Brian Nigro enters his fourth season as the Head Coach of the Medgar Evers men’s basketball team after joining the program prior to the 2017-2018 campaign.
Coach Nigro has dedicated his life to coaching, teaching, and helping young people not only improve and develop on the basketball court but, much more importantly, becoming better students and people. He is a big believer that prepping students for real world responsibilities is just as vital and crucial as the lessons learned winning basketball games.
In his first season guiding the Cougars, Medgar Evers enjoyed a three-win improvement from the previous season, with the team registering impressive victories over the likes of New York University, Baruch College, CSI, and SUNY Old Westbury. Additionally, during that inaugural 2017-2018 campaign for Nigro, the Cougars received six CUNYAC weekly awards (four Rookie of the Week distinctions, and two Player of the Week honorees), and a CUNYAC Rookie of the Year claim.
Nigro’s second season, the 2018-2019 campaign, saw the Cougars not only increase their overall win total by another two games, but Medgar Evers also won two more CUNYAC tilts than the year prior. Also, the Cougars earned two CUNYAC Rookie of the Week awards, and a CUNYAC First Team All-Star distinction as well. Thanks to their hearty output in CUNYAC competition, Medgar Evers qualified for the conference playoffs, facing Brooklyn College in the quarterfinals.
In Nigro’s most recent campaign as Head Coach of the Cougars, he led Medgar Evers to seven victories and a berth in the CUNYAC postseason. Five student-athletes averaged in double figures for the season, with two of those five averaging a double-double on a nightly basis.
He received his first coaching position as an assistant at Globe Institute of Technology, a Division I junior college. Responsible for recruitment, Nigro quickly developed an eye for raw talent, and learned the tactics for shaping the futures of young athletes.
Nigro earned his first head coaching position overseeing the boys basketball program at Berkeley Carroll. He spent three years there, guiding the boys’ athletic growth while overseeing their academic progress. Following his tenure at Berkeley Carroll, Nigro would return to his alma mater, Xaverian High School, in 2005. There, he oversaw the crucial J.V. program for boys basketball. Under Nigro’s guidance, the J.V. team became a key element for athlete development and recruitment for the Varsity team.
Following his pivotal time at Xavierian, coach Nigro solidified a position as the Head Coach at The College of Mount Saint Vincent, an institution he would stay for nine years. His best season came during the 2014-2015 campaign, when Nigro paced a Dolphins squad featuring 13 freshmen to 18 victories and a triumph over SUNY Purchase in the quarterfinals of the Skyline Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament. Following the season, one of the Dolphins’ standout student-athletes earned Skyline Rookie of the Year honors.
Through hard work, diligence, and sacrifice, Nigro eventually rose to the position of Associate Director of Athletics at Mount Saint Vincent, where he acted as a team liaison for the men's soccer, baseball, cross country and swimming programs, ensuring solid communication between the athletics department and admissions. Nigro was also responsible for hiring, mentoring and developing all head and assistant coaches, as well as managing the department's budget.
Nigro has said that the achievement that he is most proud of during his time at Mount Saint Vincent was when the Dolphins were recognized by the National Association of Basketball Coaches for academic achievement as a team, earning a GPA of over 3.0 in consecutive campaigns (2014-15 and 2015-16).
As an athlete, Nigro played at the College Of Mount Saint Vincent for four seasons, ranking 7th all time for assists per game, and 9th overall for total assists in the NCAA. His discipline, strong work ethic, and love basketball led him to becoming a coach.
Nigro is a lifelong resident of Brooklyn. He currently resides in Mill Basin with his wife, Claudia, and children, Brian Jr. and Brooke.
