| James Giacomazzi - Head Coach | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
James Giacomazzi, 34, is entering his 12th year of collegiate coaching and his sixth year at Cosumnes River College. A Northern California native, Giacomazzi attended and played for Guin Boggs at Washington High School in Fremont. Upon graduation in 1993, Giacomazzi went on to play for California Community College Hall of Fame Coach Percy Carr at San Jose City College, where his teams compiled a two-year record of 57 wins and only 12 losses. Moreover, his team won the Golden Gate Conference both years.
After SJCC, Giacomazzi earned a scholarship to the University of California, Riverside and was an All-Conference selection his senior season. In 1998, Giacomazzi graduated with his Bachelor's degree in Liberal Studies with an emphasis in Political Science and History and immediately began coaching at SJCC. In 2001, Giacomazzi received his Master's degree in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Human Performance/Sport Management from California State University, San Jose.
At SJCC, Giacomazzi assisted in recruiting and coaching a team that finished 29-5 and had the longest winning streak in the nation with 24 consecutive victories in 1999-2000. The following year, he helped guide the 2000-01 team to a 32-6 record and to the televised state championship game on Fox Sports. Both teams went undefeated in league play during those two seasons finishing 24-0. During Giacomazzi's six-year tenure at SJCC, 26 out of 29 (90%) student-athletes graduated and received scholarships at various four-year universities across the country.
Giacomazzi, who was hired in May 2004, has already left his mark on Hawks basketball, establishing the program as a force in Northern California. At CRC, his teams have amassed 84 victories. Since 2005 his teams have averaged approximately 20 wins per season including two trips to the playoffs in 2005-2006 and 2008-2009. It was CRC’s first 20-win team and the highest seeded playoff team at CRC in over a decade. The following year (2006-2007), his team climbed as high as #7 in the state rankings and concluded the year with back to back 20-win seasons. CRC's 2008-09 team finished the season with 23 victories, a 11th State ranking, but fell one game short of the Elite 8.
During the past three seasons, Giacomazzi has had thirteen sophomores receive scholarships and play at four-year schools. He has coached three players ranked in the top 10 in the state for scoring (Arthur Vaughn-Valley HS, 21.7ppg, 2004-05) and (Chris Wilson-Franklin HS, 21.2 ppg, 07-08) and two top 10 rebounder; Phillip Jones-Kennedy HS, 10.3rpg, (2004-05) and Eric Jones - Mojave HS, 9.8rpg (2008-09). Giacomazzi also coached eight All-Conference players, one Honorabe Mention All-State player (Chris James 2008-09) and an Academic All-American.
Giacomazzi's philosophy of the game of basketball is to keep the offense simplistic, and to make the defense problematic for opponents. In other words, create an exciting fast-breaking style of basketball on both ends of the floor. Three main points of emphasis on the offensive end are to have good spacing, great execution and teamwork. Three main points of emphasis on the defensive end are technique, desire/hard work and disruption (multiple defenses). That being said, Giacomazzi expects every CRC men's basketball player to represent himself, his family, his coaches and his community the best way possible. Giacomazzi draws from his role models when he says, "The goal of the men's basketball program is to attract local prospects that have a desire to excel as students, basketball players, and as people. At CRC, we have one of the top basketball facilities in the state, an excellent support staff, and the genuine desire to help our athletes achieve their goals, whether it be a Ph.D or an opportunity to continue playing at the next level.”
Giacomazzi is a member of the national Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and of the California Community College Men's Basketball Coaches Association (CCCMBCA). His hobbies include traveling, camping, watching movies and spending time with his family. He resides in Livermore with his wife Kristi, their daughter Addison, and their dogs Hooper and Jake.