Staff

In late 2021, it was announced there would be a change in ownership. Albany Patroons Inc., agreed to take over basketball operations for the 2022 season under Ben Fernandez, who has a long history with the Patroons as well as with the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) dating back to the 1980’s.

With this announcement, Michael moved into the role of President, and immediately secured the commitment of Rocco Ricchiuti, who was named Vice President. Shortly thereafter, former UAlbany Head Coach Will Brown was tapped as General Manager & Head Coach, rounding out the core front office team.

Michael is also COO of Albany Basketball & Sports Corp, and since 2012, General Manager of the historic Washington Avenue Armory. Michael’s role with the Armory was initially extended when he was named General Manager of the Albany Patroons mid-season during the 2018 inaugural year of the NAPB League (North American Premiere Basketball), later to become the TBL (The Basketball League). After reaching the finals in 2018, Michael continued as GM for the 2019 season, helping to guide the team to their 3rd Championship, the first in 31 years. The Albany Patroons won the 2019 TBL deciding game 3 against the Yakima Sunkings on May 3rd, 2019 on the home court at the Armory. Michael again continued in his dual role managing the team as well as the venue during the exciting, but short 2020 season - ultimately cut short after only 4 home games due to the pandemic.

During the Patroons downtime, the Armory was selected by FEMA and the New York State Department of Health to transform into a Covid-19 vaccination site. In March of 2021, the Armory began operations as one of a select few federally funded statewide Covid-19 vaccination sites. For over 3 months, 7 days a week and 12 hours a day, close to 90K vaccination shots were administered to Capital Region residents at the Armory. On behalf of the Armory, Michael was presented with a Certificate of Appreciation by FEMA and NYS for the venue’s contributions helping the NYS federal vaccination sites reach their goal of 600K vaccinations.

Michael began his career in the late 90’s as the youngest on-air radio personality in the Albany market, working on-air full time at WFLY Fly 92.3. He was also an on-air host on WKKF Kiss 102.3. Michael holds a NYS teaching certificate was the Lead Instructor of the Radio/Internet Personality class at the New School Center for Media in Albany, where he graduated in the late 90’s. He has also served as the ‘voice’ of the Patroons radio and television commercials and continues to voice and produce commercials inside the many recording studios situated inside the Armory.

Michael is also an accomplished concert and event coordinator having created, developed, and produced hundreds of live music events large and small locally, regionally, and nationally. He has worked directly with hundreds of performing artists on multiple levels in the areas of management, development, promotions and booking. Michael stays active in the music industry and is currently working with and supporting his daughter Sofia’s passion to develop as a recording artist. Sofia is currently in negotiations with streaming services, television, and motion picture companies regarding the licensing of her original recordings.

During his time working with some of the nation’s largest experiential marketing agencies, Michael has coordinated and led dozens of corporate trainings and learning seminars across the country. Michael enjoys creating and conducting structured corporate engagements such as workplace team development training and team building. When he’s not at the Armory or courtside at a Patroons game or in the studio, Michael enjoys spending time with his wife Carolina, and his three children, Noah, Joseph and Sofia. 

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Rocco is a lifelong Albany resident, graduating from Albany High School before attended New York Institute of Technology, graduating at the top of his class, earning a BA in communications & marketing. With over 20 years experience working in the ad agency, television, radio & newspaper industries...and over 15 years in professional sports working with; AHL teams; The Albany River Rats & Albany Devils, Arena Football Team; The Albany Conquest & World Team Tennis, The New York Sportimes'. Rocco is married over 30 years to his wonderful wife Tricia and has 3 amazing adult children; Amanda, RJ & Nicholas.

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Dr. Maggs is the current team Dr. and former owner of the Albany Patroons. He’s been involved with and has worked very closely with the Albany Patroons and former Patroon Head Coach Derrick Rowland since the mid-80’s. Dr. Maggs is a chiropractor who specializes in sports biomechanics. He is the developer of The Structural Management® Program and The Structural Fingerprint® Exam (SFE), which is the most widely used biomechanical exam available in the country today. Dr. Maggs believes prevention of sports injuries is absent in today’s Sportsmedicine Industry, as the current system provides reactive care with virtually no prevention. In 2004, Dr. Maggs developed the Concerned Parents of Young Athletes™ Program hoping to raise the awareness of sports biomechanics in the middle and high school athlete community. His SFE is now performed by many Drs. nationwide who have trained under Dr. Maggs. In 2020, after 9 games, the Patroons reported zero injuries. Every player was completely under Dr. Maggs’ Structural Management® Program.

Dr. Maggs is the Director of Sports Biomechanics at Christian Brothers Academy in Albany, New York, and is in the school one day per week treating those student/athletes who have gone through his examination.

Dr. Maggs is also the Director of Sports Biomechanics for The Basketball League, the league the Albany Patroons play in. There are 42 teams this year, and Dr. Maggs goal is to identify Drs. in each city to provide his Structural Fingerprint^® Exam on all players, as well as ongoing treatment, in an effort to reduce injuries league-wide. More information can be found at DrTimMaggs.com.

Jordan is excited to be joining the Albany Patroons. After graduating from SUNY Plattsburgh, Jordan spent time working in Manhattan for a marketing agency which focused on developing visual content for fashion and beauty brands. This experience allowed him to learn how content marketing can be strategically used in any business. In 2017, Jordan found a new home in the Capital Region working as the Marketing Director for Premiere Transportation, which allowed him the opportunity to run and manage all marketing efforts for Premiere. After sitting courtside for a few games Jordan quickly realized the excitement and energy the Armory and the Patroons had to offer, that combined with the overwhelming history is what led him to get involved with the Patroons organization.

Don Bassett’s career began in 1957, his senior year at Oneonta State when he decided to give up his final year of playing to coach the Oneonta JV. Following graduation he became Director of Athletics at Sacred Heart School in Troy, New York.

Coach Bill Carley, his high school coach at Catholic Central where he graduated from asked if he would like to join him at Catholic High. He remained on the staff from 1960-1984. At first he was asst for football and basketball. He later started a cross country and track program.

In 1968 he was named Varsity basketball coach and continued in that position until 1984. Over his 16 years his teams won 5 Diocesean Championships and 4 Big Ten Championships. In five years his teams won the AA class twice and was runner-up twice. They also competed in Washington DC twice and the Elite Eight twice at the end of their season. Twice they were ranked #2 in the state behind Mount Vernon.

In 1984 he accepted the varsity job at Troy High and remained for 5 years.

In 1989 Don joined Coach George Karl and the Albany Patroons. They established two professional records which remain today. They completed the season 28-0 at home and 50-6 overall.

The following year Coach Karl left for Spain and Don became Personnel Director for the Patroons returning to the bench with Coach Herman Kull the 2nd half of the season. Between seasons he became coach of the Glens Falls Stallions of the USB the later part of the season.

In 1991 he scouted for an NBA scouting service. In 1992 Brian Beaury asked Don to join him at the College of Saint Rose and he remained until 2003. During that time the team won more than 250 games and numerous conference titles. They made the NCAA tournament four times. They made it to the final four once and the Elite Eight twice.

In 2004 Don returned to Catholic Central for one year and completed his Section 2 high school career with 310 wins. Today his name appears on the Catholic Central court.

After being out of basketball for one season Coach Will Brown who worked with him at Saint Rose convinced him to help him for a few years at U Albany as his advisor. He remained until 2021. During that time the team won over 200 games and made the NCAA tournament four times. He now returns to the Albany Patroons with Coach Will Brown.

The Book on Brian Beaury
33rd Year (643-326) at The College of Saint Rose
 
Hometown
Queens, New York
 
Family
Wife: Mary Ann, Member of Saint Rose Hall of Fame
Children: Alexandra, Brian, Ben
 
Education
Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, Saint Rose
Master’s in Education, Saint Rose
 
Collegiate Playing Experience
Saint Rose; 1978-82
Team MVP as a senior
Two-time All-Conference pick
Top-10 all-time in assists (443) and steals (176)
 
Collegiate Coaching Experience
Head Coach: The College of Saint Rose, 1986-present
Assistant Coach: The College of Saint Rose, 1984-86
Assistant Coach: Junior College of Albany, 1982-84
 
Noteworthy
Member of the Saint Rose Athletics Hall of Fame
Member of the New York State Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame
Member of New York Capital Region Basketball Hall of Fame
Ninth most victories all-time among active NCAA II coaches (entering season)
One of nine active NCAA II coaches to record 600+ wins
2017 NABC East District Coach of the Year
2017 Athletics Leadership Award from the Academy for Character Education at The Sage Colleges
Member of the NCAA Division II National Men’s Basketball Committee
Chair of the NCAA Division II East Region Advisory Committee
31 postseason appearances in 32 years at Saint Rose
14 NCAA Tournament appearances in the past 27 years
3 Elite Eight Appearances
4 NCAA East Regional “Sweet 16” Appearances
1 Final Four Appearance
1996 Saint Rose Distinguished Alumni Award Winner
Saint Rose has won at least 19 games in 23 of his 32 years
Two-time Co-Chair of Saint Rose Capital Campaign
 
Saint Rose Basketball - A Winning Tradition
26th All-Time NCAA Division II Winningest Team (by percentage as of 4/1/18)
3 NE10 Team Academic Awards (Conference's Top Team GPA) in the past 4 years
5 NABC Team Academic Awards in the past 6 years
14 NCAA Tournament Appearances:
1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998,
1999, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2017, 2018
3 “Elite Eight” Appearances: 1996, 1998, 1999
4 East Regional “Sweet 16” Appearance: 1996, 1998, 1999, 2017
1 “National Semifinal” Appearance: 1998
4 ECAC Tournament Appearances:
1993, 1994, 2001, 2002
2 ECAC Championships: 1993, 2001
4 NYCAC Championships:
1995, 1997, 1998, 2000
2 NAIA District 31 Championships: 1989, 1991

First year with the Albany Patroons, local women’s basketball player Julie McBride joins the coaching staff for the 2022 season.  McBride is a native from Mechanicville NY and is very well respected and dedicated to the 518 community. She attend Catholic Central High School in Troy NY where her number 13 is retired.  Julie was a All-Big East Selection for the University of Syracuse.  McBride graduated from Syracuse as the All-Time program leader in Points and Assist and after played 15 years at the professional level.

Julie has both Program and Head Coaching experience with the Albany Capitals/Team McBride Elite AAU program where she trains and coaches many college bound players.  In 2018, she became a Co Owner of MD Sports Hall, a training facility in Troy, NY.  Julie is a skills development basketball trainer since 2004 providing the 518 with camps, clinics and workouts to help push and inspire all athletes to reach their goals and dreams.  McBride also has a Master Degree in Coaching & Athletic Administration along with a Degree in Child Family Studies from Syracuse University.

Playing Career
 
Professional Basketball Player                                                                                   

• Played in WNBA (Chicago Sky), WNBL (San Jose Spiders), Poland (National Team), Turkey, and Croatia
• Eurocup and Euroleague Participant
• European championship with Polish National Team
• 2018 Polish Cup Champ and MVP

 
Syracuse University                                                                                                

• All Time Leading Scorer at Graduation- 1,605 Points
• All-Time Leader in Scoring Average, 3 Pointers, & Assists 
• All-Big East Selection- 2004, 2003, 2002
• #9 Of Top 10 All-Time Syracuse Athletes- CNNSI.com 

 
Catholic Central High School (Troy, NY)                                                                 

• 2018 CCHS Hall Of Fame Inductee
• 2000 Times Union- Player of The Year
• All-Time Leader in Scoring- 1932 Points 
• Channel 13 All-Star- 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997 
   

Greg Aidala is an award-winning entertainer having appeared on the Lifetime Movie Network, MTV, NBC, PBS, Amazon Prime and SiriusXM Radio. Greg's career began in 2001 and since, he's played throughout the U.S. with such comedians as Jerry Seinfeld, Colin Quinn, Bo Burnham and Dave Attell. 

In 2005, he formed Radial Gage Entertainment company and in 2006, he launched his award-winning touring production, 'The Brew Ha-Ha Comedy Showcase'. Greg also hosts the weekly radio show, 'That's My Time'. To learn more, visit: thatsmytimeshow.com

Greg is a lifelong resident of the Capital Region. He graduated from Colonie High School, HVCC and University at Albany. In 2016, he formed the 'Knock, Knock. Who's There?' Scholarship at CCHS for students entering college for the Arts. Greg is also a Certified Life Coach. In 2021, he was the Independent mayoral candidate in the City of Albany.  

His family has owned and operated Quail Auto Sales in Albany since 1943. He's proud to have deep roots in Albany and to have attended many of the historic Patroons games during his youth.

Off the court, Greg enjoys playing the guitar, drums and harmonica. He also enjoys reading, traveling, listening to Yankees games on the radio and volunteering his time at his parish of St. Pius X in Loudonville, NY. 
 

Art has been working with the Armory and the Albany Patroons for decades, providing quality audio and visual solutions for Armory events. Art and his team are responsible for creating the professional live stream broadcast of all Albany Patroons home games.
 
He has worked in television for over 29 years here in Albany, NY.  First at the WTEN News 10, and also at FOX 23 as News Operations Manager. Art has national television experience as well, taking on roles with ESPN, MSG, ABC News and more… covering everything from major sporting events to the Miss America Pageant.
 
Art was also the Fire Chief at the Clifton Park Fire Department where he volunteered for 41 years. He also has volunteered for Clifton Park-Halfmoon Ambulance as EMS for over 10 years. 
 
Currently, Art is President of Capital Region Digital, LLC, a company that works with businesses in the areas of advertising and corporate messaging throughout the Capital Region. He continues to produce local area TV shows, in addition to offering live streaming capabilities to multiple area events.
 
Art has worked with the Children's Miracle Network Telethon for over 26 years as a show coordinator and as the producer.

Marisa Jacques is a proud Troy native and Union College graduate. Marisa has been telling stories and covering sports for Spectrum News 1 since 2002.

Beginning her career as an associate producer in the Capital Region, Marisa’s hard work and passion has led her to her current position as anchor, where she tells community stories from the Hudson Valley all the way to Buffalo. 

Marisa started her career in news, but quickly moved over to sports, spending nearly two decades covering local sports.  For more than a decade Marisa led the department as the Sports Dire​ctor.

When Marisa isn’t at the news desk, you can find her spending her time with her loved ones and getting out in the community to meet and connect with her neighbors.

John is back for his fourth season with the Patroons relinquishing his role as play-by-play announcer and will be on the sports desk for pregame, halftime and post game shows for the live stream. He graduated from the University at Albany in 2019 with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Documentary Studies. While at UAlbany, Longton was the Sports Editor of the Albany Student Press, writer for the Daily Gazette and interned at ESPN Radio 104.5 The Team. Upon the conclusion of his internship, Longton was hired by Townsquare Media as a radio personality and a producer. Now, John is serving his community as an Albany Firefighter and Freelance Videographer for Hudson Valley Community College.

Chuck Miller has handled many different and diverse duties within the Albany Patroons organization.  His current role as a halftime commentator for the team is the culmination of decades of association with the Gold and Kelly Green.  In the past, Chuck has photographed the game, worked as the game day announcer, called color commentary, and even sang the national anthem as needed!

Chuck is long associated with minor league sports.  In addition to his work with the Patroons, Chuck is also the league statistician and director of player clearances for the National Basketball League of Canada, and has worked in similar operations with the Premier Basketball League and the Continental Basketball Association.

Josh White is excited to begin his first season as the PA Announcer for the Albany Patroons.  He previously served as “The Voice” of the University at Albany Great Danes over the past 14 years handling duties for men’s basketball, women’s basketball, football and men’s lacrosse.  He currently serves as the basketball announcer for Bryant & Stratton, Hudson Valley Community College and Russell Sage.  Josh worked in the Athletic Media Relations departments for six years at UAlbany and West Virginia University, where he graduated in 1999.  He is also a 16-year Section 2 girls’ basketball referee and has officiated five Section 2 finals and made a state tournament appearance.  Josh also umpires high school and travel baseball locally.  He has many fond childhood memories of attending Patroons games and following the careers of legendary coaches Phil Jackson, George Karl and Bill Musselman.

Benito Solomon Fernandez V is a graduate of Cornell Law School, where he received a J.D. and a graduate of Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne where he received an LL.M. in French and European Law.

He began his professional career at O'Connell & Aronowitz in Albany. Currently, he is the counsel for the Albany Patroons and a Partner at B. Solomon Fernandez Law, PLLC.

Pastor Christopher Kidd, Ordained and licensed in 2021 by Move of God Deliverance Ministries. Currently, a Pastor of New Hope Baptist Church, Troy NY. The founding Pastor of At All Times House of Prayer and Hoops4Christ LLC. Kidd has been called to ministry over 25 years ago. Alumni of Sage College of Albany, 2019 athlete of the year, E8 all-star, and ABA standout. Kidd has served the capital region for 5 years as a community leader using Christ and basketball to save lives of our inner-city youth to adults. Providing a viable outlet accessible to all.