FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Ianniciello to Lead Baseball, Fakas for Tennis.
GARDEN CITY, N.Y. - Bill Ianniciello and Rebecca Fakas have been elevated to full-time heading coaching roles for baseball and men's and women's tennis, respectively, as announced by Adelphi Director of Athletics and Campus Recreation Danny McCabe. Both Ianniciello and Fakas served as interim head coaches during the 2021 spring season.
Ianniciello Named Newest Skipper for Adelphi Baseball
Ianniciello, who took on the interim head coach title last April, will permanently assume the head coaching duties, effective immediately.
In a month as interim skipper, Ianniciello led an instant turnaround, in which Adelphi won 10 of its final 12 regular-season games to capture a second-straight NE10 Southwest Division regular-season title.
The Panthers ultimately made their first appearance in the NE10 Championship final since 2014, after winning convincingly over Le Moyne in the decisive game of a best-of-three NE10 Southwest Division final series, 13-2.
"We are thrilled to elevate Bill to the head coach position. Over the past decade, Bill has shown us his ability to recruit quality student-athletes to Adelphi and further develop them as players and people once they are here," McCabe said. "He did a tremendous job in leading the team to the NE10 Championship series this season. We look forward to what the future of the baseball program holds under Bill's leadership."
Before taking over as head coach, Ianniciello spent nine seasons in the capacities of assistant coach and associate head coach with the program -- the latter of which he served for three years until he was named interim head coach.
"I am honored and excited to be chosen as the next head coach of the prestigious Adelphi University baseball program. I am fully committed to recruiting exceptional student-athletes and providing an environment for a rewarding college baseball experience," said Ianniciello.
"I appreciate the trust Danny McCabe and the search committee have shown in me to build upon the momentum and success we enjoyed in our run to the 2021 NE10 Southwest Division regular-season championship and appearance in the NE10 finals."
Since his arrival at Adelphi in 2013, Ianniciello has helped coach the Panthers to seven NE10 Tournament appearances in nine seasons.
Ianniciello previously spent three decades (1980-2010) in baseball administration with the New York Mets and held the title of Vice President of Ticket Sales and Services in his last 17 years with the franchise.
His time in the summer has been spent coaching in the Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League, where he currently manages the Riverhead Tomcats. Ianniciello also spent time at the helm of the North Fork Ospreys, who made the playoffs in six of his seven seasons with the team and captured an HCBL title in 2013.
Ianniciello earned a B.A. in Economics at Stony Brook University in 1978 and his M.S. in Sport Management from the University of Massachusetts in 1981. He played baseball for four years at Stony Brook, was team captain his senior year, and managed the junior varsity team at UMass to a 13-6 record in 1978.
Fakas to Lead Adelphi Men's and Women's Tennis
Starting this fall. Rebecca Fakas will move into a full-time role as head coach of the Adelphi University men's and women's tennis programs, it was announced by Adelphi Director of Athletics and Campus Recreation Danny McCabe last Wednesday.
In two abbreviated seasons, Fakas has already transformed both programs into rising contenders for an NE10 Championship trophy.
This spring, Fakas handled the difficult responsibility of having to juggle a traditional men's and women's tennis season concurrently, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The men's team posted a winning season and reached the NE10 Tournament for the first time since 2017, while the women's team cruised to a 10-2 record and an appearance in the semifinals of the NE10 Championship.
"Rebecca has done a tremendous job leading our tennis programs as a part-time coach. The transition to full-time status will allow Rebecca to provide an even better experience to our student-athletes, while also engaging our alumni and local community," said McCabe.
"I am very excited and grateful to continue coaching these incredible teams and players in a full-time role," Fakas stated. "I want to thank Danny McCabe, the entire athletic administration and everyone involved that made this happen. I look forward to building upon the success we had this past year, and carry on with growing the program."
Fakas' short tenure has already produced a combined eight NE10 All-Conference selections between the two programs.
-Releases provided by Adelphi athletic communications-
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 14 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.
Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
