Dave Pasiak
Encyclopedia
David "Dave" Pasiak is the men's basketball
head coach for Onondaga Community College
. He currently has a career record of 197-135 in 11 seasons at OCC and 216-173 overall in 13 seasons at the NJCAA level. Pasiak is actively involved in Coaches vs. Cancer. In his seventh season as head coach at OCC, he earned his 150th victory at the NJCAA level and in the process became Onondaga's all-time winningest coach (OCC Athletics). He also served as Onondaga's Interim Athletic Director from November, 2009 to August, 2011. He was named Mid-State Athletic Conference
Coach of the Year in 2002, 2003 & 2008. He was the NJCAA Region III Division III Coach of the Year in 2003. Pasiak guided his 2006-2007 team to the school's first Mid-State Athletic Conference
Championship in 15 years.
in 1980, and was a member of the University's basketball team. He graduated in 1984 (OCC Athletics) and began his coaching career at his alma mater, Waterville High School, where he was the head coach of the boys junior varsity team. Soon thereafter he was hired as the varsity boys basketball coach at Sauquoit Valley High School.
staff as an assistant. To this day Pasiak calls Bruen his favorite mentor. "I always said if I could be half the coach and a quarter of the man that he was then I'd be okay," said Pasiak in a 2007 interview.
Following a two-year stint at Colgate, Pasiak took his first head coaching job at the collegeiate level in 1991. He was the head coach at Herkimer County Community College
for two seasons. Herkimer had won the Division III NJCAA National Championship, the year prior to Pasiak's arrival, led by long time Coach Jack Alofs who retired with a coaching record of over 500 wins.
Pasiak took over and returned only two players from the championship team, neither of whom would finish the season. In Pasiak's first season the Generals finished 6-21. The next year they improved to 13-17. However, another off-court incident, this one involving a player being severely beaten, led to Pasiak's departure from Herkimer.
Pasiak stated in a 2007 interview that the president of the college did not like the fact that Pasiak had gone to the hospital to visit said player and had accompanied the player to his court testimony. "The reason I didn't stay at Herkimer was a direct result of that aftermath. We could have won the national title and I wouldn't have been back at Herkimer. But if that happened again I'd do the same thing," said Pasiak.
in Upstate New York
. He stayed for one season then took the varsity coaching position at Westmoreland High School. He stayed on as coach of the Bulldogs for four seasons, his longest tenure until he reached OCC.
Pasiak left coaching in the late 1990s to become athletic director
at Frankfort-Schuyler High School. His absence from coaching would be short-lived. After one year he stepped in as acting varsity head coach when head coach Jim Babcock took a personal leave of absence.
athletic director Bob McKenney about the head coaching job at the college. Pasiak accepted the job just a few weeks prior to the start of the 2000-2001 school year. With no time to recruit, he inherited a team with only two returning players and minimal experience among the newcomers. After getting off to an 0-11 start, Pasiak guided the team to a remarkable turnaround, as they won 12 of their last 17 regular season games, finished third in the Mid-State Athletic Conference
, and qualified for the conference playoffs for the first time in several seasons.
In 2001-02, after starting 1-8 against one of Region III’s most demanding schedules, Pasiak guided the team to 16 wins in their final 19 regular season games. The Lazers finished the season 18-13, 11-3 in Mid-State Athletic Conference play, and qualified for post-season play, reaching the Mid-State Championship game, and the Region III Division III quarter-finals. The Lazers also achieved notoriety for their offensive outbursts, as they ended the season as the top scoring team in NJCAA Division III play. As a result, Coach Pasiak was recognized as the Mid-State Athletic Conference Coach of the Year.
In 2002-03, Pasiak guided the Lazers to a final record of 23-7, the second best in school history. Onondaga’s regular season mark of 23-5 was the best ever at the school. The Lazers spent five weeks as an honorable mention selection in the NJCAA Division III national poll. They finished 12-2 in Mid-State play and qualified for the conference playoffs. Onondaga reached the Region III Division III quarterfinals and finished 8th nationally in scoring offense. For these accomplishments, Pasiak was named the Region III Coach of the Year, and was also named the Mid-State Athletic Conference Coach of the Year for the second consecutive year.
In 2003-04, under Pasiak’s direction the Lazers finished with an overall record of 21-11, and a Mid-State record of 9-5. The Lazers qualified for the conference playoffs and for the Region III tournament. They reached the Mid-State Championship game, and won two post-season contests for the first time since 1994. Onondaga also received honorable mention in the NJCAA Division III national poll and finished 10th nationally in scoring offense.
In 2004-05, Pasiak directed Onondaga to an overall record of 17-13, and a Mid-State record of 7-7. The Lazers rebounded from an 0-4 start in conference play to qualify for the conference playoffs and for the Region III tournament. Onondaga also finished 9th nationally in scoring offense.
In 2005-06, Pasiak directed Onondaga to an overall record of 17-12, and a Mid-State record of 7-7. The Lazers finished the regular season by winning 7 of their last 8 games to qualify for the Region III tournament for the fifth straight year. Onondaga also finished 2nd nationally in scoring offense, the sixth consecutive year that they had finished in the top ten in that category.
In 2006-07, Onondaga won the Mid-State Athletic Conference Tournament for the first time since 1992, the year prior to the program's sole national championship. They were the host team for the tourney as they had won the regular season title with a record of 12-2. The Lazers also qualified for the Region III tournament for the sixth straight season, losing in the quarterfinals to Clinton Community College
. OCC finished with a 23-8 record, earning Pasiak his third 20-win season in five years.
In 2007-08, Onondaga shared the Mid-State Athletic Conference Regular Season Championship with Broome Community College
. Broome received the top seed in the MSAC Tournament and defeated Onondaga in the championship game, denying Onondaga's bid for back to back championships. Onondaga finished the season with a 22-9 record, falling to SUNY Cobleskill in the Region III quarter-finals. Pasiak was named the Mid-State Athletic Conference Coach of the Year for the 3rd time.
Onondaga qualified for post-season in both 2008-09 and 2009-2010. In 2009, the Lazers finished 14-16, reaching the MSAC semi-finals and the Region III quarterfinals. In 2010, Onondaga won 5 of its last 6 conference games to earn the #3 seed in the MSAC Tournament, where they fell to Broome Community College. Onondaga closed the 2009-2010 season with a 10-19 overall record.
In 2010-2011, Onondaga finished the season with an overall record of 20-10. The Lazers posted a 9-3 record in MSAC play, finishing second in the regular season standings and earning the #2 seed in the MSAC Tournament. Onondaga reached the MSAC semi-finals, where they fell to Broome Community College, and the NJCAA Region III quarter-finals, where they were defeated by Finger Lakes Community College.
In his eleven years as head coach at Onondaga, Pasiak has guided the Lazers to postseason berths, either in the MSAC or NJCAA Region III tournaments, in each season (OCC Athletics). During his tenure, the Lazers have appeared in four MSAC championship games (2002, 2004, 2007 & 2008).
Pasiak has also been named Mid-State Athletic Conference
Coach of the Year three times, and was recognized as Region III Coach of the Year in 2003.
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
head coach for Onondaga Community College
Onondaga Community College
Onondaga Community College is an accredited two-year educational institution that services Onondaga County, New York at three campuses. Onondaga Community College is a college of the State University of New York system and one of 30 locally sponsored community colleges throughout New York...
. He currently has a career record of 197-135 in 11 seasons at OCC and 216-173 overall in 13 seasons at the NJCAA level. Pasiak is actively involved in Coaches vs. Cancer. In his seventh season as head coach at OCC, he earned his 150th victory at the NJCAA level and in the process became Onondaga's all-time winningest coach (OCC Athletics). He also served as Onondaga's Interim Athletic Director from November, 2009 to August, 2011. He was named Mid-State Athletic Conference
Mid-State Athletic Conference
Located within Region III of the National Junior College Athletic Association, the Mid-State Athletic Conference is a junior college conference with 7 member schools, all located in Upstate New York...
Coach of the Year in 2002, 2003 & 2008. He was the NJCAA Region III Division III Coach of the Year in 2003. Pasiak guided his 2006-2007 team to the school's first Mid-State Athletic Conference
Mid-State Athletic Conference
Located within Region III of the National Junior College Athletic Association, the Mid-State Athletic Conference is a junior college conference with 7 member schools, all located in Upstate New York...
Championship in 15 years.
High School
Pasiak enrolled in Clarkson UniversityClarkson University
-The Clarkson School:The Clarkson School, a special division of Clarkson University, was founded in 1978 as a unique educational opportunity. The School offers students an early entrance opportunity into college, replacing the typical senior year of high school with a year of college...
in 1980, and was a member of the University's basketball team. He graduated in 1984 (OCC Athletics) and began his coaching career at his alma mater, Waterville High School, where he was the head coach of the boys junior varsity team. Soon thereafter he was hired as the varsity boys basketball coach at Sauquoit Valley High School.
College
After one season he had the opportunity to coach at the collegiate level and joined newly-hired Jack Bruen's ColgateColgate University
Colgate University is a private liberal arts college in Hamilton, New York, USA. The school was founded in 1819 as a Baptist seminary and later became non-denominational. It is named for the Colgate family who greatly contributed to the university's endowment in the 19th century.Colgate has 52...
staff as an assistant. To this day Pasiak calls Bruen his favorite mentor. "I always said if I could be half the coach and a quarter of the man that he was then I'd be okay," said Pasiak in a 2007 interview.
Following a two-year stint at Colgate, Pasiak took his first head coaching job at the collegeiate level in 1991. He was the head coach at Herkimer County Community College
Herkimer County Community College
Herkimer County Community College is a two-year community college in the Village of Herkimer in Herkimer County, New York, USA. The college is in the northwest part of the village, bounded on the north by Reservoir Road.- History :...
for two seasons. Herkimer had won the Division III NJCAA National Championship, the year prior to Pasiak's arrival, led by long time Coach Jack Alofs who retired with a coaching record of over 500 wins.
Pasiak took over and returned only two players from the championship team, neither of whom would finish the season. In Pasiak's first season the Generals finished 6-21. The next year they improved to 13-17. However, another off-court incident, this one involving a player being severely beaten, led to Pasiak's departure from Herkimer.
Pasiak stated in a 2007 interview that the president of the college did not like the fact that Pasiak had gone to the hospital to visit said player and had accompanied the player to his court testimony. "The reason I didn't stay at Herkimer was a direct result of that aftermath. We could have won the national title and I wouldn't have been back at Herkimer. But if that happened again I'd do the same thing," said Pasiak.
Return to High School
After Herkimer, Pasiak returned to the high school level as vasity head coach of Brookfield High SchoolBrookfield High School
- United States :*Brookfield High School, Brookfield, Connecticut*Brookfield High School, Brookfield, Missouri*Brookfield High School, Brookfield, Ohio*Brookfield Academy, Brookfield, Wisconsin*Brookfield Academy, Cherry Hill, New Jersey...
in Upstate New York
Upstate New York
Upstate New York is the region of the U.S. state of New York that is located north of the core of the New York metropolitan area.-Definition:There is no clear or official boundary between Upstate New York and Downstate New York...
. He stayed for one season then took the varsity coaching position at Westmoreland High School. He stayed on as coach of the Bulldogs for four seasons, his longest tenure until he reached OCC.
Pasiak left coaching in the late 1990s to become athletic director
Athletic director
An athletic director is an administrator at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs...
at Frankfort-Schuyler High School. His absence from coaching would be short-lived. After one year he stepped in as acting varsity head coach when head coach Jim Babcock took a personal leave of absence.
Onondaga Community College
While serving as AD of Frankfort-Schuyler, Pasiak was approached by new Onondaga Community CollegeOnondaga Community College
Onondaga Community College is an accredited two-year educational institution that services Onondaga County, New York at three campuses. Onondaga Community College is a college of the State University of New York system and one of 30 locally sponsored community colleges throughout New York...
athletic director Bob McKenney about the head coaching job at the college. Pasiak accepted the job just a few weeks prior to the start of the 2000-2001 school year. With no time to recruit, he inherited a team with only two returning players and minimal experience among the newcomers. After getting off to an 0-11 start, Pasiak guided the team to a remarkable turnaround, as they won 12 of their last 17 regular season games, finished third in the Mid-State Athletic Conference
Mid-State Athletic Conference
Located within Region III of the National Junior College Athletic Association, the Mid-State Athletic Conference is a junior college conference with 7 member schools, all located in Upstate New York...
, and qualified for the conference playoffs for the first time in several seasons.
In 2001-02, after starting 1-8 against one of Region III’s most demanding schedules, Pasiak guided the team to 16 wins in their final 19 regular season games. The Lazers finished the season 18-13, 11-3 in Mid-State Athletic Conference play, and qualified for post-season play, reaching the Mid-State Championship game, and the Region III Division III quarter-finals. The Lazers also achieved notoriety for their offensive outbursts, as they ended the season as the top scoring team in NJCAA Division III play. As a result, Coach Pasiak was recognized as the Mid-State Athletic Conference Coach of the Year.
In 2002-03, Pasiak guided the Lazers to a final record of 23-7, the second best in school history. Onondaga’s regular season mark of 23-5 was the best ever at the school. The Lazers spent five weeks as an honorable mention selection in the NJCAA Division III national poll. They finished 12-2 in Mid-State play and qualified for the conference playoffs. Onondaga reached the Region III Division III quarterfinals and finished 8th nationally in scoring offense. For these accomplishments, Pasiak was named the Region III Coach of the Year, and was also named the Mid-State Athletic Conference Coach of the Year for the second consecutive year.
In 2003-04, under Pasiak’s direction the Lazers finished with an overall record of 21-11, and a Mid-State record of 9-5. The Lazers qualified for the conference playoffs and for the Region III tournament. They reached the Mid-State Championship game, and won two post-season contests for the first time since 1994. Onondaga also received honorable mention in the NJCAA Division III national poll and finished 10th nationally in scoring offense.
In 2004-05, Pasiak directed Onondaga to an overall record of 17-13, and a Mid-State record of 7-7. The Lazers rebounded from an 0-4 start in conference play to qualify for the conference playoffs and for the Region III tournament. Onondaga also finished 9th nationally in scoring offense.
In 2005-06, Pasiak directed Onondaga to an overall record of 17-12, and a Mid-State record of 7-7. The Lazers finished the regular season by winning 7 of their last 8 games to qualify for the Region III tournament for the fifth straight year. Onondaga also finished 2nd nationally in scoring offense, the sixth consecutive year that they had finished in the top ten in that category.
In 2006-07, Onondaga won the Mid-State Athletic Conference Tournament for the first time since 1992, the year prior to the program's sole national championship. They were the host team for the tourney as they had won the regular season title with a record of 12-2. The Lazers also qualified for the Region III tournament for the sixth straight season, losing in the quarterfinals to Clinton Community College
Clinton Community College, New York
Clinton Community College is located a few miles south of the city of Plattsburgh in Clinton County, New York. It is a community college unit of the State University of New York ....
. OCC finished with a 23-8 record, earning Pasiak his third 20-win season in five years.
In 2007-08, Onondaga shared the Mid-State Athletic Conference Regular Season Championship with Broome Community College
Broome Community College
Broome Community College is a SUNY two-year college in Broome County, New York. The college was founded in 1946 and went through several name changes. The school is located in Binghamton, New York...
. Broome received the top seed in the MSAC Tournament and defeated Onondaga in the championship game, denying Onondaga's bid for back to back championships. Onondaga finished the season with a 22-9 record, falling to SUNY Cobleskill in the Region III quarter-finals. Pasiak was named the Mid-State Athletic Conference Coach of the Year for the 3rd time.
Onondaga qualified for post-season in both 2008-09 and 2009-2010. In 2009, the Lazers finished 14-16, reaching the MSAC semi-finals and the Region III quarterfinals. In 2010, Onondaga won 5 of its last 6 conference games to earn the #3 seed in the MSAC Tournament, where they fell to Broome Community College. Onondaga closed the 2009-2010 season with a 10-19 overall record.
In 2010-2011, Onondaga finished the season with an overall record of 20-10. The Lazers posted a 9-3 record in MSAC play, finishing second in the regular season standings and earning the #2 seed in the MSAC Tournament. Onondaga reached the MSAC semi-finals, where they fell to Broome Community College, and the NJCAA Region III quarter-finals, where they were defeated by Finger Lakes Community College.
In his eleven years as head coach at Onondaga, Pasiak has guided the Lazers to postseason berths, either in the MSAC or NJCAA Region III tournaments, in each season (OCC Athletics). During his tenure, the Lazers have appeared in four MSAC championship games (2002, 2004, 2007 & 2008).
Pasiak has also been named Mid-State Athletic Conference
Mid-State Athletic Conference
Located within Region III of the National Junior College Athletic Association, the Mid-State Athletic Conference is a junior college conference with 7 member schools, all located in Upstate New York...
Coach of the Year three times, and was recognized as Region III Coach of the Year in 2003.
Collegiate Record
Personal
Pasiak is an advocate of “Coaches vs. Cancer” and participates in the annual "white sneaker day". He is a 1984 graduate of Clarkson University and resides in Waterville, New York.Accomplishments
Some of Pasiak’s notable accomplishments:- Led Onondaga to the 2007 MSAC championship
- Led Onondaga to ten MSAC tournament appearances, four MSAC championship appearances, and nine NJCAA Region III tournament berths
- Three-time MSAC Coach of the Year (2002, 2003, 2008)
- 2003 NJCAA Region III Coach of the Year
- In eleven seasons at Onondaga, has compiled five 20-win seasons