guru. The elder Brodzinski is featured in numerous videos produced and sold by the famed Five-Star Basketball Camp, as well as working one-on-one with many athletes, including NBA pros.

Noting the younger Brodzinski's basketball roots, as well as a passion for coaching that has seen him work as a counselor at Five-Star and at the Duke University camp in his brief career, Casciano said: "Steve grew up in a basketball family, so he has been around the game and coaching since he was four or five years old. He is someone who will bring enthusiasm and a great work ethic to our program, as well as the ability to relate to our players."

Brodzinski replaces Jeff Sonnema, a 1999 NJIT graduate who starred in both baseball and basketball for the Highlanders, before moving to the coaching staff in 1999-2000. After eight years as an assistant coach, he and his family are relocating to Michigan to pursue other career opportunities.

NJIT is tentatively slated to open the 2007-08 at home on November 10 against Manhattan.