Coaches

Joe Nesci

Head Coach

The 2006-07 season marked Joe Nesci’s 19th year as the head men’s basketball coach at New York University. During his tenure, the Violets have produced 18 winning seasons, have made 12 post-season appearances (including seven-consecutive NCAA Tournament bids from 1992-98), and have compiled an overall 337-153 (.688) record.

Last season, the Violets recorded an overall mark of 22-6, 8-6 in the University Athletic Association (UAA), were ranked as high as #16 on the d3hoops.com Poll (February 4, 2007), led NCAA Division III in field-goal percentage defense (35.4) and rebounding margin (+10.5 rpg), and finished 11th with a team-record 49.7 field-goal percentage.

Nesci, who was named Metropolitan Basketball Writers' Association and Basketball Coaches' Association of New York Coach of the Year, led the Violets to their first-ever Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III Metro Tournament Championship.

Nesci also helped NYU produce its first All-American in 40 years, as senior center Jason Boone earned d3hoops.com Third Team All-America accolades. Boone, along with senior swingman Michael DeCorso, became the 13th and 14th Violets, respectively, to finish with over 1,000 career points during Nesci’s tenure.

Nesci’s Violets were just as successful off the court last season, as five team members earned UAA Winter Sport All-Academic honors.

Nesci, whose NYU head-coaching career began during the middle of the 1988-89 season, posted his milestone 300th career victory on November 26, 2005, against Elmira College (81-40). He has now coached the second-most games in team history (490), trailing only NYU Hall of Famer Howard Cann (641).

Nesci, along with fellow NYU coaching greats Cann and Lou Rossini, also holds the distinction of having led his team to the NCAA Final Four. Cann guided the ‘44-45 team to the National Championship Game with a lineup led by Dolph Schayes, before the Violets fell to Oklahoma A&M (now known as Oklahoma State), 49-45. Rossini’s ‘59-60 team, with Tom “Satch” Sanders scoring 21.3 points per game, also advanced to the Final Four, but lost to Ohio State 76-54 in the semifinals.

In 1993-94, Nesci led NYU to the Division III National Championship Final (a 66-59 overtime loss to Lebanon Valley College) as the Violets won the UAA Championship and a school-record 25 games. As a result of the Violets’ tremendous success that season, Nesci was honored by the Metropolitan Basketball Writers’ Association as the Division III Coach of the Year. It was the third consecutive year Nesci received the award after earning Co-Coach of the Year honors the previous two seasons. Nesci and his assistants were also named UAA Coaching Staff of the Year for the second consecutive season after successfully defending their 1992-93 title.

These accolades notwithstanding, the 1994-95 season may well have offered the strongest evidence of Nesci’s impressive coaching skills. After losing all five starters from the 1993-94 team, Nesci took an inexperienced group of players and led them to a 22-5 record that included a first-round NCAA Tournament win.

Nesci now owns the best winning percentage (.688) of any NYU men’s coach with at least 50 victories, and is second on the all-time wins list (behind Cann's 411). His teams have produced six 20-win seasons and have amassed a 148-112 (.569) record in UAA competition.

Nesci joined the NYU staff as an assistant coach in June 1984 and took over as head coach in January 1989. That squad went 6-5 under his guidance and 16-12 overall.

Nesci began his coaching career at Xavier High School in Manhattan, where he was Chairman of Physical Education from 1982-87.

A 1979 graduate of Brooklyn College with a degree in health, Nesci and his wife Jane have three children: Alyssa and Andrew (both currently attend NYU), and Amanda. The family currently resides on Staten Island, NY.

Joe Nesci Record
Year
W
L
Pct.
UAA
Finish
Record
1988-89x
6
5
.545
5th
2-4
1989-90
16
11
.592
5th
7-7
1990-91
16
10
.615
3rd (Tie)
8-6
1991-92*
22
5
.815
2nd
10-4
1992-93**
23
3
.885
1st
12-2
1993-94***
25
5
.833
1st
12-2
1994-95*
22
5
.815
2nd
10-4
1995-96*
19
8
.704
3rd
10-4
1996-97*
19
8
.704
2nd (Tie)
9-5
1997-98*
17
9
.654
3rd
8-6
1998-99e
17
9
.654
5th
7-7
1999-00
14
11
.560
4th (Tie)
7-8
2000-01e
18
10
.643
4th (Tie)
7-8
2001-02
14
11
.560
4th
7-7
2002-03
12
13
.480
7th
3-11
2003-04e
21
7
.750
3rd
8-6
2004-05e
16
10
.615
5th
6-8
2005-06
18
7
.720
4th (Tie)
7-7
2006-07E
22
6
.786
5th
8-6
Totals
337
153
.688
148-112

x - Became head coach after 17 games
e - ECAC Metro Tournament
E - ECAC Metro Champions
* - NCAA First Round
** - NCAA Sweet Sixteen
*** - NCAA Championship Runner-Up

Randie Torgalski

Assistant

Randie Torgalski is in his fourth season as an assistant men’s basketball coach at New York University. He continues to assist head coach Joe Nesci in all facets of the program.

The Violets have posted winning records in each of Torgalski’s first three seasons, compiling an overall record of 61-23 and 21-21 in the University Athletic Association (UAA).

Last season, Torgalski helped lead the Violets to an overall record of 22-6 and 8-6 in the UAA. NYU was ranked as high as #16 by d3hoops.com (February 4, 2007), and went on to capture its first-ever Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Metro Division III Championship. The Violets also led Division III in field-goal percentage defense (35.4) and rebounding margin (+10.5 rpg).

In 2005-2006, Torgalski helped lead the Violets to an 18-7 overall record and to a 7-7 mark in the UAA, while in his rookie campaign, NYU went 16-10 overall and posted a 6-8 mark in the UAA.

Prior to joining the NYU staff, Torgalski served as an assistant coach at Hamilton College from 1999-2004. During that span, he helped lead the Continentals to an overall 95-39 record, including three Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association Championships (UCAA) and three NCAA Tournament appearances. During his tenure at Hamilton, the coaching staff earned UCAA Coaching Staff of the Year honors three times.

“We are fortunate to have Randie on our coaching staff,” Nesci said. “His years as an assistant at Hamilton College as a top-notch practice coach and hard-working recruiter certainly helped prep him for the excellent work he’s done with our program.”

A 1999 graduate of the University of Rochester, Torgalski was a four-year starter at point guard for the Yellowjackets. An Honorable Mention All-UAA selection and team captain as a senior, he helped lead Rochester to an overall 57-46 record, as well as to two NCAA Tournaments and one ECAC Tournament. Torgalski, who graduated with a degree in psychology, finished second in assists (519) and 10th in three-pointers (80) on Rochester’s all-time career lists.

While at Hamilton, Torgalski also served as head junior varsity basketball coach during the 2000-01 season. He assisted with Hamilton’s men’s and women’s tennis teams from 1999-2001, and served as an assistant baseball coach in 2001.

A member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches and the New York State Basketball Coaches’ Association, Torgalski earned a master’s degree in sports leadership from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2007.

A native of Hamburg, NY, Torgalski, his wife Robyn and daughter Alyssa Rose currently reside in West islip, NY.

Kevin Wenk

Assistant

Kevin Wenk is in his second season as an assistant coach with the New York University men's basketball program.

A 1996 graduate of Bucknell University with a degree in economics, Wenk was a four-year member, a two-year starter and a two-time captain of the Bison basketball team. He twice won Bucknell’s Malcom Musser Award for Leadership. Ironically, Wenk played two seasons under head coach Pat Flannery, whose Lebanon Valley College team defeated current NYU head coach Joe Nesci’s Violets in the NCAA Division III Championship Game in 1994.

Wenk played both the point guard and shooting guard positions for Bucknell, and contributed on the defensive end by routinely being assigned to cover the opposition’s main offensive weapon. He quickly established a reputation for himself as a formidable opponent with his toughness, drive to win and invaluable leadership.

Wenk, who also currently works as a Director in the Municipal Markets Division for Merrill Lynch in Manhattan, enrolled at NYU and earned a MBA in finance from the Leonard N. Stern School of Business’ Langone (evening) Program in 2003.

A native of Vienna, Virginia, Wenk resides on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

Cal Ramsey

Assistant

One of New York City’s most visible basketball greats, Cal Ramsey has served 24 seasons as a member of the Violets’ basketball staff.

Last season, Ramsey was on the bench as NYU posted a 22-6 record and won its first-ever Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Metro Championship.

Ramsey, who also served NYU as Assistant Director of Alumni Relations for 20 years, received the NYU President's Alumni Achievement Award in 2004 for his contributions to his alma mater.

“Cal’s wealth of experience is a big plus for our program,” said head coach Joe Nesci. “He is always there for our players, both on and off the court.”

A 1959 graduate of NYU’s School of Commerce with a bachelor of science degree in business administration, Ramsey earned All-America status as a senior. He still holds a number of Violet hoop records, including rebounds in a game (34 vs. Boston College), season rebound average (19.6), career rebounds (1,101), and career rebound average (17.5). He is eighth on NYU’s all-time scoring list with 1,275 points.

Following his collegiate career, Ramsey moved on to play for the NBA’s St. Louis Hawks, New York Knicks and Syracuse Nationals. He currently works for the Knicks as Director of Special Events and Community Relations Representative.

Also a former television commentator for the Knicks and the City University of New York, and a radio analyst for St. John’s University, Ramsey was inducted into the NYU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1978 and into the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame in 1994.

Ramsey’s dedication, service and contributions to the New York City basketball scene have not gone unnoticed. In 2002, he received the National Invitation Tournament’s Man of the Year Award, while in April 2005, he received the Distinguished Service Award from the Metropolitan Basketball Writers’ Association.

Currently, Ramsey serves on the advisory board of the Frank McGuire Foundation, which provides grants to high school coaches who exemplify the spirit and qualities that McGuire displayed during his coaching career. Ramsey also currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the Children’s Aid Society and is a member of the Friar’s Club.

A native of Selma, Alabama, Ramsey resides in Manhattan.

Chase Licata

Assistant

Chase Licata is in his first season as an assistant coach with the New York University men's basketball program.

Prior to joining the NYU staff, Licata served as an assistant coach at the College of Mount St. Vincent for two seasons. His responsibilities included scouting, recruiting and practice planning, as well as all game-day duties.

A 2005 graduate of Muhlenberg College with a degree in political science, Licata was a four-year player, three-year starter and two-year captain for the Mules’ basketball team. During his career, Licata was chosen Centennial Conference Player the Week, earned Conference Honor Roll accolades, and was named to the Lehigh Valley Small College Athlete Team of the Month in December 2004. A versatile player, Licata saw action at all five positions for the Mules.

Licata has also coached at many clinics and instructional camps, including the Coach Wooden Basketball Camp, the Mule Basketball Camp, Kids In the Game Inc., the Packer Summer Camp, and for the Lehigh Valley Coaches Commission. He is also a member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches and the Basketball Coaches Association of New York.

Licata, who also currently works for the MBF Clearing Corporation as an Assistant Trader, is a native and resident of Brooklyn, NY.