Troy coach Don Maestri retires after 31 years, 500 victories
Troy coach Don Maestri is retiring after 31 seasons at the school.
Maestri made the announcement Saturday night after his team lost in overtime in the Sun Belt Conference tournament to Arkansas State 68-63. Just one night earlier, Maestri earned his 500th career victory beating Florida Atlantic.
Maestri is the fourth longest tenure coach in Division I, trailing Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim, Sacred Heart's Dave Pike and Duke's Mike Krzyzewski. He was hired in 1982 when Troy competed at the Division II level and led the Trojans to two Final Four appearances before moving to Division I.
“I always knew there was going to be a time when I would need to make a change in my life and now is that time,” Maestri said in a release issued by the school. “I want to thank all of my former players, coaches and everyone associated with Troy University that helped us accomplish some very special moments during my time at Troy. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to spend a career and I am thankful for that blessing.”
His teams were known for being high scoring. The Trojans set the record for points scored in a college game in 1992 when they beat DeVry 258-141, making 51 3-pointers in the game. Troy led the nation in scoring three times and led in 3-point shooting seven times under his leadership.
Maestri won conference championships in five different leagues.
Troy appears to value longevity and continuity with its coaches. Head football coach Larry Blakeney is one of the longest tenured Football Bowl Subdivision coaches in the nation. He completed his 22nd season with the Trojans last fall.
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