From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Steve Lappas (born March 18, 1954) is a college men's basketball coach. He coached at Manhattan College (1988-1992), Villanova University (1992-2001) and the University of Massachusetts (2001-2005), compiling a 237-143 (.624) record over a 17 years coaching career. He is currently a basketball color commentator and studio analyst for CSTV.
Lappas graduated from Bronx High School of Science in 1972, where he was sixth man on its 1971 city championship team and a starter as a prep senior. He went on to the City College of New York, where he was a two-year letterwinner in basketball and team captain as a junior. He graduated in 1977 with a bachelor's degree in primary education.
Lappas began his coaching career as a volunteer assistant at York (N.Y.) College for one season, followed by a one-year stint as an assistant coach at Fort Lee High School. He then took over the reins of Harry S. Truman High School (in The Bronx) program in 1979, where he coached five seasons and fashioned a 91-32 record, including a 27-3 record in 1983-1984 when his squad captured the New York State Class A title. He was a two-time (1981 and 1984) New York Daily News Coach of the Year selection. In 1984 Lappas joined Rollie Massimino's staff at Villanova University.
In 1988 Lappas became head coach at Manhattan College, where he turned around the program from a 7-21 season in 1988/89 to a 25-9 season and a berth to the 3rd round of the NIT in 1991/92. In 1992 he succeeded Rollie Massimino as head coach at Villanova, where he guided the team to seven postseason tournament appearances (four NCAA, three NIT), posting a 8-6 record. In 2001 he resigned as head coach after Villanova declined to sign him for a long term contract. He became head coach of the University of Massachusetts on March 26, 2001.
