Coaching Grows on Former Accountant
by Ray Floriani
TEANECK, N.J. – At first glance Sal Buscaglia looks the part of an accountant with his long-sleeved white shirt and glasses. He barks out instructions to his players and on occasion will question an official, but overall it appears his March Madness would concern tax season. It’s especially interesting to think of the Robert Morris women’s basketball coach as an accountant by profession because that’s how it all started.
“I went to school to be an accountant and worked a year in a CPA firm,” Buscaglia said. “I hated it.” He discussed his interesting career path moments after his Colonials dispatched FDU 66-56 at the Rothman Center. The win put Robert Morris at 10-4 and 4-0 in conference. “I couldn’t stand working with numbers all day long,” Buscaglia added,” I had to do something different.”
His career path brought him to teaching at Hilbert College in Buffalo. Teaching was a welcomed change. Then one day he sat in the school cafeteria with the athletic director who proposed starting a women’s basketball team. “Women play basketball?” was Buscaglia’s reply. His remark wasn’t sexist given the time – the latter part of the seventies. Even some of the most successful women’s coaches had second jobs. There was no NCAA tournament as the AIAW governed the sport. The final four basically drew student newspapers on a very limited media list.
Buscaglia accepted the position as Hilbert’s head coach. “They told me the position paid $700,” he said. “I thought, not bad for a week – but that was for the year.”
They went 0-7 that first year as a club team. That was over three decades ago. The record will point out that the ’78-79 Hilbert team was 7-10. That was the first year of varsity for the junior college. By that time Buscaglia was hooked and a new career path successfully forged.
“Not too long after getting the job I went to Indiana for a coaching school Bobby Knight was having,” Buscaglia recalled. “If I was going to do this, it had to be done right, and Knight was the best to learn from.” He also went to every clinic he could make and devoured coaching books and articles.
The new coach learned fast. During his dozen years at Hilbert, Buscaglia built the school into a regional junior college power. In 1988-89 Hilbert was 29-4 and reached the NJCAA Sweet 16. A year later, the record was 28-3 with an Elite Eight appearance. Buscaglia then accepted a position at the University of Buffalo and had a very successful 6 years. Following that was a five-year run at Manhattan College that culminated with an appearance in the 2003 NCAA tournament. A new challenge awaited, and Robert Morris was it.
His first year at Robert Morris was an uncharacteristic 3-24. A year later the Colonials were 20-10 and a Northeast Conference tournament finalist. Last season was another 20-win campaign and trip to the NEC semis. Presently, Robert Morris is off to another solid start.
Beyond the wins and losses there is a greater satisfaction. “I enjoy going to work every day,” the coach said. “I really enjoy working with young people and watching them grow on and off the court.”
Buscaglia maintains a bond with his past players. He is proud of what they have become when they left his watch. One such example is Ruth Lovelace who is the head coach at Boys and Girls (Brooklyn) High School. “And she (Lovelace) is coaching the boys team,” Buscaglia emphasized, “and doing a great job.” There are numerous others who have made their mark in education and other professions who still stay in touch with their former mentor.
Asked to pick his best team Buscaglia hesitates. “Each team is so special to me,” he said. “I will say my most memorable one was the Manhattan team that went to the NCAA tournament in 2003.” That team won the MAAC regular season and postseason tournament before advancing to the NCAAs. “That was a most memorable team,” he added.
The current Robert Morris team looks to get out and push the ball. In junior Chinata Nesbitt, the Colonials have a dangerous player. Nesbitt leads the team in scoring (17 ppg) and at 6’2″ can do damage underneath, yet still get out and run the floor exceptionally well in transition. FDU found her a very difficult matchup as Nesbitt scored 10 points while grabbing 20 rebounds (10 on the offensive end). A 13-0 Colonial run over the initial four minutes of the second half proved to be a big difference in the outcome.
His career has spanned three decades, yet Buscaglia gives no hint of slowing down or looking toward retirement. Just staying on the sidelines that long makes him a rarity in today’s win-now-or-else environment.
“I was talking with a coaching friend recently,” he said. “We were going over names of coaches we knew over the years and it was amazing how many left the profession.”
Buscaglia is a throwback. He’s not looking to make a million in a profession that started him at $700 annually. Rather, he just enjoys getting on the practice floor daily to work on building a better team on and off the court. The young ladies who have come under his watch over the years have been true winners, and not just on the scoreboard.
