The Lourdes Boys’ Basketball Coach for 34 years, Coach Santoro is so committed to his players and developing their skills, this momentous achievement was barely on his radar.
“It’s a nice accomplishment, and I don’t want to minimize it,” the coach said, “but these wins belong to this team and all the ones that came before them. It’s a reflection of the quality kids we have coming here.”
Our Lady of Lourdes President Catherine Merryman is thrilled with this prestigious achievement: “Coach Santoro has been such an asset to the Lourdes community, both on and off the court. His dedication and passion for basketball, character building and community service have shaped many Lourdean Warriors into confident and compassionate individuals. We are so grateful for his many years of being part of the Lourdes basketball program and congratulate him on this truly impressive milestone.”
Joining the celebration were past and present players who came from all over to congratulate their coach and mentor. The jubilant group represented many basketball teams from a wide range of years who were thrilled to have been coached by such a dedicated individual. Under Santoro’s guidance, the Lourdes boy’s basketball program has flourished over the years. Some of his accolades include:
- Sectional Titles in 2013 & 2017
- State Title appearance in ’17
- 7 League Titles
- 2 time Dutchess County Coaches Association Coach of the Year
- 2 time Poughkeepsie Journal Coach of the Year
- Over 50 players went on to play basketball in college
Lourdes Athletic Director, Matt Petruzzelli, who has a long history coaching alongside Coach Santoro thanked Coach for his time and dedication over these 34+ years commenting, “Your commitment and accomplishments to the Lourdes community go far beyond winning basketball games. You’ve had a tremendous impact on the lives of so many of our student-athletes. Your dedication over the years is greatly appreciated. Here’s to 500!”