Hofstra taps Tim Welsh to be new men's basketball head coach

A new era in Hofstra men's basketball was launched Thursday morning when the school introduced Tim Welsh as the the program's new head coach at a press conference held at David S. Mack Hall.

Welsh, 49, replaces Tom Pecora, who accepted a head coaching position at Fordham last week after 16 years behind the Hofstra bench, including nine as head coach. Welsh was head coach at Providence College in the powerful Big East conference from 1998-2008 and led the Friars to two NCAA Tournaments.

"It is a great day for Hofstra athletics because this marks our hiring of Tim Welsh, who I truly believe will enable us to move our basketball success to the next level," said Hofstra University president Stuart Rabinowitz at the press conference.

Prior to Welsh's stint with Providence, the Massena, N.Y native and 1984 SUNY Potsdam graduate was head coach at Iona for three years and led the Gaels to a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference title and NCAA Tournament berth in 1998. His combined record at Providence and Iona was 215-148 and he also earned valuable behind-the-bench experience as an assistant coach at Syracuse from 1988-1991 under the legendary Jim Boeheim.

The rosters of Welsh's teams at Providence and Iona included players from the New York region, and he expects his familiarity with the metropolitan area to be an asset to Hofstra. "I know where to go to find kids that can come here and play," said Welsh, who spent the last two years as a college basketball analyst for ESPN. "I know what personality will fit in here with the people and the players I have here to win."

"Tim brings a wealth of experience to our head coaching position," said Hofstra athletic director Jack Hayes. "We are ecstatic that he has agreed to join us."

Welsh will be Hofstra's 11th head coach in the program's history that dates back to the 1936/37 season. Welsh will take over a team that returns eight of its 10 letter winners, including senior guard Charles Jenkins, the reigning Haggery Award winner given to the top player in the New York Metropolitan area and the 2010 Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year.