Former Canisius College men's
basketball coach Tom Parrotta made
the following statement today. Parrotta will not return to Canisius for the
2012-13 season. He served as the Golden Griffins' head coach for six seasons.
"I am
extremely proud and thankful for the opportunity to have served at a fine
institution such as Canisius College. I cannot thank Bill Maher enough for
seeing the qualities in me to lead a Division I men's basketball program.
Transition is never easy and I will do all that I can to ensure that the
student-athletes stay disciplined in their studies, on the court and in the
community. They are all in a position to achieve great success in all those
areas and it is my responsibility at this time to reassure them that their
goals to graduate, win a championship and continue to proudly represent their
school are very much attainable. I surrounded myself with great assistant
coaches in Rob Norris, Derrick Worrels and Gabe Michael - all guys I feel will
be stars in the coaching ranks and I commend them for their loyalty and
friendship."
Parrotta
continued, "My emphasis on what was best for my players was always at the
forefront of my philosophy. They routinely graduate in three years and attain a
master's degree in four. They played with the same passion in which I coach and
were wonderful representatives of Canisius College and the Buffalo community.
Most importantly, my wife and I nurtured them as our own sons and we enjoyed
much satisfaction in watching them grow and mature as people. I thank them for
entrusting my family with the great responsibility of touching their lives in a
way that holds them as individuals with their futures as the top priority. To
me, this is what coaching is all about. I now take that philosophy with me in
my future coaching career in the pursuit of winning championships and touching
lives."
