Joe Cantafio
Joe Cantafio (born April 6, 1952)
Teams coached: VMI Keydets, Furman Paladins
VMI record: 79-147 (.350)
Furman record: 30-51 (.370)
Overall record: 109-198 (.355)
Career Accomplishments:
- NCAA National Championships: 0
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 0
- NIT Championships: 0
- NIT Appearances: 0
Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):
| 1994-1997 | Furman |
| 1986-1994 | VMI |
| 1982-1986 | VMI (asst) |
Joe Cantafio Facts
- Joseph V. Cantafio
- Born April 6, 1952
- Hometown: Dunmore, Pennsylvania
- Alma Mater: University of Scranton (BS, 1974) / Virginia Commonwealth University (MS, 2001)
- Played both basketball and baseball at Scranton, serving as team captain of the basketball team as a senior in 1973-74
- Started his career as the head coach at Cardinal Gibbons HS (NC), where he went 91-25 overall in four seasons (1974-78)
- After one year as an assistant at Abington Heights HS (PA), Cantafio joined the staff at DeMatha Catholic HS (MD) and worked there under Hall of Fame head coach Morgan Wootten for three seasons
- During his time at DeMatha, the Stags were 83-9 and featured star players like Adrian Branch, Ron Everhart and Danny Ferry
- Left in 1982 to become an assistant at VMI under Marty Fletcher, a DeMatha grad himself, and spent four years in that capacity
- In 1986, Fletcher left for Louisiana-Lafayette and Cantafio was elevated to head coach as his replacement
- Went 79-147 in eight seasons at the helm, finishing as high as 4th in the SoCon standings (1990)
- Became the head coach at SoCon rival Furman in 1992 and led the Paladins for the next three seasons
- Was 30-47, going 10-17 in each of his three years at the helm, before resigning in February 1997
- Stayed out of coaching after that, later working as the assistant director of VCU’s SportsCenter
- Also worked as Head of Programs with the Blewitt Foundation, which assists military families and children
- Continues to work in the private sector, living in the Richmond, VA area
- Along with his wife, Della, has one daughter and one son; son, Joey, is also a collegiate basketball coach
Joe Cantafio Coaching Tree
- Ed Conroy (Tulane, The Citadel, Francis Marion)
- Ron Everhart (Duquesne, Northeastern, McNeese State)
