Coaching Carousel Spins at Mahopac, Yorktown, Somers
Opinion Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the author/producer’s interpretation of facts and data.
By Ray Gallagher, Examiner Sports Editor @Directrays
Dini Tabbed Husker Girls’ Hoop Coach; Hynes, Nappi Land Hoops, Hardball Gigs at ’Pac
We told you a couple of weeks ago to keep a watchful eye on @Directrays Twitter feed, as some coaches would be on the move and others would be stepping up to take on new coaching assignments. And lo and behold the intel we kept under wraps began to emerge at places like Mahopac, Somers and Yorktown, which is where we’ll start since it’s pretty big news that Yorktown A.D. Rob Barrett tabbed Kristi Dini as the new Cornhusker varsity girls’ basketball coach, replacing Brian Mundy.
The Dini hire came out of nowhere after she was unceremoniously released by Putnam Valley after winning a Section 1 Class B title in 2020 and a COVID-shortened title in 2021. Dini was released and then replaced just weeks before the start of the 2021 season by venerable Don Hamlin, and the Tigers roared to a third-straight crown in March of 2022, reaching the NYS Final 4 for the first time ever. That was tough for Dini to stomach, though she pulled and prayed for the Tigers, many of whom she still trains in her AAU Extreme Hoops program, which runs out of Solaris, which is a hop, skip and a jump from Yorktown High.
That, along with a risk-reward mentality, were just two of the reasons Barrett had the gumption to dust off Dini, who gets another crack at building yet another winner; this time in Class A.
“We have a way of doing things here, the Yorktown way,” Barrett said, “and we believe Kristi can conform to that and be a great coach here at Yorktown the next 15 years or so. We think she can be our Gina Maher (the longtime Irvington coach and Dini inspirer). We’re very excited by the hire and think the possibilities are limitless for our program. She’s a great coach, that’s never been in question.”
If Dini, who played professionally overseas in 2009-10 after a brilliant career at B.U., has learned anything from her brief stays at places like Briarcliff, Somers and Put Valley, Class A basketball should be on alert for Yorktown. Dini turned around what was a rag-tag Somers program in a hurry and won a Coach of the Year honor, and then did likewise with Putnam Valley while blazing trails to County Center. Now, Dini will set her sights on another sectional title against bigger programs like Mahopac, which just replaced Coach Chuck Scozzafava with true rookie Coach Mairead Hynes. Mahopac A.D. Stephen Luciano opted for the in-house hire for his girls’ hoops coach, just as he did with his new baseball coach, Anthony Nappi (pending BOE approval), who’s fresh off winning the 2022 Section 1 Class A title with 12th-seeded Somers (he replaced Myk Lugbauer). The Hynes family is Mahopac royalty when it comes to inspired student athletes, and Mairead was a multi-sport athlete at Mahopac back in 2012-14 and now teaches in the district, as does Nappi, who inherits a baseball program that has struggled of late but has a freshman class that inspires hope.
Luciana had some quality choices to hire from but is big on hiring union employees in his district, something that sits well with MTA President Tom McMahon and his teacher’s union.
“We are excited to have Mairied Hynes take over as the next head coach of our girls basketball program,” Luciano admitted. “Mairead was a star player at Mahopac, and now she comes home to help take our program to the next level. She showed through the interview process she is a leader and is committed to building a strong program from the youth programs to the varsity.”
In the meantime, Somers is now exploring options for its new baseball coach, and the Tuskers have some interesting possibilities once the job is posted, including Teddy Lawrence, the former longtime Rye Country Day School coach and former MLB draftee of the Detroit Tigers via Mahopac High. Lawrence currently runs 9er Baseball Academy and has an impressive résumé.
The Tuskers can also promote from within their own staff and tab Paul Mayer, who was Nappi’s right-hand man last season, but it’s more likely Somers is looking for an educator, which leaves them with AT LEAST two solid prospects to take over a Tusker club that is pitching rich and poised to repeat if the pipeline can replace pivotal seniors like SS Matt Kapika…
#JuanSoto! If I’m the NY Mets brass, I’ll give up several highly-touted prospects, including SS Ronny Mauricio, 3B Brett Baty, versatile IF/OF Mark Vientos and anyone not named C Francisco Alvarez, plus JD Davis and Dom Smith to get this still-budding, once-in-a-generation talent like the 23-year-old Soto. Make it happen, captain! With two-time Cy Young winning P Jacon deGrom’s future in doubt and P Max Scherzer on the back nine of a Hall of Fame career, the Mets are built for now, so go ahead and ransom the future for a 2022-23 World Series run.
Ray has 33 years experience covering and photographing local sports in Westchester and Putnam counties, including everything from Little League/Travel Baseball to varsity high school prep sports and collegiate coverage. He has been a sports editor at Examiner Media since its inception in 2007.
Visit Ray’s author bio page for more details. Also read Ray’s archived work here and his Direct Rays column here.
