On a recent midweek afternoon, BMCC men’s basketball coach Dan Nigro was instructing sophomore Justin Daniels, a 6’7” forward, on the finer points of free throws, lay-ups and jump shots. The two were the only people in the gym.
Nigro was clear in his directions and generous with encouragement. “Keep your eye on the rim and your shoulders straight—and make sure to follow through,” he called from the sidelines. “That way you get the ball to rotate and spin into the basket.” Daniels shot. The ball skidded around the rim and fell to the floor.
“Don’t worry—we don’t count misses,” Nigro told Daniels. “It’s not like you’re in a game.”
Making the move
Nigro assumed the helm of the Panthers last fall after successful stints with a number of other college teams, including Division 1 squads. He has also coached at the high school level. “I got a call last year from Steve Kelly, BMCC’s athletic director, who asked if I was interested in coming over,” recalls Nigro, who was head coach at City College earlier in his career. “What drew me here, among other things, was BMCC’s commitment to team sports, as well as the great resources. The facilities are among the best in all of CUNY.”
As of this writing, the Panthers were 16-4 and won its regular season CUNY Conference Championship and Nigro couldn’t be more pleased.
Tomorrow BMCC will face Hostos Community College in the CUNYAC Tournament (by the way, the Women Pathers also won their regular season CUNY Conference Championship).
“Our main goal for the season was to stay competitive. I am overjoyed that we more than succeeded in our goal. We made the CUNY finals, and we’d love to get into the regionals, which are statewide, and ultimately, the nationals.”
That won’t all happen overnight, he acknowledges. In contrast to 4-year colleges, the Panthers roster changes continually, “since our players stay for only two years at most.” Among this season’s standouts are Janel Cobb and Tony Vails, who have repeatedly garnered CUNY “Player of the Week” awards and are ranked among the nation’s top college scorers and rebounders.
It’s not just about basketball
For now, says Nigro, skill development—both on and off the basketball court—is a higher priority than trying to win championships.
“We use basketball as a vehicle for teaching life skills,” he says. “Playing on this team is about being on time, showing respect to others, paying attention to details. If the players can conduct themselves this way on a day-to-day basis, both academically and athletically, it will stand them in good stead in the future.”
Adds freshman guard Justin Daniels, “I love basketball—especially playing at the college level. But I’m learning a lot more than how to play the game. I’m learning about responsibility and how to function independently.”
Nigro holds practices six days a week, “and the players are expected to arrive punctually, just as their professors expect them to show up on time for class—or an employer would expect them to show up on time for a job,” he notes. “I often say, ‘How will you function in the work world if you can’t function as a basketball player?’ We stay in close touch with their instructors, keep track of their grades and attendance, and require them to take part in tutoring programs.”
What it all comes down to, he adds, is that team members must meet basic academic standards in order to keep playing. “In a sense, they’re under a microscope much more than other students.”
