NEW YORK, NY – Shay Berry, veteran basketball coach with over 20 years of experience, has been hired as the head men's basketball coach at Hunter College, Director of Athletics Terry Wansart announced Tuesday.
"The Hawk family is thrilled to welcome Coach Berry to Hunter College. His quality reputation, broad experience and philosophy of academic success matches our overall mission," Wansart said. "I am very confident Coach Berry will lead our program to meet the college's tradition of excellence in the classroom and on the court."
"I feel incredibly fortunate to join the team at Hunter College and return to New York City as head basketball coach of this great program," said Berry of his appointment. "As a life-long assistant coach, I have been preparing for this moment and am very appreciative of the opportunity that Hunter College and Terry Wansart have provided me," Berry continued, "I'm excited about leading a group of well-rounded student-athletes which is highlighted by a significant group of upperclassmen, who are eager to finish their careers with a successful season."
Berry joins the Hawks after a five-year stop at Division I Ivy League member Dartmouth College, where he was instrumental in all facets of the Big Green program, including skill development, game preparation and recruiting—an element Berry intends to heavily focus on at Hunter. "I have been pleasantly surprised by the nationwide name recognition of Hunter College and the academic caliber of student-athlete that this institution manages to attract. I fully intend to recruit New York City and New York state in addition to the national stage, thanks in part to scholarship opportunities such as the Macaulay Honors Program."
No stranger to New York City, Berry served as an assistant coach at Fordham University during the 1999-03 seasons, after serving the team in the capacity as an assistant coach in 1997.
From 1991-96, Berry was an assistant coach at New York University where he would go on to help the Violets advance to the NCAA Division III championship game in 1994. While at NYU, Berry helped the Violets to a 111-26 record in five seasons and an impressive .810 winning percentage. In addition to his duties as an assistant coach, Berry operated as the head men's golf coach and commanded the men's junior varsity basketball team.
A 1989 graduate of Central Connecticut State University, Berry began his coaching career as an assistant at Yale University during the 1990-91 season and head coach of the Bulldogs' junior varsity team.
A veteran camp organizer and clinician, Berry has helped manage and coach numerous international travel teams and has been instrumental in the NYC basketball community for 13 years. Berry has worked countless sessions of the prestigious Five-Star Basketball Camp and has acted in the role of Director of Marketing and recently Executive Vice President for the camp.
Berry, a Rochester, New Hampshire native, represented the Ivy League on the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) assistant coaches committee. He has been a member of the Black Coaches Association (BCA), Trout Unlimited and The White River Partnership.
He currently resides in Manhattan.