March 21, 2006
BEAUMONT - Steve Roccaforte, who has served the last three seasons on Billy Tubbs' coaching staff and was the program's recruiting coordinator, has been elevated to head basketball coach at Lamar University, Tubbs announced in a Tuesday press conference.
Having built a reputation nationally as one of the best recruiters in the country and a fine on-the-court coach, Roccaforte returned to his alma mater in June 2003. He prepped at Port Arthur Thomas Jefferson High School and served as a student assistant three years while earning a bachelor of applied arts and sciences degree in 1989.
"Steve knows the tradition and has a genuine passion for Lamar basketball because he grew up with it," Tubbs said in introducing Roccaforte. "I believe he has a great future and will continue to take Lamar basketball to our expectation level of where the program should be on a yearly basis."
Roccaforte, who becomes Lamar's ninth head coach since becoming a four-year institution in 1951, brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the job. He was listed as one of the top four assistant coaches ready to take over their own program according to Dan Wetzel of CBS Sportsline.com and was voted the seventh best assistant coach in the country by Basketball Times for the 2002-03 season. As reported by recruiting analyst Dave Telep, Roccaforte is one of the 25 hardest working coaches in the nation as well as one of the top 15 recruiters in the country.
"This is an unbelievable day for me and I would like to thank Dr. Simmons, Coach Tubbs and Mr. Zeek for their role in giving me this opportunity," Roccaforte said. "This is the job I've always coveted. I went to every Lamar game I could growing up. I'm just really excited and look forward to continuing the proud tradition of Lamar basketball."
During his career, Roccaforte recruited such players as Dajuan Wagner (Cleveland Cavaliers), Qyntel Woods (Portland Trailblazers), Amare Stoudemire (Phoenix Suns) and Kendrick Perkins (Boston Celtics).
In three years at Memphis, Roccaforte helped the Tigers advance to the NIT final four in 2001, won the NIT championship in 2002 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2003 for the first time in seven years. Prior to his time at Memphis, Roccaforte spent two seasons as an assistant coach on the Wyoming staff (1998-2000). The Cowboys were 37-22 during his tenure which included a trip to the NIT.
Before heading to Wyoming, Roccaforte worked at Tulane where he coordinated the Green Wave's recruiting activities. During his four years at Tulane, the Wave posted three consecutive 20-win seasons (1994-98). The Green Wave advanced to the NCAA Tournament Second Round in 1995, the NIT Final Four in 1996 and a second NIT appearance in 1997.
Prior to coaching stints at Tulane and Wyoming, Roccaforte was an assistant coach at Centenary College for five seasons (1989-94).
Centenary won its first TAAC regular-season championship during his tenure.
Roccaforte, 40 (born May 21, 1965), and his wife Tina have a daughter, Victoria Elise, 9, and a son, Lucien Anthony, 6.
