Peter A. Carlesimo
Encyclopedia
Peter A. Carlesimo was an American football
player, coach of football, basketball
, and cross country running
, and a college athletics administrator. He coached football, basketball, and cross country at the University of Scranton
and served as athletic director
there and at Fordham University
. He is sometimes credited with being the person most responsible for keeping the National Invitation Tournament
(NIT) alive in the late 1970s.
Carlesimo was born in Newark, New Jersey
and graduated from Saint Benedict's Preparatory School
. Then he attended Fordham University
, where he played football alongside Vince Lombardi
. He graduated from Fordham in 1940, and from there went back to his alma mater, Saint Benedict's, to be a history teacher and football coach. Carlesimo then moved on to the University of Scranton, where he was the football coach (1944–1960), basketball coach (1944–1946 and 1951–1955), cross country coach (1961–1968), and the school's athletic director
from (1953–1968).
Carlesimo went on to become the athletic director at Fordham University from 1968 to 1978. As a member of the Metropolitan Intercollegiate Basketball Association (MIBA), Fordham was part of the committee that ran the National Invitation Tournament. The tournament began to lose luster in the mid-1970s following the implementation of a rule (the so-called "Al McGuire
rule") forbidding schools from declining bids to the National Collegiate Athletic Association
tournament. This had led to a dwindling in talent and interest in the NIT, which Carlesimo sought to fix by rules changes implemented in 1977. Carlesimo proposed moving the early round games to campus sites, and having only the final four teams play at Madison Square Garden
in New York City. This move is seen as the reason the NIT has survived, as more interest is garnered by the schools participating, as they now have more of a financial stake from ticket sales.
Carlesimo went on to become the first full-time executive director of the NIT from 1978 to 1988, and in 1985, under Carlesimo's leadership, the NIT began a preseason tournament which included many of the country's best teams along with teams which have used the tournament as a springboard to much better seasons. He is still considered to be one of the most influential persons in the long and storied history of the NIT. He is a member of the University of Scranton's Athletic Hall of Fame, the Fordham University Athletic Hall of Fame, the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame, and the NCAA Athletic Director's Hall of Fame. He also won Scranton's Pro Deo award, a Pop Warner Father of the Year award, and was a member of the Jesuit Honor Society.
Carlesimo was known as a humorous speaker, having appeared at countless sports-related dinners and conferences, and was once a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
. He was married to Lucy Rogan and had ten children, including P. J. Carlesimo, the eldest, who was a longtime coach at Seton Hall University
and in the NBA
. Carlesimo died in 2003 at his home in Upper Montclair, New Jersey
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player, coach of football, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, and cross country running
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
, and a college athletics administrator. He coached football, basketball, and cross country at the University of Scranton
University of Scranton
The University of Scranton is a private, co-educational Catholic and Jesuit university, located in Scranton, Pennsylvania, in the northeast region of the state. The school was founded in 1888 by Most Rev. William O'Hara, the first Bishop of Scranton, as St. Thomas College. It was elevated to a...
and served as athletic director
Athletic director
An athletic director is an administrator at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs...
there and at Fordham University
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
. He is sometimes credited with being the person most responsible for keeping the National Invitation Tournament
National Invitation Tournament
The National Invitation Tournament is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. There are two NIT events each season. The first, played in November and known as the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off , was founded in 1985...
(NIT) alive in the late 1970s.
Carlesimo was born in Newark, New Jersey
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
and graduated from Saint Benedict's Preparatory School
Saint Benedict's Preparatory School
Saint Benedict's Preparatory School is a college preparatory school in Newark, New Jersey, United States. It is an all-boys, secondary school located on a urban campus serving students in the seventh through twelfth grades...
. Then he attended Fordham University
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
, where he played football alongside Vince Lombardi
Vince Lombardi
Vincent Thomas "Vince" Lombardi was an American football coach. He is best known as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers during the 1960s, where he led the team to three straight league championships and five in seven years, including winning the first two Super Bowls following the 1966 and...
. He graduated from Fordham in 1940, and from there went back to his alma mater, Saint Benedict's, to be a history teacher and football coach. Carlesimo then moved on to the University of Scranton, where he was the football coach (1944–1960), basketball coach (1944–1946 and 1951–1955), cross country coach (1961–1968), and the school's athletic director
Athletic director
An athletic director is an administrator at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs...
from (1953–1968).
Carlesimo went on to become the athletic director at Fordham University from 1968 to 1978. As a member of the Metropolitan Intercollegiate Basketball Association (MIBA), Fordham was part of the committee that ran the National Invitation Tournament. The tournament began to lose luster in the mid-1970s following the implementation of a rule (the so-called "Al McGuire
Al McGuire
Al McGuire was the head coach of the Marquette University men's basketball team from 1964 to 1977. He compiled impressive numbers throughout his coaching career, resulting in his induction to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992, and was also well known for his colorful personality.-Early life:He...
rule") forbidding schools from declining bids to the National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
tournament. This had led to a dwindling in talent and interest in the NIT, which Carlesimo sought to fix by rules changes implemented in 1977. Carlesimo proposed moving the early round games to campus sites, and having only the final four teams play at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
in New York City. This move is seen as the reason the NIT has survived, as more interest is garnered by the schools participating, as they now have more of a financial stake from ticket sales.
Carlesimo went on to become the first full-time executive director of the NIT from 1978 to 1988, and in 1985, under Carlesimo's leadership, the NIT began a preseason tournament which included many of the country's best teams along with teams which have used the tournament as a springboard to much better seasons. He is still considered to be one of the most influential persons in the long and storied history of the NIT. He is a member of the University of Scranton's Athletic Hall of Fame, the Fordham University Athletic Hall of Fame, the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame, and the NCAA Athletic Director's Hall of Fame. He also won Scranton's Pro Deo award, a Pop Warner Father of the Year award, and was a member of the Jesuit Honor Society.
Carlesimo was known as a humorous speaker, having appeared at countless sports-related dinners and conferences, and was once a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under the Tonight Show franchise from 1962 to 1992. It originally aired during late-night....
. He was married to Lucy Rogan and had ten children, including P. J. Carlesimo, the eldest, who was a longtime coach at Seton Hall University
Seton Hall University
Seton Hall University is a private Roman Catholic university in South Orange, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1856 by Archbishop James Roosevelt Bayley, Seton Hall is the oldest diocesan university in the United States. Seton Hall is also the oldest and largest Catholic university in the...
and in the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
. Carlesimo died in 2003 at his home in Upper Montclair, New Jersey
Upper Montclair, New Jersey
Upper Montclair is northern Montclair, which is usually reckoned as everything north of Watchung Avenue. Upper Montclair takes up approximately one third of Montclair, New Jersey-Education:...
.