Coach
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details” and was able to see how an
“elite basketball team operates from
top to bottom.” Furthermore, Posser
worked with future NBAers Ryan
Gomes, Herbert Hill, and Marshon
Brooks while at Providence.
One of the coach’s favorite
memories with the Big East team
was its upset of the then-number-one
ranked Pittsburgh Panthers late in the
2008-09 season.
Feeling the need to work on his
craft, Posser coached at One on One
Basketball Inc. in Providence in 2009-
10. There, he gained an “awareness
of the game and of the coaching
profession, and better learned how to
handle players.”
More prepared, the coach came back
home to New York the next season to
work as a graduate assistant for Hofstra
University’s men’s basketball team (of
the Colonial Athletic Association, or
CAA). Pride head coach Mo Cassara
welcomed him with open arms and
always appreciated his efforts.
“Coach Mo taught loyalty. He looked
out for everyone and paid attention to
the outside staff,” Posser said.
As graduate assistant, he oversaw
the squad’s operations and managerial
staff, while also monitoring players’
academics. Additionally, Posser played
a role in the latter part of Hofstra
guard Charles Jenkins’s illustrious
collegiate career.
Arguably the greatest player in
Pride history, Jenkins scored more
than 2,500 points, was a three-time
Haggerty Award winner, and would
go on to be drafted by the Golden State
Warriors in 2011.
Moving forward, 2013 was a year
of change for both Posser and the
Pride. The future coach took the video
coordinator position and Cassara was
replaced by Joe Mihalich.
As video coordinator, his title
for the next three years, Posser was
responsible for all film exchange,
creation of video scouting reports, and
game editing. Breaking down all this
film vastly improved his knowledge of
the more advanced facets of the sport.
Mihalich, like Cassara, maintained
a solid working relationship with
Posser as well as with other staff.
“Joe defined everyone’s roles and
kept you sharp,” Posser said.
He was most impressed, though,
with how Mihalich consumed
the game.
“He lived, ate, and slept basketball,
and was the most detailed offensive
coach I’ve ever worked with,”
Posser said.
This fanaticism explains why
Mihalich, who still holds the clipboard
for Hofstra, has had historic success
this year.
While in Hempstead, Posser
also received a Master’s degree in
educational leadership and policy
studies, one that virtually guarantees
him continued work in various
capacities at the collegiate level.
Overall, Posser feels “very blessed”
to have had a seven-year stint with the
Pride.
Despite getting a director-level job
offer from the College of the Holy Cross,
Posser stayed true to himself and
continued to search for coaching gigs.
When an assistant coaching position
at Division II Queens College opened
in 2016, he could not resist, especially
since he knew head coach Matt Collier
through their CAA days — Collier was
an assistant with Drexel University’s
men’s basketball team while Posser
was at Hofstra.
Collier, also currently in his third
season with the Knights, interviewed
Posser. It went smoothly, with Posser
saying that he thought h e
and Collier were “mirror
images of each other.”
Since both coaches
have taken similar
paths to get where
they are, it is not
surprising that they
have a close bond.
“We communicate,
we trust each other, and
we are always striving to
evolve,” Posser said.
He and Collier, both with extensive
Division I experience, seek to bring
the Knights back to the top of the ECC
standings and into the conference
tournament. To expedite the process,
Posser is stressing accountability and
the recognition that “mistakes will
happen, but we have to move forward.”
With a love of rebounding and
defense, he clearly values the
overlooked and unglorified aspects
of basketball.
“We have to continue to make all
the little things cool and instill in our
players a sense of pride in the plays
that don’t have rewards,” Posser said.
The most difficult part of coaching
for him is simultaneously “catering
to the players and maintaining
authority,” a struggle most coaches
encounter regardless of level or sport.
This issue is exacerbated by the
fact that today’s players “now have
answers in their hands and shorter
attention spans,” Posser said, referring
to the overwhelming prevalence
of smartphones.
So why should a high school hoops
star choose Queens College over other
similar schools? Well, Posser insists
that QC’s main advantage is location.
“We are the only D-II school in New
York City and if a player wins here,
everyone will know him and he’ll be
able to market himself,” Posser said.
The coach also cites the quality
education the college offers, one that
will help prepare athletes for life
after basketball.
What helps separate Posser from the
rest of the coaching
crowd is his past
and present
involvement
in the
community.
His influence and empathetic
attitude have reverberated well beyond
the confines of any gymnasium he has
worked in.
The coach has been a counselor
at a variety of basketball camps and
academies, including the Joe Mihalich
Elite Boys Basketball Camp, 5-Star
Basketball Camps, the Speedy Claxton
Skills Academy, and Providence
College Basketball Camps.
While at Hofstra, the coach served
as associate director of summer men’s
basketball camps and currently runs
QC’s summer basketball camps/clinics.
With a busy schedule as is, some may
wonder why Posser takes time to guide
young basketballers. For him, though,
it’s an easy decision.
Viewing himself as a teacher, he
understands that “care can go a long
way” for a child.
Participating at these camps has
the added benefit of “humbling and
grounding” him. Plus, it’s a way for
Posser to gauge his coaching skills.
“I figure that if I can engage a bunch
of 8- to 12-year-olds, then I’ll probably
be able to do pretty well with the 18- to
22-year-olds,” he said.
Posser’s off-the-court work has been
equally impressive.
Throughout his career, he has been
instrumental in community fundraising
and publicity activities. At
Queens College, he directs campusbased
recreation, partners with the
student government to organize events
such as health and wellness fairs, and
helps raise money for general campus
improvements.
In addition to these efforts and his
coaching responsibilities, Posser is
the school’s facilities coordinator
and fitness center manager.
Physical health is important to
him, and he knows the fit center
can “provide a release” for college
students and aid in “recharging
their batteries.”
Moreover, he thinks working
out there and taking fitness classes
is a great way for students to
engage with their college
community, something that
isn’t necessarily easy at
a commuter school.
When Posser isn’t
coaching at a practice
or breaking down
game film, he is
watching hoops.
A proud
subscriber of
NBA League
Pass, he watches
the games to
relax, but
also to learn.
He analyzes
them, looking
for things he
can apply to
his everchanging
coaching
style.
He analyzes them, looking for
something he can apply to his
own coaching.
Growing up, Posser idolized
athletes Michael Jordan and Derek
Jeter. Now as a coach, his role
models include Boston Celtics head
coach Brad Stevens and the late
John Wooden, the coaching icon
who won 10 NCAA titles with UCLA.
Posser boldly claims Wooden is “the
greatest teacher ever.”
Basketball may be the coach’s
central focus, but he does find time
to hang out with his girlfriend,
family, and friends.
His favorite movie is the 2000
sports classic “Remember the
Titans,” and his favorite TV series
is The Wire.
When he pops on his headphones
he usually turns to hip-hop or R&B,
listing rappers Jay-Z, Eminem,
and Tupac as his go-to artists.
He particularly enjoys the way
they “spoke to people through
their music.”
“Basketball must become your
life.” This is Posser’s message to
aspiring coaches, and it is advice he
has certainly lived by. Balancing
ambition and patience, his main life
goal is still to one day become a head
coach and “represent an institution.”
Already one of the most hard-working
and dynamic basketball minds in the
New York area, it shouldn’t be too long
before his dream becomes reality.
40 TIMESLEDGER, MARCH 1-7, 2019 QNS.COM
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