Mark A. Corino begins his 34th year as the head men’s basketball coach at Caldwell University. In addition to his coaching duties, Corino serves as the department’s assistant vice president/director of athletics.
He enters 2021-22 year with a career coaching record of 598-477 for a .556 winning percentage in 38 total years. In his 33 seasons leading the Cougars, Corino has amassed a record of 503-426.
Last season, Corino guided the Cougars back to the NCAA Division II Tournament for the second time in school history. Caldwell finished the season with a 6-5 record in a shortened season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, while posting a 5-4 record in conference play. Corino helped lead to Cougars to their first NCAA DII Tournament victory as they defeated Dominican College 65-62 in the opening round to advance to the East Region semifinals for the first time.
In 2018, the university dedicated the playing floor at the George R. Newman Center in honor of Corino for his extensive contributions to the department as the director of athletics and as the head coach of the men’s basketball program. Mark A. Corino Court was officially dedicated on December 8, 2018 that featured speeches from Caldwell President Dr. Nancy Blattner, and Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Commissioner Dan Mara as well as special proclamations from Caldwell Mayor Ann Dassing and West Caldwell Mayor Joe Tempesta Jr.
One of the most successful college coaches in the state of New Jersey, Corino passed legendary Princeton University Head Coach Pete Carril with his 515th victory in a 103-68 win against Dominican College on January 10, 2015. Corino is the winningest active collegiate men’s basketball head coach in New Jersey and one of only three head coaches in NJ with over 500 career victories. Former Stockton University Head Coach Gerry Matthews (603) is the state’s all-time leader in wins, followed by Corino (598) and Carril (514), who are the only men’s college basketball coaches in New Jersey to win 500 games. Corino joined this exclusive group of coaches in 2013-14 by earning his 500th career win with an exciting overtime victory at USciences on January 25, 2014.
Corino marked another historic milestone on January 27, 2018 as he coached in his 1,000th game in a 47-40 win over the University of the Sciences. He joined such legendary coaches as John Wooden, Mike Krzyzewski, Dean Smith, Jim Calhoun, Roy Williams among others who have coached 1,000 games. He is the second active coach in the Division II East Region with 1,000 games coached.
In his career, Corino has emphasized academics with his teams and it paid off last season as one of his players being named to the CACC All-Academic Team, while two players were selected to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Honors Court. His teams have been awarded the NABC Team Academic Excellence Award seven out of eight years that the program has existed.
The list of Corino’s coaching accomplishments is impressive: Five trips to the NAIA national tournament; two appearances in the NCAA Division II Tournament; seven CACC regular-season championships; six CACC Tournament titles and an NAIA District 31 crown.
Corino also has developed and recruited several talented players at Caldwell. In fact, in 11 of 12 seasons from 1990 to 2002, the NAIA All-America teams included a player from Caldwell University. Eighteen players, including all-time leading scorer and first team All-American Matt Stuart, have reached the 1,000-point milestone. In 2009, Manny Perez became the first Caldwell player to be selected to participate in the NABC/NCAA Division II All-Star Game.
Corino himself has received several honors, including four CACC Coach of the Year awards. In 1992, Corino was named the Jersey 9 and District 31 Coach of the Year. He was selected by the All-Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association as its Coach of the Year in 1998. In 2016, Corino was inducted into the Caldwell Athletics Hall of Fame for his extensive contributions as the athletics director and head coach and received the prestigious Garden State Award from the Collegiate Athletic Administrators of New Jersey in 2018. Corino is a former member of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Rules Committee for all divisions and served on the DII East Region’s Regional Advisory Committee for men’s basketball.
A native of Belleville, N.J., Corino attended Kean University, where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in industrial arts. He later received a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Caldwell in 1997.
Corino is the youngest of three brothers who have combined for more than 1,000 coaching victories at the collegiate and high school levels. Oldest brother Jimmy was a high school basketball coach, while Carl is one of the all-time winningest high school softball coaches in New Jersey.
Corino resides in Cedar Grove, N.J., with his wife Susan, who have a daughter, Michele, son-in-law Michael and grandsons Vincent and Valentino. “My family has been tremendously supportive and without their understanding we would not have been able to accomplish all that we have here at Caldwell,” Corino said. “They’ve played an important part in our success as well.”
The Corino File
|
Overall |
|
|
CACC |
|
|
| Year |
Wins |
Losses |
|
Wins |
Losses |
Postseason |
| 1982-83 |
18 |
9 |
|
|
|
at Bloomfield College |
| 1983-84 |
17 |
11 |
|
|
|
at Bloomfield College |
| 1984-85 |
18 |
11 |
|
|
|
at Bloomfield College |
| 1985-86 |
23 |
7 |
|
|
|
at Bloomfield College |
| 1986-87 |
19 |
10 |
|
|
|
at Bloomfield College |
| Totals at Bloomfield College |
95 |
48 |
|
|
|
|
| 1988-89 |
19 |
13 |
|
|
|
NAIA District 31 Semifinals |
| 1989-90 |
13 |
17 |
|
4 |
5 |
NAIA District 31 First Round |
| 1990-91 |
13 |
17 |
|
|
|
NAIA District 31 First Round |
| 1991-92 |
21 |
10 |
|
9 |
3 |
CACC Regular Season Champs; NAIA District 31 Finals |
| 1992-93 |
21 |
8 |
|
11 |
1 |
CACC Regular Season Champs; CACC Tournament Champs; NAIA Tournament First Round |
| 1993-94 |
20 |
8 |
|
12 |
2 |
CACC Regular Season Co-Champs; CACC Tournament Semifinals |
| 1994-95 |
15 |
13 |
|
6 |
6 |
CACC Tournament Semifinals |
| 1995-96 |
21 |
9 |
|
7 |
3 |
CACC Regular Season Champs; CACC Tournament Champs; NAIA Tournament First Round |
| 1996-97 |
18 |
11 |
|
6 |
4 |
CACC Tournament Runner-up |
| 1997-98 |
23 |
7 |
|
8 |
2 |
CACC Regular Season Champs; CACC Tournament Champs; NAIA Tournament First Round |
| 1998-99 |
16 |
13 |
|
6 |
4 |
CACC Tournament Champs; NAIA Tournament First Round |
| 1999-2000 |
9 |
18 |
|
4 |
4 |
First Year NCAA Provisional Member; CACC Tournament First Round |
| 2000-01 |
22 |
6 |
|
16 |
4 |
CACC Regular Season Co-Champs; CACC Tournament Semifinals |
| 2001-02 |
25 |
6 |
|
16 |
4 |
CACC Regular Season Champs; CACC Tournament Champs; NAIA Tournament Second Round |
| 2002-03 |
15 |
11 |
|
13 |
6 |
NCAA DII First Year; CACC Tournament Quarterfinals |
| 2003-04 |
9 |
18 |
|
8 |
12 |
|
| 2004-05 |
17 |
15 |
|
14 |
6 |
CACC Tournament Runner-up; ECAC Tournament Semifinals |
| 2005-06 |
18 |
13 |
|
14 |
8 |
CACC Tournament Quarterfinals |
| 2006-07 |
19 |
12 |
|
11 |
9 |
CACC Tournament Champs; NCAA DII Tournament Northeast Regional Quarterfinals |
| 2007-08 |
12 |
17 |
|
9 |
7 |
CACC Tournament Semifinals |
| 2008-09 |
12 |
16 |
|
8 |
8 |
CACC Tournament Quarterfinals |
| 2009-10 |
4 |
23 |
|
3 |
15 |
|
| 2010-11 |
10 |
16 |
|
7 |
11 |
|
| 2011-12 |
14 |
12 |
|
8 |
10 |
|
| 2012-13 |
8 |
20 |
|
3 |
15 |
|
| 2013-14 |
17 |
12 |
|
12 |
7 |
CACC Tournament Quarterfinals; ECAC Tournament Runner-up |
| 2014-15 |
15 |
13 |
|
11 |
8 |
CACC Tournament Quarterfinals |
| 2015-16 |
9 |
17 |
|
7 |
12 |
|
| 2016-17 |
17 |
12 |
|
11 |
8 |
CACC Tournament Semifinals |
| 2017-18 |
16 |
13 |
|
13 |
6 |
CACC Tournament Quarterfinals |
| 2018-19 |
17 |
12 |
|
13 |
6 |
CACC Tournament Quarterfinals |
| 2019-20 |
12 |
15 |
|
8 |
11 |
|
| 2020-21 |
6 |
5 |
|
5 |
4 |
Season Shortened due to COVID-19; NCAA DII Tournament East Regional Semifinals |
| 2021-22 |
8 |
17 |
|
4 |
13 |
|
| Career Record (38 Seasons) |
606 |
494 |
|
|
|
|
| Caldwell Record (33 Seasons) |
511 |
443 |
|
287 |
224* |
|
* - missing two seasons
