Mitch Buonaguro

Mitch Buonaguro (born December 4, 1953)

Teams coached: Fairfield Stags, Siena Saints
Fairfield record: 72-103 (.411)
Siena record: 35-59 (.372)
Overall record: 107-162 (.398)

Career Accomplishments:

Awards:

Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):

2015-2019 Fairfield (asst)
2010-2013 Siena
2005-2010 Siena (asst)
2003-2005 UNC Greensboro (asst)
1996-2003 Cleveland State (asst)
1991-1996 Texas A&M (asst)
1985-1991 Fairfield
1977-1985 Villanova (asst)
1975-1977 Boston College (asst)

Mitch Buonaguro Facts

  • Mitch Buonaguro
  • Born December 4, 1953
  • Hometown: Queens, New York
  • Alma Mater: Boston College (BA, 1975)
  • The Queens-native played guard at Boston College under head Bob Zuffelato
    • Started his coaching career at his alma mater, assisting Zuffelato for two seasons
  • Joined Rollie Massimino‘s staff at Villanova in 1977, working with the Wildcats for the next eight seasons
  • Hired the following season to be the head coach at Fairfield, going 72-103 in six seasons with the Stags
    • Started his tenure with back-to-back NCAA Tournament bids thanks to two MAAC Tournament titles
    • Won 10 or fewer games each season from 1987-91 and was fired in 1991
  • Spent five seasons as an assistant at Texas A&M under Tony Barone, then seven more under Massimino at Cleveland State
  • Joined Fran McCaffery‘s staff at UNC Greensboro in 2003, then followed McCaffery to Siena in 2005
    • After five years at Siena, McCaffery left for Iowa and Buonaguro was elevated to head coach of the Saints
    • Was just 35-59 in three seasons at the helm, finishing 6th or worse in the MAAC each year
  • A couple years after getting let go by Siena, Buonaguro returned to Fairfield to assist head coach Sydney Johnson
    • In between jobs, Buonaguro served as a television analyst for MAAC basketball games
  • Hired in January 2020 to be a consultant to the men’s and women’s programs at D-II College of Saint Rose in Albany, NY

Mitch Buonaguro Coaching Tree

  • Tobin Anderson (Iona, Fairleigh Dickinson, St. Thomas Aquinas)
  • Steve Clifford (Orlando Magic, Charlotte Bobcats/Hornets, Adelphi)
  • Tim O’Toole (Fairfield)