Former Holmdel Basketball Standout Makes Second
Coaching Appearance in NCAA Tournament
20 APRIL 2021 | TheJournalNJ.com
BY LES PIERCE
Colgate University Assistant Basketball Coach Dave Klatsky is going to
the NCAA Tournament again. This is his second March Madness coaching
outing, as he previously made the trip in 2019. The Raiders took
The Raiders posted a 14-1 record this season and gained entry into
the NCAA show by winning the Patriot League Tournament. They def-
the brackets, they ousted Boston University (77-69) and Bucknell (105-
75) in that order.
“Making it back to the NCAAs has been incredible,” exclaimed
Klatsky. “The focus and determination of our players in this topsy turvy
year was admirable. This team has been a joy to coach, and I couldn't be
prouder of what they were able to accomplish. There's nothing like the
NCAA tournament, and I'm ecstatic they are able to share in this experience
together.”
Actually, Klatsky is somewhat of a veteran of the NCAA Tournament.
In his collegiate playing days, he made three appearances carrying University
of Pennsylvania colors. During his tenure at Penn, the Quakers
also claimed three Ivy League titles.
Klatsky led the Hornets to back to back state titles in 1998 and 1999.
His 27-point performance propelled Holmdel over Mendham in the
He was selected to the Asbury Park Press All-Shore Conference
Team in 1999. On Jan. 27 of this year, he was featured in an Asbury Park
Press article titled “NJ boys basketball: Jersey Shore’s top 100 players
all-time, ranked.”
It appears he has found his calling as a member of the Raider staff.
“Coaching at Colgate over the last 10 years has been an amazing experience,”
said Klatsky. “We took over a program that was a bottom 0 team in
Division 1 and turned it into a perennial power winning 2 of the last 3 Patriot
League championships. In addition to the on-court success, we have
been fortunate to have high-quality individuals as part of our program,
and it has been especially rewarding helping them grow off the court.”
Former Holmdel teammate Vincent “Vinnie” McKeever stated, “My
teammates and I all knew what a special kind of player he was when we
were on the court with him at Holmdel High School. He led us to back
to back Group 2 state championships. I wasn't surprised by his success
on the court at Penn, and I'm not surprised by his success in coaching.
Dave understands basketball in a way very few do, and I am excited to see
where his career takes him.”
Klatsky currently lives in Hamilton, New York with wife Abby and
sons Harrison, age 5, and Leo, age 3.
/TheJournalNJ.com