South Orange, N.J. – In front of media, fans and the university community, Shaheen Holloway was introduced as the 20th head coach in the history of Seton Hall men’s basketball to a raucous crowd inside historic Walsh Gymnasium on Thursday afternoon.
University President Joseph E. Nyre, Chair of Board of Regents Kevin Marino and Director of Athletics Bryan Felt were the featured speakers. Also in attendance were Pirate greats Marcus Tony-El and Terry Dehere, as well as every player from Holloway’s Saint Peter’s squad that won the 2022 MAAC Championship and advanced to this year’s Elite Eight at the NCAA Tournament.
“It says a lot about Shaheen,” Felt said of the Peacocks being there to celebrate their former coach. “It says a lot about him. It says a lot. What he pours in, he gets back.”
In replacing Kevin Willard, Holloway is taking over a Big East program that has been to five of the past six NCAA tournaments. It would have been six of seven had not the pandemic canceled the 2020 event.
Holloway, whose Peacocks beat Kentucky, Murray State and Purdue in the NCAA tournament, said he would put Saint Peter’s back on the Pirates’ schedule after a four-year absence. He also went out of his way to say how important it was for him to get this job.
“I can’t mess this up and I’m not going to mess this up,” he said. “When you are home, it’s too important. It’s a difference. It’s a big difference, like you put more time, more effort, more sweat, more tears. This is everything to get an opportunity to coach at my alma mater. I’m not going to mess up this opportunity.”
