Amityville coach Jack Agostino earns 500th career win
Jack Agostino poses for a photo at Amityville on Saturday, April 9, 2022. Credit: Peter Frutkoff
Already a Long Island basketball legend, Jack Agostino added another accolade to his long resume on Friday.
He picked up his 500th career win as a coach when Amityville’s boys basketball team defeated Glenn, 57-53.
“It’s a tremendous honor not just for me but for the community,” Agostino said. “To have all this success, you have to have great players, a great staff and a great community. I’ve been lucky to have all three in all my time here.”
Agostino is in his 30th year as a head coach and his 28th year at Amityville. He served as Amityville’s coach from 1987-2014 and didn’t return to high school basketball until 2021, coaching Bay Shore for two seasons.
In April 2022, Amityville held a basketball alumni event to honor Agostino and his former players. Agostino said that after the event, the school’s board members asked if he’d like to return as Amityville’s coach.
It was a no-brainer. “I was very excited to come back,” Agostino said. “I love Bay Shore, but Amityville is my home.”
Agostino’s first win came in 1987 against Glenn. Thirty-six years later, he earned his 500th win against the same school. Friday’s win also clinched a playoff berth for Amityville (11-8, 7-6).
“There was so much emotion going on after the game,” Agostino said. “My players were so happy for me, but we also had a playoff spot to celebrate.”
The New York State Basketball Hall of Famer has a 500-146 record and is the fourth boys basketball coach in Long Island history to reach 500 wins, joining Ed Petrie (East Hampton, 754), Jeff Weiss (Lawrence Woodmere Academy, 625) and Ted Adams (Hempstead, 517). Agostino, 60, has won nine Long Island titles, four state public school championships and two state Federation titles.
“The majority of those 500 wins were at Amityville,” Agostino said. “For me to come back and win my 500th game here, you can’t ask for anything more than that.”
