Scott Spinelli is an American
college basketball
In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...
coach
Coach may refer to:
Guidance/instruction
* Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities
* Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process
** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers
Transportation
* Co ...
. Spinelli is most notorious for his unique recruiting abilities, as he has sent a total of five unranked recruits to the NBA from three different schools.
Playing career
Scott Spinelli was born in
Leominster, Massachusetts
Leominster ( ) is a city in Worcester County, Massachusetts, Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the second-largest city in Worcester County, with a population of 43,782 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Leominster i ...
. He is a 1989 graduate of
Boston University
Boston University (BU) is a Private university, private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. The university is nonsectarian, but has a historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1839 by Methodists with ...
, where he was a member of the basketball team under coach
Mike Jarvis
Michael D. Jarvis (born April 12, 1945) is an American college basketball coach most recently as head men's basketball coach at Florida Atlantic University. He has coached at Boston University, George Washington University and St. John's Univers ...
, helping the Terriers advance to the NCAA tournament in 1988.
Coaching career
Widely regarded as one of the top assistant coaches in college basketball, Spinelli has earned a reputation as an excellent recruiter and game tactician during a career that has seen him have success at every level of basketball.
He began his coaching career on the prep level in 1990 at
Milford Academy
Milford Academy is a post-secondary school founded in 1916 as Yale Preparatory School. It has been located in New Berlin, New York since 2004. Although founded as a preparatory school, its current focus is as a school for athletes who have th ...
, where he spent three seasons as head coach and coached several Division I prospects. In 1993, Spinelli started the basketball program at
The Winchendon School
The Winchendon School is an elite, coeducational, preparatory boarding and day school composed of two campuses; one in Massachusetts, and another in Herald Square, Manhattan, New York. Founded in 1926, The Winchendon School has an average class ...
in Winchendon, Mass., where in the first three years of the program's history, he led them to two appearances in the NEPSAC Class A Tournament championship game. Spinelli also produced numerous Division I players at Winchendon, including former McDonald's All-American
Randell Jackson, who played in the NBA with the
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays ...
and
Dallas Mavericks.
From 1996–1999, Spinelli spent time as an assistant coach at
Wyoming
Wyoming () is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the southwest, and Colorado to the s ...
and
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
, where he recruited two nationally ranked classes. In 2000, he became a scout for the
Philadelphia 76ers, where he spent one season before returning to the college level. From 2001–2003, he served as an assistant coach at
Loyola-Chicago, as the Ramblers won their most games since the 1980s and earned a Horizon League Championship berth.
In 2003, Spinelli became an assistant coach under
Barry Collier at Nebraska, where the Cornhuskers reached the postseason twice.
Collier is now the Athletic Director at
Butler University
Butler University is a private university in Indianapolis, Indiana. Founded in 1855 and named after founder Ovid Butler, the university has over 60 major academic fields of study in six colleges: the Lacy School of Business, College of Communic ...
and the man responsible for hiring
Brad Stevens
Bradley Kent Stevens (born October 22, 1976) is an American basketball executive and former coach who is currently the president of basketball operations for the Boston Celtics.
Born and raised in Zionsville, Indiana, Stevens starred on the Zio ...
.
Spinelli then served as an assistant coach at
Wichita State University
Wichita State University (WSU) is a public research university in Wichita, Kansas, United States. It is governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. The university offers more than 60 undergraduate degree programs in more than 200 areas of study in ...
during the 2006–2007 season. This became the first of three schools that he served as assistant coach under head coach
Mark Turgeon
Mark Leo Turgeon (born February 5, 1965) is an American college basketball coach. Turgeon served as the head men's basketball coach at Jacksonville State University from 1998 to 2000, Wichita State University from 2000 to 2007, Texas A&M Univ ...
. The Shockers were ranked as high as #8 in the
AP Poll
The Associated Press poll (AP poll) provides weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling 62 sportswriters and broad ...
and were victorious over George Mason, LSU and Syracuse on the road.
After former Texas A&M head men's basketball coach
Billy Gillispie
Billy Clyde Gillispie ( ; born November 7, 1959), also known by his initials BCG and Billy Clyde, is an American college basketball and current men's basketball coach at Tarleton State. Gillispie had previously been head coach at UTEP, Texas A ...
left to coach at
Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...
, Turgeon was immediately hired as head coach of the Aggies on April 10, 2007, thus bringing Spinelli with him to serve as his top assistant.
Turgeon and Spinelli acquired all of Gillispie's recruits for the 2007–08 season, including 5 star-rated
DeAndre Jordan
Hyland DeAndre Jordan Jr. (born July 21, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played one season of college basketball for the Texas A&M Aggies.
Jordan was se ...
. The Aggies started the season ranked 14th in the preseason
Coaches Poll
The Coaches Poll is a weekly ranking of the top 25 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) college football, Division I college basketball, and Division I college baseball teams. The football version of the poll has been known officiall ...
.
Spinelli enjoyed great success during his four-year stint as the top assistant at
Texas A&M
Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, or TAMU) is a public, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System in 1948. As of late 2021, T ...
. From 2007–2011, the Aggies won 102 games, which still stands as their greatest four-year win total in school history. The program also won the 2007 NIT Preseason Tip-Off and earned a berth to the NCAA Tournament all four years, while advancing to the round of 32 in 2008, 2009 and 2010.
In May 2011, Turgeon met with his coaching staff and players to inform them that half an hour earlier he accepted the head coach position at the
University of Maryland
The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the University System of M ...
. Turgeon quickly offered Spinelli a position on his staff at Maryland, which was accepted. While at Maryland, Spinelli helped the program land three recruiting classes, all nationally ranked in the top 25, including a top 10 class in 2014. The 2012-13 Terrapins won 25 games and reached an NIT Final Four. They were also the only program in the country to beat
Duke
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are rank ...
twice in that season.
In 2014, it was announced that Spinelli had accepted an assistant coaching position at
Boston College under head coach
Jim Christian
James Patrick Christian (born February 6, 1965), known professionally as Jim Christian, is an American college basketball coach who most recently served as the head coach of the Boston College men's basketball team. He previously held the same ...
. During the 2017–2018 season, the Eagles won their most games since 2010-2011 and knocked off #1 ranked
Duke
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are rank ...
.
On February 15, 2021, Spinelli was named the Interim Head Coach at
Boston College.
Recruiting
Spinelli is regarded as one of the top recruiters in the country, who has the unique ability to find "diamonds in the rough." A defier of player rankings, Spinelli has proven numerous times that he can turn unheralded recruits into
NBA stars. Spinelli's impact has been felt at all of his coaching stops.
While at Nebraska, Spinelli signed two nationally ranked recruiting classes and recruited all
Big 12
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Irving, Texas, USA. It consists of ten full-member universities. It is a member of Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for all sports. Its f ...
selection Aleks Maric. Collier, the head coach at the time stated, “The leadership part is being able to find students that fit ability-wise and character-wise. I think Scott (can do) both. “This is a whole thing about treating people the right way, and he does that.”
Spinelli has now sent players to the
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
(NBA) from three different schools. While at
Texas A&M
Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, or TAMU) is a public, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System in 1948. As of late 2021, T ...
, Spinelli recruited 3x NBA All-Star and current
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 1968 ...
forward,
Khris Middleton
James Khristian Middleton (born August 12, 1991) is an American professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is a three-time NBA All-Star and won an NBA championship with the Bucks in ...
, as well as current Brooklyn Nets star
DeAndre Jordan
Hyland DeAndre Jordan Jr. (born July 21, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played one season of college basketball for the Texas A&M Aggies.
Jordan was se ...
. Over the years, Middleton has credited Spinelli for getting him to where he is today. “Coach Spinelli is one of the best coaches I have had. He has a great command and passion in his ability to recruit top level talent, but also develop and motivate that talent to reach its full potential. It is exactly what he was able to do for me. He is one of the main reasons I’m able to fulfill my dream of playing in the NBA.” Middleton scored a career-high 51 points in a Bucks win over the Washington Wizards on January 28, 2020. Middleton nearly became the fifth player in NBA history to average 20+ points per game on 50% FG, 40% 3PT & 90% FT during the 2019-2020 NBA season.
As an assistant coach under Turgeon at Maryland, Spinelli recruited current
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays ...
center
Alex Len
Oleksiy Yuriyovych Len ( uk, Олексій Ю́рійович Лень; born June 16, 1993), commonly known as Alex Len (), is a Ukrainian professional basketball player for the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Be ...
and
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. Founded in 19 ...
forward
Jake Layman
Jake Douglas Layman (born March 7, 1994) is an American professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Maryland Terrapins.
Layman was drafted with the 47th overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft by the Orlando Magic before be ...
. Turgeon said, “Scott is a terrific recruiter and teacher. He is very passionate and has a strong feel for the game. Scott has been successful at every stop and is more than ready to lead a program. Scott is a bulldog recruiter with tremendous connections across the country. He is also an excellent coach with a tremendous basketball mind."
In his current position at
Boston College, Spinelli was the lead recruiter of current
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays ...
forward
Jerome Robinson
Jerome Robinson (born February 22, 1997) is an American professional basketball player for the Santa Cruz Warriors of the NBA G League. He played college basketball with the Boston College Eagles. He was selected by the Los Angeles Clippers in th ...
and
Golden State Warriors guard
Ky Bowman. Robinson was drafted with the 13th overall pick in the 2018 draft by the
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clipper ...
, becoming the first ever lottery pick out of Boston College. When Robinson was selected by the Clippers, he said, “Coach Spinelli has changed my life more than any coach I have ever had. From Day 1, as an unheralded HS recruit, he had a vision for me to reach my full potential. While many may have visions, Coach Spinelli also has the knowledge, experience, and positive energy that kept me focused and working not only towards achieving my dream of playing in the NBA, but making me a complete athlete, socially & academically. Coach believes in being prepared for when the ball stops bouncing also! If it was not for him, and his belief in me, I would not be where I am today. Forever my coach, friend, mentor, and part of my family!”
Recruits Sent to NBA
*
Khris Middleton
James Khristian Middleton (born August 12, 1991) is an American professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is a three-time NBA All-Star and won an NBA championship with the Bucks in ...
- 2012 NBA Draft (Round: 2 / Pick: 39)
*
DeAndre Jordan
Hyland DeAndre Jordan Jr. (born July 21, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played one season of college basketball for the Texas A&M Aggies.
Jordan was se ...
- 2008 NBA Draft (Round: 2 / Pick: 35)
*
Alex Len
Oleksiy Yuriyovych Len ( uk, Олексій Ю́рійович Лень; born June 16, 1993), commonly known as Alex Len (), is a Ukrainian professional basketball player for the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Be ...
- 2013 NBA Draft (Round: 1 / Pick: 5)
*
Jake Layman
Jake Douglas Layman (born March 7, 1994) is an American professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Maryland Terrapins.
Layman was drafted with the 47th overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft by the Orlando Magic before be ...
- 2016 NBA Draft (Round: 2 / Pick: 47)
*
Jerome Robinson
Jerome Robinson (born February 22, 1997) is an American professional basketball player for the Santa Cruz Warriors of the NBA G League. He played college basketball with the Boston College Eagles. He was selected by the Los Angeles Clippers in th ...
- 2018 NBA Draft (Round: 1 / Pick: 13)
*
Ky Bowman - 2019 NBA Draft (Undrafted / Signed as FA)
Head coaching record
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Spinelli, Scott
1966 births
Living people
Basketball coaches from Massachusetts
American men's basketball players
Basketball players from Massachusetts
Boston University Terriers men's basketball players
Loyola Ramblers men's basketball coaches
Wichita State Shockers men's basketball coaches
Nebraska Cornhuskers men's basketball coaches
Texas A&M Aggies men's basketball coaches
Maryland Terrapins men's basketball coaches
Boston College Eagles men's basketball coaches
People from Leominster, Massachusetts
Sportspeople from Worcester County, Massachusetts