University of Massachusets Athletics
Coach Lappas Selects Director of Operations
June 14, 2002 | Men's Basketball
June 14, 2002
AMHERST, Mass. -- University of Massachusetts men's basketball coach Steve Lappas announced today that his administrative assistant, Paul Culpo, has been promoted into the program's Director of Basketball Operations position.
"Paul is very deserving of this promotion," Lappas said. "He has a great mind for the game, and has a tremendous future as a coach. Paul has a strong work ethic and is dedicated to helping our program be successful. I believe he will do a great job for us."
In his new job Culpo will be responsible for coordinating team travel, organizing team purchases and allotments, scheduling opponents and practice times, and budgeting expenditures. He will also be heavily involved in the UMass summer camp program and in coordinating efforts with several of the program's sponsors.
"This is a wonderful opportunity for me to continue learning and working with coach Lappas and the staff," Culpo said. "I'm excited about the future of UMass basketball, and look forward to helping the staff return the Minutemen to the top of the Atlantic 10 standings."
During the 2001-02 season, Culpo's first in Amherst, he served as Lappas' administrative assistant. He has nine years of coaching experience on his resume, and spent the 2000-01 season as head coach and director of operations for England's Doncaster Panthers of the National Basketball League. Culpo took a team, picked to finish last by the media and coaches, to the playoffs in his only season there.
Before his one-year stint in England, Culpo, a Pittsfield, Mass., native, served as an assistant basketball coach at Saint Michael's (Vt.) College (1997-2000), Union (N.Y.) College (1996-97), Genesee (N.Y.) Community College (1995-96) and UMass-Boston (1993-95).
A 1993 graduate of Saint Michael's (Vt.) College, Culpo received his master's degree from UMass-Boston in 1996. He and his wife Katy, reside in Amherst with their children, Jac and Theresa.
Culpo replaces Brian Loyd, who accepted an assistant coaching position on Jay John's staff at Oregon State last April.
