Rich Glesmann returns for his seventh season on the Blackbirds’ staff. He began his time at LIU as director of basketball operations during the 2005-06 season and will begin his sixth season as an assistant coach having played an important role in the program’s resurgence.

 

Glesmann has handled a wide array of duties since arriving at LIU. He has been responsible for opponent scouting, recruiting, on-court coaching and instruction as well as serving as the program’s academic coordinator. Under Glesmann’s direction, the men’s basketball team posted a cumulative 3.0 grade point average during the spring 2009 semester. He played a role in the Blackbirds posting their most wins in over 70 seasons with a 27-6 mark in 2010-11 and has helped develop numerous all-conference honorees.

 

Glesmann has built a resumé as an assistant at various levels. Prior to joining head coach Jim Ferry’s staff at LIU, Glesmann spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Adelphi University helping the Panthers post consecutive winning seasons. The 2004-05 Panthers posted a 22-7 mark and led Division II in both scoring defense (55.5 points per game) and field goal percentage defense (.376). The squad claimed the regular-season New York Collegiate Conference title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament as a No. 3 seed. Glesmann’s coaching career began at Wheelock College where he was the second-youngest head coach in the country during the 2002 season while guiding the Wildcats’ women’s squad.

 

Glesmann has also worked at clinics around the country, including a stint with the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder Mini-Camp. He has also been active in numerous community relations projects in Brooklyn.

A native of Wayland, Mass., Glesmann graduated from Emerson College in 2002. A three-year starter at guard, and a team captain, he helped the Lions post a 21-9 mark as a senior. A captain for the 2000-01 campaign, he played an instrumental role in helping the team advance to the final of the ECAC Tournament. He shot 53 percent from the floor his senior campaign, averaging 11.5 points and 5.3 rebounds a contest. Glesmann attended Salisbury State for one season before transferring to Emerson.