Coach Jose Irizarry joined the Monroe College men’s basketball team in the fall of 2016 as an assistant coach. He brings a wealth of experience as a coach, student-athlete and administrator with him to New Rochelle.
Irizarry created and is currently the CEO of Royal Family Basketball League. He oversees a tournament of 40-50 teams annually and handles all aspects of the business. The league was formed back in 2008 as a not-for-profit organization that helps promote sports in various communities.
As a coach, Irizarry has worked at the middle school, AAU, NJCAA and NCAA levels. While working with Monroe, Irizarry has also served as head coach of the William J. O'Shea Middle School boys basketball team, where he is in charge of all aspects of the basketball program. Irizarry also works during the season with AAU club The Riverside Hawks, and has previously won two AAU National Championships.
In his two seasons with Monroe, Irizarry has helped coach the Mustangs to a 44-22 overall record, including the 2017 Region XV and District 3 Titles, as well as an appearance in the 2017 NJCAA National Championship Tournament. He was instrumental in the development of 2017-18 Region XV Player of the Year and NJCAA All-American Jhery Matos, who went on to play at NCAA Div. I University of Dayton, as well as All-American Dani Koljanin, who moved on to Marshall University. While working directly with the players during practice and games, Irizarry is also responsible for assisting with workouts, defensive coaching, recruiting and scouting, and organizing university visits and recruiting calls. Irizarry also serves as the associate head coach of the Monroe men's basketball academy team and training program.
No stranger to the NJCAA and Region XV, Irizarry served as Associate Head Coach and Assistant Athletic Director at Globe Institute of Technology in New York City in 2013 and 2015. He helped run practices, came up with strategies for games and started a nutrition program for several student-athletes. As assistant athletic director, he was in charge of budget management and scheduling team travel, as well as assisting and directing the training of all athletic teams. Irizarry also planned and organized facility usage and practice times for all sports, as well as purchased equipment for all sports.
In 2015-16, Irizarry was on the basketball staff at Mercy College, an NCAA Division II school. With the Mavericks, he was in charge of scouting and was lead recruiter for the team.
As a student-athlete, Irizarry played two seasons for Fulton Montgomery Community College before transferring to NCAA Div. I Saint Peter's University. In his freshman season, Irizarry was named to the All-Region and All-Conference Teams. Irizarry was selected as a Preseason All-American prior to his sophomore campaign, earning All-Region and All-Conference honors again that season. He averaged 15.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game, while shooting 84 percent from the free-throw line and 43 percent from three-point range. Irizarry chose to forego his senior season at Saint Peter's after earning a position as a student assistant coach at Virginia Commonwealth University under head coach Shaka Smart to kick off his coaching career.
He has attended many Division I camps including: University of Maryland, Virginia Commonwealth, St. John's, Seton Hall, NC State, Providence and Wake Forest Basketball Camps in addition to 5 Star and Hoop Group.
Irizarry is a member of the NABC and former Commissioner of the Royal Family Basketball League (2008-16). He is a 2012 graduate of Mercy College, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology.
Irizarry also earned an associate’s degree from Fulton Montgomery Community College, where he was also the captain of the men’s basketball team and earned All-Region and All-Conference accolades..
