with Ted Fiore
Ted Fiore
Born and Raised:
Newark. Currently resides in East Hanover.
Family:
Father of five grown children.
Education:
B.A., physical education, Seton Hall University; M.A., education, Montclair
State University.
Travel destinations:
Italy, Spain, England, France, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, the Caribbean
and more than half of the United States.
Favorite spare-time activities:
Golfing and going to the theater.
Ted Fiore is as eager for his players to learn as he is for them to win.
"I see the gymnasium as my classroom," said the men's head basketball
coach. "Sports are an important part of the education process."
On the court, Ted attributes three key elements to winning: defense, rebounding
and shot selection, a combination the Red Hawks are mastering this season
with a 15-6 record and a shot at a playoff spot.
"We started slowly at 2-4 then won nine games in a row," said
Ted, who came to Montclair State in 1998 as the University's first full-time
men's basketball coach. "We have a group that plays with a great
amount of intensity and as a team, which means they play unselfishly.
They are willing to share their individual accolades for the greater good
of the team. They want to win, know what it takes to win, and know what
their individual roles are to win. We've also had some great personal
performances."
After coaching at St. Peter's College for nine years, Ted's work at the
Division III level is "a unique experience."
"These are non-scholarship athletes who come along at a time in their
lives when they are developing their own financial independence and often
find it harder to commit to athletics," he said. "They have
basketball needs, college needs and personal needs that come into conflict."
Nonetheless, Ted said he is continually impressed by his players' "individual
competitiveness and passion for the game."
Ted also knows what it's like to be a player. He played basketball and
baseball during his undergraduate years at Seton Hall University and also
had a stint in the major league playing for the Cincinnati Reds. "I
think my experience has given me a keen sense of the emotional intensity
of the game and an understanding for what the players are going through,"
he said.
Off the court, Ted spends a lot of time recruiting new athletes, a challenging
task at the Division III level. "It's very competitive," he
said. "Everybody is trying to recruit the same kids."
But competition is something Ted thrives on. "I love the competitive
nature of sports. I love teaching the game and then seeing the end product
of what you are teaching in a viable way. And through all this, you are
hoping to educate and develop student athletes."
Despite the long hours and stressful game moments, Ted couldn't imagine
himself in another profession. He's tried several--high school vice principal,
pro basketball advance scout and television analyst. "I've always
loved athletics and being in the sports arena," he said, adding that
his decision to leave an administrative position to return to coaching
at Montclair State was a good move. “I knew it would be a great place
for me to spend my professional career and, for the most part, I have
been happy with my decision," he said. "I feel fortunate being
a coach on every level."