Sunil Sunder Raj, Contributor, Global Women's Sports Radio
Recently I had the opportunity to speak with Seton Hall Pirates Women's Basketball Assistant Coach Lauren DeFalco via Zoom. DeFalco wrapped up her eighth season on the Pirates staff under Head Coach Tony Bozzella. This past season Seton Hall went 14-7, 12-5 in the Big East while reaching the conference tournament.
Growing up with three brothers' sports was always prominent in the DeFalco family. Wanting to sit home, play in the pool and watch TV all day was not an option for Lauren DeFalco.
"My Mom was one of those people that would not let up sit home, so I played soccer, baseball with the boys, basketball, cheerleading for my brothers' when they were in Pop Warner," Lauren DeFalco explained. "I didn't like basketball when I was growing up; I wasn't really good, and then one day around seventh and eighth grade into high school, it became a passion and something I just did year-round." I just loved playing and watching it.
Attending Immaculata High School in Somerville, New Jersey, DeFalco excelled on the court. A four-year varsity letter winner, averaging 13 points and seven assists as a junior and earning Somerset County Player of the Year, First-team All-Somerset County, and Mountain Valley Conference honors and leading her team to a state championship and three Somerset County Tournament championships. Displaying a feverish work ethic, DeFalco played AAU Basketball for the Jersey Shore Stars.
"I went to Immaculata, which was about 45 minutes away from my house, my bus would come about 5:15 in the morning, and when I was at school, we would have practice from 7 to 9(night)," Lauren DeFalco described. "Discipline, staying focused, and my parents weren't paying all this money for me to go to a private school if I wasn't going to be successful, so keeping my grades up." I played for a phenomenal coach there; she was an All-American at Temple; she really taught me and prepared me for college, and just the sacrifices and everyday grind and no days really prepared me.
"I played for a great AAU coach; I would drive down to Point Pleasant, which was an hour fifteen, practice, and drive all the way home, so it was there was anything that like was close." "Always the drive, grind, and sacrifice taught me to be prepared for that next level and at that age just how serious I was about basketball and my future.
Going on to attend Iona College, DeFalco played for Tony Bozzella, where she dominated on and off the court for the Gaels women's basketball team. Finishing up the all-time leader in three-point field goals and games played. Earning Tournament MVP Honors after leading Iona to its first regular-season tournament championship in winning the Bank of Hawaii Invitational.
Appearing in 124 games with 64 starts, earning a spot on the MAAC All-Tournament Team and a Dean's List student landing her the MAAC All-Academic Team sophomore through senior seasons. Graduating with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Elementary Education with a History concentration.
“When I committed to Coach Bozzella, he won one game his first year, seven games the second year, and then my freshman year, he won six games," Lauren DeFalco noted. "He had a vision, I wanted to be part of that vision, and there was just so much pride because the program was in such the bottom dweller for so long and to get the program to new heights.”
“Raised by a blue-collar father that ran his own business, my mother stayed home and raised me and my brother, one of five, and we didn't have a lot of money growing up." "Raised mentally tough, I'm about as mentally tough as someone you'll meet, so to me ever sitting out of practice was a failure, and I missed one practice in four years in college, and that's because I had a fever and Coach B.(Tony Bozzella) made me sit out.”
“I love playing, so every game I want to play and never wanted to take off." "Being successful academically with the grades I had translated to being successful on the court because I worked hard and everything I did I took pride in.”
After graduating from Iona College, DeFalco's first job in basketball ended up as a graduate assistant coach at Sacred Heart for two years under Head Coach Ed Swanson. She was responsible for several areas that included academic monitoring, recruiting, and assisting with the guard positions. Furthering her education, DeFalco earned a Master of Arts and Teaching degree.
“I had to move up to Connecticut on my own and lived by myself," Lauren DeFalco said. "I was full-time plus getting my master's at night, stay there all day till my classes were at night, which were three or four days a week, and I did study hall with the student-athletes and got to know the players.”
“I got to learn another way under Ed Swanson; we had a lot of success, won the NEC(Northeast Conference), and we undefeated." "Just to see how someone else does it, I was involved in all aspects of just getting my feet wet." They made me do a lot of things that I was uncomfortable with, but you only get comfortable by doing the uncomfortable, so really, that time taught me more probably than any time learning how to scout.”
In 2010 DeFalco returned to her alma mater Iona College as an assistant coach on the women's basketball team under Head Coach Tony Bozzella. DeFalco responsible for the same areas while at Sacred Heart, working with the guards, recruiting, and scouting. A very successful third year resulted in the Gaels winning 20 games, advancing to the MAAC Championship while earning a spot in the WNIT, the fourth postseason appearance in program history.
Before the 2013-14 season, DeFalco joined the Seton Hall Pirates Women's Basketball Team as an assistant coach. It was déjà vu all over again as Tony Bozzella was named the head coach at his alma mater. DeFalco also worked with the Seton Hall guards and recruiting coordinator before becoming the lead assistant in 2015.
“I remember that first meeting and Coach(Bozzella). Did we make the right decision because this is not going to be what we thought for a long time," Lauren DeFalco remarked? "You can't run away from a challenge, and it's been nothing but great since then." Even in the first season, we won 20 games. The second year, we took off, but that first year was hard in a lot of ways. When you come to a program that hasn't had a lot of success, you got to get them to understand success and build that culture and get that winning attitude and really get the kids to buy in and took us a whole year.”
Lauren DeFalco on Head Coach Tony Bozzella, "I think he's genuine, first and foremost, and there's a lot of phony in college athletics." "I think what he says he means, intense and passionate absolutely, but I think the kids know at the end of the day if they want to call and need him, he is going to be there whether they're here or they graduated." He's very loyal to Seton Hall, has a place for him in his heart, and he works harder than any coach in the country."
With coaching becoming a 24/7, 365-day job a year, there is no real downtime, and DeFalco recognizes the demands that come with the territory. "You're never off, I went to my sister-in-law's birthday party yesterday, and I have missed calls." "It's really hard to balance because you want to take those calls, and at some point, I got to my phone down and just turned it off."
“That's the hard part that people don't get about college coaches, they see the money, glitz, and glam, but they don't understand the things that really go behind the scenes with all the countless hours spent in the office and away; from family." "Some people are willing to make that sacrifice, and some people aren't.”
In closing, Lauren DeFalco had this message for younger women looking to break into the coaching ranks, "Work hard, be willing to do anything because you can't be entitled, and I don't want to do that." "When I was a GA(Graduate Assistant), we had a camp, I slept in the dorms for 12 straight days, I didn't make any money, and you got to be willing to do anything."
“You got to understand to make a lot of sacrifices, going to live a different life, and you have to willing to understand that it's a different job and mindset than most jobs." "It's not nine to five, your phone doesn't turn off, and kids are going to call you in the middle of the night." I think you just have to be more prepared to grind and do whatever you got to do to get to that next level.”
