Aug. 18, 2005 

Two New Coaches Join NYIT Athletics Department

Old Westbury, N.Y., Aug. 17, 2005: New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) is pleased to welcome two new members to its coaching staff. Clyde Doughty Jr., NYIT’s director of athletics, announced today the hiring of head softball coach Kristen Bakalar and head women's basketball coach Michael Guidone.

Kristen Bakalar

Bakalar joins NYIT from Briarcliffe College, where she served as director of athletics for the past year. Under her direction, four teams advanced to the post season, three teams earned bids to the National Junior College Association of America (NJCAA) national tournament, 20 student-athletes earned Athletic Director's Honor Roll (3.5 GPA or higher) and 13 student-athletes were nominated for United States Corporate Athletics Association honors. Prior to that role, she was an athletic recruiter at Briarcliffe.

Bakalar debuted as a head coach on the collegiate level at Molloy College in 2002, leading their school to the New York Collegiate Athletic Conference (NYCAC) playoffs for the first time in five years.

“It is my pleasure to welcome coach Kristen Bakalar to the NYIT family,” says Doughty. “She is a devoted individual who is highly motivated to provide her student-athletes with quality teaching and leadership. Having served in many capacities at Briarcliff College, she has a true understanding of the college environment, thus she is in a great position to lead our women's softball team.”

A graduate of Briarcliff College with a degree in marketing, Bakalar was a stand-out member of the softball team for two seasons. She led the team to two NJCAA World Series appearances and in each year earned NJCAA and National Fast-pitch Coaches Association Academic All-American honors.

“I’m honored to have been selected as the head softball coach at NYIT and I am very optimistic for what the future holds here,” said Bakalar. “I believe with the right blend of ambition, diligence and unity, this team can really make an impact in the NYCAC, and I am certainly looking forward to the years ahead.”

Bakalar, who resides in Lindenhurst, N.Y., becomes the eighth NYIT head coach in the history of the softball program, replacing Joe Hennie who coached the team for 12 seasons. Last season, the Bears softball team advanced to the NYCAC playoffs after a two-year absence.

Michael Guidone

Guidone joins NYIT from Briarcliffe College, where he served as assistant coach with the men's basketball team. From 1998 to 2002, he was head women's basketball coach at Molloy College, guiding the Lions to three consecutive NYCAC playoff appearances.

Guidone began his coaching career at NYIT in 1994 under the tutelage of the legendary Frank Morris, guiding the men's basketball team to the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championship in 1995.

“It is with great enthusiasm that I welcome Mike back to the NYIT family. He has worked extremely hard to become an individual who thoroughly understands the college coaching environment and brings a wealth of experience and dedication to our school. I am confident that he will provide our women's basketball program with quality teaching, academic development and excellent leadership,” said Doughty.

Guidone earned a degree in speech communications from Molloy College and a master’s degree in physical education from Hofstra University.

“I am thrilled at the opportunity to coach the women’s basketball team at NYIT. Returning to the school where I began my college coaching career is truly a dream come true,” said Guidone. “There is a strong and dedicated group of players in place, and I am committed to helping the team and the program reach its highest potential.”

Guidone, who resides in Hicksville, N.Y., with his wife Dawn and their one-year-old daughter Maggie, becomes the fifth NYIT coach in the history of the women's basketball program. He replaces Joe Hennie, who coached the team for six seasons. Last season, the Bears women's basketball team won a school-record 15 games and advanced to the first NYCAC tournament championship game in team history.

About NYIT

NYIT is the college of choice for more than 14,000 students currently enrolled in more than 100 courses of study leading to undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees from eight schools, including engineering, architecture, business, communication arts and medicine. A private, independent college, NYIT embraces an educational philosophy of career-oriented, professional education for all qualified students, and supports applications-oriented research to benefit the greater global community. Students attend classes at NYIT’s Manhattan and Long Island campuses, as well as online and in a number of programs throughout the world. To date, more than 66,000 alumni have earned degrees at NYIT. For additional information, visit www.nyit.edu.

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Contact: Ben Arcuri, assistant director of athletics for compliance and sports information director, 516.686.7504 or barcuri@nyit.edu