Mitch Buonaguro and wife Suzin were delighted to co-host their first Coaches vs Cancer Basket Ball event this past November 3, 2010. For the last five years, Mitch served as the top assistant to Fran McCaffery at Siena. He was named the program's 15th head coach on April 8.
The Buonaguros worked closely with the McCafferys in the battle against cancer and are proud to take over a leadership role with Coaches vs Cancer. The cause is close to both Mitch and Suzin. Mitch lost his mother Sarah to Brain Cancer in 2000, and Suzin's mother was a survivor or Lung Cancer.
Buonaguro is widely regarded as one of the most experienced and respected coaches in the country. He helped guide the Saints to a 112-51 mark in his five seasons as an assistant coach at Siena, including three consecutive MAAC Championships and NCAA Tournament berths.
Buonaguro has amassed over 30 years and 1,000 games of Division I coaching experience as both a head and assistant coach. He served as the head coach at MAAC member Fairfield University from 1985-91 and led the Stags to consecutive MAAC Championships and NCAA Tournament appearances in his first two seasons. As a result, he was named National Rookie Coach of the Year by Basketball Times and District I Coach of the Year by the United States Basketball Writers Association and the NABC.
Prior to his appointment as an assistant coach at Siena in 2005, Buonaguro made assistant coaching stops at Boston College (1975-77), Villanova (1977-85), Texas A&M (1991-96), Cleveland State (1996-03) and UNC-Greensboro (2003-05). As an assistant under legendary head coach Rollie Massimino at Villanova, Buonaguro helped guide the Wildcats to the 1985 National Championship.