Vince Cazzetta
Encyclopedia
Vincent "Vince" Cazzetta (September 24, 1925 – May 4, 2005) was head coach of the Pittsburgh Pipers during the 1967-1968 season in which they won the American Basketball Association championship. He was one of the most successful head coaches in Seattle University's men's basketball history
Cazzetta was head coach at Seattle University
from 1959 through 1963. He ranked second in school history with a .711 winning percentage and 96 wins. He resigned as coach with nine games left in the 1963 season after a dispute with the athletic director.
Cazzetta moved on to become an assistant coach at the University of Rhode Island
.
Cazzetta became head coach of the fledgling Pittsburgh Pipers during the ABA's first season. He made major changes to the roster throughout the season; at the end of the season the team only had four players who had been there at the start of the season. During the season the Pipers had winning streaks of 15 and 12 games and won 18 out of 19 games at one point. The Pipers won the 1968 ABA Championship
.
Cazzetta was the ABA's Coach of the Year for the 1967-1968 season.
Cazzetta resigned as coach of the Pipers after team owners refused to grant him a raise in order to help move his wife and six children, as the franchise was leaving Pittsburgh to become the Minnesota Pipers. (The owners' refusal and move were both mistakes; the team returned to Pittsburgh as the Pipers after only one season in Minnesota.) Cazzetta was replaced as the Pipers' head coach by Jim Harding of LaSalle College
.
Cazzetta died in 2005 in Hartford, Connecticut
at the age of 79.
Cazzetta was head coach at Seattle University
Seattle University
Seattle University is a Jesuit Catholic university located in the First Hill neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, USA.SU is the largest independent university in the Northwest US, with over 7,500 students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs within eight schools, and is one of 28 member...
from 1959 through 1963. He ranked second in school history with a .711 winning percentage and 96 wins. He resigned as coach with nine games left in the 1963 season after a dispute with the athletic director.
Cazzetta moved on to become an assistant coach at the University of Rhode Island
University of Rhode Island
The University of Rhode Island is the principal public research university in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. Its main campus is located in Kingston. Additional campuses include the Feinstein Campus in Providence, the Narragansett Bay Campus in Narragansett, and the W. Alton Jones Campus in West...
.
Cazzetta became head coach of the fledgling Pittsburgh Pipers during the ABA's first season. He made major changes to the roster throughout the season; at the end of the season the team only had four players who had been there at the start of the season. During the season the Pipers had winning streaks of 15 and 12 games and won 18 out of 19 games at one point. The Pipers won the 1968 ABA Championship
1968 ABA Playoffs
The 1968 ABA Playoffs was the postseason tournament following the American Basketball Association's inaugural 1967-1968 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Division champion Pittsburgh Pipers defeating the Western Division champion New Orleans Buccaneers, four games to three in the...
.
Cazzetta was the ABA's Coach of the Year for the 1967-1968 season.
Cazzetta resigned as coach of the Pipers after team owners refused to grant him a raise in order to help move his wife and six children, as the franchise was leaving Pittsburgh to become the Minnesota Pipers. (The owners' refusal and move were both mistakes; the team returned to Pittsburgh as the Pipers after only one season in Minnesota.) Cazzetta was replaced as the Pipers' head coach by Jim Harding of LaSalle College
LaSalle College
Montreal's LaSalle College is the largest private bilingual technical college in Canada. It was established in 1959 and is accredited by the Quebec government.-Programs:The college offers two types of programs: pre-university and technical...
.
Cazzetta died in 2005 in Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
at the age of 79.