An intense competitor, outstanding game coach and tireless recruiter, head coach Bobby Gonzalez enters his fourth season at Seton Hall.

For the third straight season, the Pirates exceeded expectations in 2008-09.  Predicted to finish 13th in the grueling BIG EAST Conference, Gonzalez guided the Pirates to an 11th place finish with seven victories in conference play.  It marked the second consecutive season that Seton Hall was picked 13^th, but placed 11^th.  Seton Hall also notched 17 overall victories for a second straight year and won their first game in the BIG EAST Championship since 2003, a 68-54 victory over USF.

In his Seton Hall tenure, Gonzalez's teams have already scored upset victories over Louisville, #23 Virginia, #19 USC and #12 Georgetown and placed third at the 2008 O'Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tip-Off, which included marquee match-ups against college basketball powerhouses USF, Memphis and Virginia Tech.

Gonzalez was named the 18th head coach in Seton Hall basketball history on April 7, 2006, ushering in a new, exciting era of Pirate hoops.  In no time, Gonzalez has put his stamp on the program, triggering a high level of excitement around Seton Hall due to his tireless work ethic and boundless energy.  He brought a forward-thinking, optimistic and take-charge attitude to South Orange and made an immediate mark on the recruiting trail, reeling in freshman standout Eugene Harvey.

Gonzalez, 46, came to Seton Hall after a tremendous seven-year run as the head coach at Manhattan College.  He led the Jaspers to four 20-win seasons and two NCAA Tournaments in seven years, including finishing .500 or above in the league in each season.  His record at Manhattan was 129-77, and his team won the MAAC regular season championship three times and the tournament title twice.

Manhattan went 20-11 in 2004-05 and Gonzalez was named the MAAC Coach of the Year.  The Jaspers advanced to the National Invitation Tournament and won two games, defeating Fairleigh Dickinson and winning at Maryland.  Gonzalez led the team to a 14-4 record and the MAAC regular season title.

His best season came in 2003-04, when he guided the Jaspers to a 25-6 overall record, 16-2 in the MAAC.  Manhattan was a No. 12 seed in the NCAA Championship and defeated No. 5 seed Florida in the first round before losing a close game to No. 4 seed Wake Forest.  Gonzalez received numerous accolades following the season, being named NABC District 2, USBWA, and NYBCA Division I Coach of the Year as well as receiving Metropolitan Coach of the Year recognition for the second straight year.

Gonzalez enjoyed international success when he served as an assistant coach for the Gold Medal-winning, 22 and under United States team of the World University Games held in Turkey in 2005.

"Bobby Gonzalez is the key leader of Seton Hall's bold new plan for our men's basketball program," said Monsignor Robert Sheeran, Seton Hall University President, on the day of his hiring.  "Bobby is a high-energy leader whose good spirit and drive are infectious.  He is the right coach for this special moment. Seton Hall basketball has an outstanding history-and I am confident Bobby Gonzalez's tenure will be an exciting chapter in our unfolding story."

Gonzalez coached Luis Flores, Manhattan's all-time leading scorer, who was drafted in the second round by the NBA's Houston Rockets in 2004.  Flores played with both Denver and Golden State in 2004-05.

In 2002-03, Gonzalez led Manhattan to the MAAC regular season and league championship with a 23-7 record, 14-4 in the league.  Named the MAAC Coach of the Year for his efforts, Gonzalez took Manhattan College to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1995.  The Jaspers fell to eventual national champion Syracuse in the first round.

Gonzalez's first overall winning season came in his third year, 2001-02, when the Jaspers finished 20-9 overall and 12-6 in the MAAC while advancing to the NIT.  Manhattan was 14-15 in Gonzalez's second season but boasted an 11-7 record in league play.  In 1999-00, Gonzalez inherited a last-place team and led Manhattan to a record of 12-15 and 9-9 in the conference.

Gonzalez is no stranger to the BIG EAST and to big-time college basketball.  Prior to becoming a head coach, he was an assistant on Pete Gillen's staffs at Xavier (1993-94), Providence (1994-98) and Virginia (1998-99).

Known for his strong recruiting classes, Gonzalez possesses outstanding contacts and ties to the metropolitan area.  He was assistant high school coach at Rice High School in the Bronx in 1992-93 and assistant at St. Nicholas of Tolentine from 1988-91.  He was also an assistant coach at Binghamton University (1987-88) and Broome Community College (1986-87).

Off the court, Gonzalez is a member of the NCAA Ethics Committee and regularly serves as a radio and TV basketball analyst.  He regularly provides expert insight for the NCAA Tournament and NBA Draft on numerous television entities including NBA TV, MSG and SNY.  Gonzalez is also very active with the American Cancer Society and its Coaches Vs. Cancer program.

Gonzalez graduated from Buffalo State College in 1986 with a degree in communications.  He and his wife Tracy have one daughter, Brooke Kimberly.

Bobby Gonzalez - head coaching experience

 

Assistant Coach Experience:  Virginia (1998-99), Providence (1994-98), Xavier (1993-94), Binghamton (1987-88), Broome Community College (1986-87).