RIVERDALE, N.Y. – Manhattan College has named John Olenowski the seventh head women’s basketball coach in program history. Olenowski brings 19 years of coaching experience from both the collegiate and high school ranks to Riverdale. A formal press conference to introduce Olenowski will be scheduled for next week. Specific details will be released at a later time.
“We are excited for John to lead our women’s basketball program,” stated Director of Athletics Robert Byrnes. “John brings a wealth of experience, a great passion for the game and has an extensive track record of success. I believe John will take this program to new heights.”
Olenowski enjoyed immense success over his 14 years (1979-82, 1995-2006) as head coach of the varsity girls’ basketball program at Morris Catholic High School in Denville, N.J. During his tenure, he led the Crusaders to a 330-39 (.894) overall record, including 10 Colonial Hills Conference Championships, six Morris County Championships, seven New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Sectional Championships and three NJSIAA State Championships. Olenowski also guided Morris Catholic to two New Jersey Tournament of Champion appearances, leading the team to the semifinals in 2003.
Olenowski also served as the Athletic Director at Morris Catholic from 2003-06 and was in charge of Major Gift Giving. He was inducted into the Morris Catholic High School Hall of Fame in 1987 and the NJSIAA Hall of Fame in 2005. He was presented NJSIAA Outstanding Coaching Achievement Award in 2007.
“I am extremely excited to join the Manhattan family,” said Olenowski. “This is a great opportunity for me both professionally and personally, being at a school with a great family atmosphere. I look forward to elevating this program to the upper echelon of the MAAC.”
Olenowski received his first collegiate head coaching position at Pace University in 1982 and logged a 70-28 (.714) record over his three years at the helm. He immediately made an impact on the program setting a school record with 17 wins in his inaugural season. In his second year, Olenowski guided the Setters to a 25-5 (.833) record, and the 1983-84 Empire State Conference Regular Season and Tournament Championships.
Olenowski’s third season at Pace proved to be the best in program history, to date. He led his squad to a 28-3 (.903) mark, won the Empire State Conference Regular Season and Tournament Championships and the NCAA Division II East Regional Title. The Setters ranked third in the nation during this magical 1984-85 run.
Over his career at Pace, Olenowski was named Empire State Coach of the Year twice (1984 & 1985). He mentored eight 1,000-points scorers, including All-Americans Jennifer DiMaggio, the program’s all-time leading scorer (2,125) and rebounder (1,254), and Tracey Jackson. Additionally, his teams boasted a 100% graduation rate.
Olenowski comes to Manhattan most recently from Long Island University, where he served as an assistant coach under head coach Gail Striegler last season. Prior to his stint in Brooklyn, Olenowski returned to collegiate coaching as an assistant coach at Saint Peter’s for the 2007-08 season. During his one season at Saint Peter’s, Olenowski rejuvenated the program and helped lead the Peahens to a 19-12 overall record, their first winning season in the last five years.
Olenowski, a 1978 graduate of Saint Leo College, and his wife Kathleen have two daughters: Megan, a graduate of Ithaca College, and Caitlin, who attends the Fashion Institute of Technology.
