Men's Basketball | 7/26/2016 12:00:00 PM

Moon Township, Pa. – July 26, 2016 – Mike Iuzzolino glanced across the parquet floor at Boston Garden and caught sight of his childhood idol, Larry Bird. It was two hours before game time and the two were taking jump shots at opposite ends of the court.
 
"I walked out of the tunnel and there he was," said Iuzzolino, hired earlier this month as an assistant men's basketball coach at Robert Morris University. "It was the only time I was in awe while playing in the NBA. I was thinking, 'Geez, what the hell am I doing here? I'm a kid from small-town Altoona (Pa.) who played in the Northeast Conference and now I'm in the Garden shooting across from Larry Bird.'"
 
The year was 1991. Iuzzolino was a sharpshooting rookie guard for the Dallas Mavericks, Bird the transcendent legend of the Boston Celtics. It was a frozen moment in what can only be described as a riveting playing career for the all-time St. Francis (Pa.) great.
 
"You look up in the Garden and you see the jerseys of Cousy, Russell ...," Iuzzolino said. "It was a unique experience."
 
For two NBA seasons, Iuzzolino shared the floor with unique talents such as Bird, Michael Jordan, Isaiah Thomas and John Stockton. He averaged 9.0 points, 4.3 assists and 2.0 rebounds in 122 career games. As a rookie, he ranked fourth in the NBA in three-point field goal percentage.
 
Yes, the kid from Altoona had made it big.
 
"First and foremost, I'm very blessed that I got to play in the league," Iuzzolino said. "I got to learn from four great veterans with the Mavericks in Brad Davis, who's from Monaca (Pa.), Fat Lever, Rolando Blackman and Derek Harper. They were all 10-year veterans and they really taught me a lot about being a professional."
 
Such experiences shaped Iuzzolino into the coach and basketball mind that he is today. A former NEC Player of the Year, he brings great insight and expertise to the RMU basketball program, per coach Andrew Toole.
 
"With Mike being a western Pennsylvania guy and a former NEC Player of the Year, he has a lot of ties around here, obviously," said Toole, who also added Kyle Griffin, formerly of Lehigh, to his staff this offseason. "With his background, he has instant credibility with the players. They're all trying to achieve what he achieved. That helps when you're trying to help guys change habits or develop the work ethic and consistency needed to reach those heights."
 
Iuzzolino most recently worked for his former college coach, Jim Baron, at Canisus. He served as the director of basketball operations in 2012-13 and as an assistant the past two seasons. In between, he spent a year as the director of operations at the University of New Mexico.
 
In May, Baron retired after compiling a 462-414 career record with four different Division I programs in 29 years. Iuzzolino called him a "mentor" and a "guiding force."
 
"The wisdom he's bestowed on me, and the impact that he's had on me, will continue to influence me," said Iuzzolino, a former two-time Academic All-America First Team selection who was known for his I.Q. on and off the court. "One of the great pieces of advice Coach Baron gave to me was to think like a head coach but to act like an assistant. He wanted you to be fully prepared, while also understanding what your role was on the staff."
 
A big reason for Iuzzolino's basketball success is the chip he carries on his shoulder. This was born from those who doubted his abilities as an undersized guard at 5'11".

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Even when he emerged as the only college player in the nation to average more than 20 points (24.1), shoot better than 50 percent (.542) from the field, 50 percent from beyond the 3-point arc (.528) and 80 percent (.887) at the free-throw line in leading St. Francis (Pa.) to its only NCAA Tournament berth, he still heard the nay-sayers.
 
"Not many people gave me a chance, especially to play in the NBA," said Iuzzolino, taken in the second round by the Mavericks in 1991. "I like to prove people wrong."
 
That mentality has bled into Iuzzolino's coaching career. He started out as a women's assistant at both Duquesne (2005-2007) and George Mason (2008) before returning to the men's game in 2009. He spent four seasons at Division III St. Vincent College before Baron hired him at Canisus.
 
He said the path to RMU was not necessarily the smoothest because he had lost contact with many Division I coaches while playing overseas for a decade.
 
"But that's OK, because nothing's ever been handed to me," Iuzzolino said. "I'm fortunate to have been given the opportunities that have come my way, like this one at Robert Morris. I feel humbled and blessed that Andy would have me on his staff. That being said, I'll still keep trying to prove myself."
 
After a 13-year professional career that included stops in the CBA , Italy, Greece and Spain, Iuzzolino decided to retire in 2004 to spend more time with his family. He and his wife of 16 years, Dana, are parents to son Michael, 14, and daughter Olivia, 11.
 
"I had to put tons of time in during the summer and it was getting more and more difficult," Iuzzolino said. "It's always tough to walk away, but I have some great memories."
 
Ah yes, the memories. The stories Iuzzolino can tell are seemingly endless. Like the time he roomed with Shaquille O'Neal when the two were chosen as Playboy All-Americans.
 
"He was the star, I was the academic guy," Iuzzolino said, laughing.
 
The pair would reunite in Orlando in 1993 when Iuzzolino ended up being the team's final cut.
 
That Magic team, led by O'Neal and rookie Penny Hardaway, reached the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.
 
"Shaq and I got to know each other, but I'm not so sure he'd remember me now," said Iuzzolino, who was the final cut by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1994. "He's met a gazillion people since. But it was a fun experience."
 
Iuzzolino is looking for a similar fate while at RMU, where he is closer to family and friends from the area.
 
"I'm excited to be back in Pittsburgh," he said. "I've always considered Western Pennsylvania my home. I grew up here, I went to college here. I think Pittsburgh is a great city and it's great for college athletes. I'm excited about recruiting at Robert Morris and bringing kids to the Pittsburgh. I feel fortunate to have been given this great opportunity."
 
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