Tom Pecora, formerly special assistant to the head coach at Quinnipiac has officially assumed head coaching duties of the Quinnipiac men’s basketball team, according to an April 13 press release from Quinnipiac Athletics. 

BREAKING: Tom Pecora will replace Baker Dunleavy as head coach. He joined the staff in 2017. @QUChronSports | #MAACHoops

— Ethan Hurwitz (@HurwitzSports) April 13, 2023

Pecora, a former head coach at Hofstra (2001-2010) and Fordham (2010-2015), joined the Bobcats staff in 2017 when now-former head coach Baker Dunleavy was hired from Villanova.

“He’s our guy going forward,” said Greg Amodio, director of athletics. “We’re coming off a really good year and have great confidence that Tom can continue to build on that moving forward.”

Following the announcement of Dunleavy’s resignation Thursday, Pecora becomes the eighth head coach in program history and fourth at the Division I level.

As the head coach at Hofstra, Pecora compiled a career record of 154-126 and led the Pride to four postseason tournament appearances. He also recruited three eventual NBA players to his program.

The 2023-24 season will be Pecora’s seventh with the Bobcats and first in the new role. In his time at Quinnipiac, the Bobcats have gone 86-93 and have yet to make the NCAA Tournament.

Pecora already started on his new role, being spotted recruiting at Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains, New York, Monday. Along with Manhattan head coach John Gallagher and assistant coaches from both Brown and St. John’s, Pecora was at the school’s open gym, according to Andrew Slater.

Quinnipiac has been going heavy into the recruiting game, as well as the transfer portal. The new-look coaching staff could have a number of new players on the roster. Players like Boise State forward Burke Smith, Assumption guard Isiah Gaiter and Southern New Hampshire guard Ethan Okwuosa have all reportedly received interest from the Bobcats program.

The promotion of Pecora was a surprise to some, as the team completely avoided a head coaching search. However, keeping a familiar face helps ease the transition period often seen with new coaches.

According to a Chronicle source close to the men’s basketball team, Pecora is well liked within the Bobcats locker room and has earned the trust and support of the players on the team.

“He’s our guy going forward,” Amodio said on April 13. “We’re coming off a really good year and have great confidence that Tom can continue to build on that moving forward.”

On Monday night, Pecora joined the College Hoops Chat Radio Show to discuss his new title and how the Bobcats program seeks to improve in 2023-24.

“They approached me as becoming the new head coach, I’m going to keep our entire coaching staff,” Pecora said. “It is not a total rebuild that you see at other places … I think it speaks a lot about the experience of being a Quinnipiac Bobcat.”

Pecora spoke on the new-era things that the world of college basketball has to deal with, including the NIL deals and monetary opportunities. He also mentioned some notes about the roster, including announcing junior Paul Otieno as the team’s starting center.

“It’s an exciting time at Quinnipiac,” Pecora said. “There’s a great commitment at Quinnipiac for athletics at all levels.”