Hofstra University Friday announced the firing of men’s basketball coach Mo Cassara after three seasons with the Pride.
Cassara joined the University in 2010 after a DWI arrest forced then-coach, Tim Welsh, to resign after only one month on the job. Under Cassara’s leadership, the Pride posted a 21-12 record that year and tied for second in the Colonial Athletic Association.
But the honeymoon didn’t last long with the Pride dropping off dramatically the past two seasons. The team posted a 10-22 record during the 2011-2012 campaign and struggled through another deflating season this year, finishing with a 7-25 record.
“I would like to express how much I have valued and enjoyed the opportunity to be the head basketball coach at Hofstra University,” Cassara said in a statement. “I appreciate the experience and challenge that I was given almost three years ago by [Hofstra] President [Stuart] Rabinowitz, and have loved my time working with our administrators, student-athletes and staff.”
School representatives likewise painted a picture of an amicable split.
“We are very thankful to Mo Cassara for his hard work and dedication to the Hofstra Basketball program over the last three years,” said Hofstra Athletic Director Jeffrey Hathaway. “Mo is a tireless worker and has tremendous passion for the game and the students that he coached.”
The team’s on-court struggles also followed them away from the arena.
Four players were brought up on burglary charges four months ago and were accused of breaking into campus dorms. Another player, 23-year-old Jamal Coombs-McDaniel, was arrested last Friday on marijuana charges.
“I want the entire community to know just how much I care about our student-athletes and this team,” Cassara added. “We have navigated through what has been a challenging season. I wish nothing but success to the athletic department, basketball program and supporters of the Hofstra Pride.”
Cassara signed a five-year contract in March 2011 that was to keep him at Hofstra until 2016.
