Long Island University Men's Wrestling

Patrovich enters his third season at the helm of the reinstated LIU Post wrestling program in 2016-17. Patrovich's squad made leaps and bounds in 2015-16, as the Pioneers collected 11 wins in duals and earned a 12th-place finish at the NCAA Division II Super Region I Championships. He coached 133-lb. wrestler Joe Calderone and 285-lb. grappler James Louison to All-Super Region I notice, while Calderone also made a return at the national meet, where he earned a major decision of Ashland's Chandler Minnard. In the program's first year back, Patrovich had four wrestlers claim individual weight-class victories in different tournaments throughout the year, including senior Chris DiIorio's Super Region I Championship at 197 pounds. DiIorio was one of four wrestlers to be named All-Region, a list that included fourth-place finisher Joe Calderone (133), fifth-place finisher James Louison (285) and sixth-place finisher Ronnie King (184). Calderone and DiIorio both received bids to the NCAA Tournament, and the 133-lb. freshman finished sixth in St. Louis to become LIU Post's first All-American wrestler in three decades. Over the past 27 years, Patrovich has shown that he is one of New York State's most elite coaches. He has mentored 94 league champions and county place-winners, 30 state qualifiers, 27 state place-winners, 25 county champions, 15 state finalists, eight state champions and 10 All-Americans.  In addition, Patrovich has captured 11 league crowns, two county team championships and two state team titles. During his decorated high school coaching career, Patrovich coached at four schools (Plainview JFK, Division Avenue, East Meadow and Islip), compiling a scintillating 309-86-2 record. His success has not gone unnoticed. Patrovich has been inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame (2012), the New York State Wrestling Hall of Fame and the Suffolk County Sports Hall of Fame.  Additionally, his three sons (Joe, Mike and Ryan) reached the senior high school wrestling national finals, making him the only father in the country whose children accomplished such a feat. Outside the wrestling mat, Patrovich has patrolled the sidelines of the gridiron as a football coach. For the past 32 years, he has compiled a 153-120-4 record at three different schools. Some of his accomplishments include 13 playoff appearances, 11 league titles, five county titles and two Rutgers Cups. Patrovich is the only football coach in Long Island history to win both Suffolk and Nassau County titles, and take three different teams (Division Avenue, Islip and Hauppauge) to the county finals. Patrovich resides in Bohemia, N.Y. with his wife, Kathy.  

John Arceri was named LIU wrestling head coach during the 2024-25 season.   Having originally joined the staff as assistant coach in 2022, Coach Arceri played a pivotal role in the program's development, helping to guide three EIWA place winners and mentoring LIU's first-ever national qualifier.   Coach Arceri brings a wealth of experience to his role, both as a coach and as a former standout wrestler. At Nassau Community College (NCC), Arceri became a national qualifier and contributed to Nassau's victory in the 2018 Division III National Championship. He continued his wrestling career at the University at Buffalo, where he became a national qualifier once again after finishing fourth at the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Championships. He was named a Scholar All-American and earned Academic All-MAC honors for his academic achievements. During Coach Arceri's prep career at Huntington High School, he was a state champion, a two-time state finalist, and a four-time county champion. He earned the prestigious title of High School Freak Show National Champion, cementing his status as one of New York's top high school wrestlers.

Jay Nivison joins the LIU wrestling staff with a decorated background as both a competitor and leader at the Division I level. A native of Davison, Michigan, Nivison brings experience from two major conferences, having competed for the University at Buffalo and Michigan State University. During his collegiate career, Nivison was a 4-year starter in both the Big Ten and MAC, earning recognition as a 3x All-Conference performer, 2x Team Captain, and NCAA Division I Qualifier. He was named University Newcomer of the Year and was also honored as an NWCA Academic All-American. In high school, Nivison was a standout at Davison High School, where he was a state finalist, 2x third-place finisher, and a 3x All-State honoree. His combination of high-level experience, leadership, and academic excellence makes him a valuable addition to the Shark Nation coaching staff.

Patrovich is in his second season as an assistant coach with the LIU Post wrestling program in 2015-16. He recently served as an assistant varsity wrestling coach at Half Hollow Hills West High School, and is currently a head clinician for the Long Island Elite Wrestling Club. Patrovich is also a coach for Long Island MMA fighters, in which he sharpens both professional and amateur MMA fighters' takedowns. Patrovich, who signed a multi-fight deal with Cage Fury Fighting Championships, was a four-year letterwinner and two-time team captain at Hofstra University from 2007-11. A three-time NCAA Division I Championships qualifier who thrice advanced to the Round of 12, he captured the 2011 Colonial Athletic Association title as a senior at the 174-pound weight class. In 2008, Patrovich was a CAA finalist and an NCAA qualifier. A year later, he placed third at the CAA Championships and earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships, where he pulled off a 5-3 win over top-seeded Mack Lewnes of Cornell University. Over his Hofstra career, Patrovich recorded a 75-38 record, including a 20-16 mark in duals and a 9-2 ledger in CAA play. In addition to capturing the CAA Championship, he won the 174-pound title at the 2009 North Carolina State Open, finished second at the 2008 Missouri Open, and placed fifth at the both the Cliff Keen-Las Vegas Invitational and the Southern Scuffle in 2009. A two-sport standout at Islip High School, Patrovich was a three-time New York State Championship finalist, hoisting state titles in 2005 and 2006. He was a three-time Suffolk County champion as well (2004, 2005 & 2006). Plus, Patrovich was a High School Senior National Finalist, a two-time Junior National Finalist, a FILA Junior National Finalist and a two-time Cadet All-American. Patrovich, who earned a bachelor's degree in Business Management from Hofstra, resides in Bohemia, N.Y.  

Spence Howell is excited to join Long Island University as the Marching Band Director in 2023. Mr. Howell brings to LIU an impressive array of experience as a performer and staff member in nationally recognized athletic band programs including The University of Alabama’s “Million Dollar Band” and the “Pride of the Mountains” Marching Band of Western Carolina University. Heavily involved in Drum Corps International, Spence holds the position of High Brass Coordinator at The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps of Rosemont, Illinois, and from 2020-2022 served as a High Brass Instructor at the Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps of Denver, Colorado. As a DCI performer, he marched four years in Carolina Crown of Fort Mill SC, serving as a section leader, and was awarded Brass Member of the Year in 2018. Mr. Howell comes to Long Island from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where he has served the 400-piece Million Dollar Band for five years as a graduate teaching assistant and staff musical arranger, with responsibilities encompassing numerous operational, educational, and creative aspects of a premiere collegiate band program. Spence is accustomed to working under pressure at the most high-profile collegiate sporting events including multiple NCAA Football National Championships, postseason bowl games, and NCAA March Madness basketball tournaments. He has been involved in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade twice, as a performer with Western Carolina University in 2014, and as staff for Alabama’s Million Dollar Band’s appearance in 2021. An accomplished performing musician, Spence Howell holds a Master's degree in trumpet performance and is currently completing his Doctoral studies at The University of Alabama. He plays regularly in professional orchestral, wind band, chamber music, and solo settings, with performance experience including the Tuscaloosa Symphony and Alabama (Birmingham) Symphony.  As a trumpet player at Western Carolina University, he was featured as a soloist at the Bands of America Grand National Finals in 2015 and embarked on a performance tour of South Africa in 2017 with the Smoky Mountain Brass Quintet.  As Principal Trumpet of The Alabama Wind Ensemble, Spence’s premiere performances have included appearances at the American Bandmasters Association (ABA) Conference in 2020 and the College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA) Conference in 2023. Spence Howell is a member of Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honors Society, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America, and Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity.