Western Connecticut State University Men's Basketball

Charles “Guy” Rancourt ( ’97) has continued to operate at the highest levels of the collegiate and international basketball worlds since 2003.  He returned to his alma mater in 2018 and in his second season, WestConn went 20-8 overall, won the Little East Conference regular season title and swept through the Little East Conference (LEC) Tournament to earn an automatic berth into the NCAA DIII Championships.  The Wolves have gone 61-21 over the last three season, reached the LEC Championship Finals each of the last four winters, once again winning the Conference Title this season.  Rancourt's success at the Division I, Division III, and national team levels speak for themselves. Numbers that illustrate Coach Rancourt’s accomplishments are numerous: 3 European medal-round finishes 6-Time Coach of the Year 6 Regular Season Championships 10 Championship Appearances 5 NCAA Tournament Appearances 30 All-Conference Selections 7-Time Head Coach, USA East Coast 130+ players continuing on to the professional level 13 players to the NBA 4 National Rankings 364 Wins and 193 Losses overall In Rancourt’s time collegiately, and collaborating with USA Basketball, his peers had this to say: Larry Brown, Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame (’02), only coach in history to win an NBA and NCAA Championship, “Guy is not only a good basketball coach but a good friend.  Our experiences with USA Basketball over the last several years have shown he teaches the game the right way.  It makes me happy to know Guy is continuing to educate young men on and off the court.” Stu Jackson, Former GM, Vancouver Grizzlies (NBA), Former Head Coach, New York Knicks (NBA), “Guy Rancourt is really one of the unsung heroes in the game of basketball. The development opportunities he provides young players across the country is a real credit to him.” Leonard Hamilton, Florida State University, Head Coach, “Guy is a proven winner with a drive that’s second-to-none. His energy will be immediately felt at WestConn and his knowledge of the game will prove to be valuable.  He has a gift of making the people around him feel special, and he strives to make those people better off for knowing him. One thing I know, with Guy Rancourt now as your coach, the WestConn Basketball Program is in good hands.” Lori R. Mazza, WestConn, Director of Athletics and Recreational Sports, “I'm excited to welcome back Guy to the WestConn family.  Guy has extensive coaching experience at the Division III and Division I levels and has demonstrated his ability, to be an essential part of, and lead, championship programs at multiple institutions.  His philosophy of family, commitment to academics, athletic success and leadership are in line with our vision here at WestConn and I look forward to the positive impact he will have on our student-athletes and community at large." Rancourt’s Prior Coaching Experience 1997-99          University of New Haven                         Assistant Coach   1999-03          John Jay College                         Head Coach   2003-05          Florida State University                         Director of Basketball Operations   2005-08          Stony Brook University                         Assistant Coach   2008-18          Lycoming College                         Head Coach   Rancourt Year-By-Year Year                School            W         L          Pct. 1999-00          John Jay        13        12        .520 2000-01          John Jay        14        12        .528 2001-02          John Jay        18        8          .692 2002-03          John Jay        10        16        .385 Four Years     John Jay       55        48        .534 2008-09          Lycoming       12        13        .458 2009-10          Lycoming       21        7          .750 2010-11          Lycoming       15        10        .600 2011-12          Lycoming       19        8          .704 2012-13          Lycoming       17        10        .630 2013-14          Lycoming       13        11        .542 2014-15          Lycoming       18        8          .692 2015-16          Lycoming       19        10        .655 2016-17          Lycoming       24        5          .828 2017-18          Lycoming       19        7          .730 Ten Years      Lycoming       177     89        .665 2018-19          WestConn      17        10        .630 2019-20          WestConn      20        8          .714 2021-22          WestConn      13        12        .520 2022-23          WestConn      22        5          .815 2023-24          WestConn      22        5          .815 2024-25          WestConn      18        9          .667   TOTAL                                  112       49        .696

Western Connecticut State University named Ryan Budd as head cross country and head track and field coach in September of 2024.  In this position, Budd is responsible for six WestConn varsity programs, as he successfully ushered in the inaugural seasons of the Wolves' men's and women's indoor and men's and women's outdoor track and field teams in 2024-25.  Budd mentored last winter's Little East Conference (LEC) Women's Indoor Track and Field Rookie of the Year Annalee Holcomb and 2025 New England Long Jump Champion Anthony Paulino in his first season with the Wolves. Budd, who owns 12 years experience in coaching college cross country and track and field, is a graduate of Central Connecticut State University and a former captain of the Blue Devils track and field teams.  Budd has achieved elite success at all of his coaching stops including the last two years at CCSU where he helped the Blue Devils win a Northeast Conference Women's Cross Country title in 2022 and a Northeast Conference Men's Cross Country crown last fall.  In indoor track and field, CCSU captured the Northeast Conference women's championship in 2023 and 2024 and its men won the 2024 outdoor title.  Budd was a member of the Northeast Conference Coaching Staffs of the Year in each of those championship track seasons. Budd began his coaching career as a graduate assistant specializing in the pole vault and multi-events at the University of Central Arkansas in 2015.  He coached there for two seasons before moving on to Wagner College where he helped the Seahawks win two cross country titles ans multiple indoor and outdoor track and field titles in five seasons.  Wagner athletes set 19 school records and won 11 Northeast Conference individual championships during Budd's tenure coaching the jumpers and sprinters.  Budd also coached high school track and field locally at Pomperaug High School in Woodbury. Budd earned his bachelor's degree in physical education from CCSU in 2015 and added a master's degree in the same field from the Central Arkansas.  He has a coaching certification from and is a strength and conditioning coach with the United States Track and Field & Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).  As an athlete at CCSU, Budd was a two-time All-NEC and All-New England selection while helping the Blue Devils win an indoor conference title in 2011 and outdoor conference championships in 2014 and 2015.  

Western Connecticut State University Head Men's Basketball Coach Guy Rancourt announced the hiring of Chris Watts to the position of assistant coach in the summer of 2025.  Watts, a former standout at Providence College, joins the Wolves following the last six seasons as head coach at Mercy College, the last three as head coach, and an additional two years as an assistant coach at the University of Bridgeport. He was previously the head coach at both St. Joseph High School in Trumbull and Notre Dame High School in Fairfield , and was twice named the State of Connecticut Coach of the Year.  His deep ties to the state's AAU scene will be an immediate benefit for the program. "Chris has been a friend for several years and I couldn't be happier to have him on our staff", said head coach Guy Rancourt, "As a player he was one of the best in the country, as a coach his experience will be invaluable, and our players will be the ones benefitting most as he starts working with them in the fall."  

Western Connecticut State University hired Dan Carey as an assistant men's basketball coach for the 2025-26 season. Carey comes to WestConn from the University of Massachusetts, where he was the men's basketball director of scouting and video operations last winter.  Carey was also an assistant coach at Plymouth State from 2021 to 2024.  Carey earned his bachelor's degree in sports management and his master's degree in business administration from Plymouth State in 2022 and 2023, respectively.  He played basketball and football for the Panthers, earning Little East Conference (LEC) Academic honors.

Western Connecticut State University hired Tyler Hochadel as an assistant track and field coach for WestConn's inaugural indoor and outdoor track and field seasons in 2024-25. Hochadel joined WestConn with a wealth of coaching experience, most recently at SUNY Cortland where he served as throws coach from 2021 to 2024. At Cortland, Hochadel helped the Red Dragon athletes set multiple NCAA championship qualifying marks and numerous school records. Hochadel has also been an assistant strength and conditioning coach at Cortland for two years and a strength and conditioning intern at the University of Buffalo in 2020-21. Hochadel holds a bachelor's degree in fitness development from SUNY Cortland and is both a certified strength and conditioning specialist and a certified CPR/AED and first aid provider.  

Western Connecticut State University hired Rebecca Bourret as assistant track and field coaches for WestConn's inaugural indoor and outdoor track and field seasons in 2024-25, and she will also be an assistant for the Wolves' cross country teams in 2025.  Bourret came to WestConn from Newtown High School where she has been the head women's track and field coach and an assistant women's soccer coach since 2018.  At Newtown, Bourret led Newtown to four Southwest Connecticut Conference (SWC) titles and seven SWC runner-up finishes in the indoor and outdoor seasons.  Bourret, who was also an assistant track and field coach at Stratford High School in 2017, earned her bachelor's degree in sociology and applied social relations from Eastern Connecticut State University in 2011 and added a master's degree in applied behavior analysis from WestConn in 2019.

The Western Connecticut State University men's and women's track and field teams have added Terrance Brown as the new jumps coach for the 2025-26 academic year.    Since November of 2023, Brown served as the head coach of the girls' track and field field team at Shelton High School and worked directly with sprints, hurdles, mid-distance and jumps. While there, he also planned and implemented progressive training sessions throughout the season for all skill levels and events to develop athletes' potential to compete at a collegiate and national level. Brown has also been an assistant nurse manager at the Midstate Medical Center in Meriden, Conn. for the last two years. Brown was an assistant track and field coach at Sheehan High School in Wallingford, Connecticut from 2019 to 2023, where he specialized in horizontal jumps and hurdles, while assisting in sprints. Before that, Brown spent three years at Jonathan Law School in Milford, Connecticut as an assistant girls' soccer coach.  Brown earned his associate's degree in nursing from Sacred Heart University and graduated from Ohio State University with a bachelor's degree in psychology.

Former WestConn forward Jamie Procino '09, more recently known as one of the tri-state area’s best recruiters, is entering his 10th season as an assistant coach with the Western Connecticut State University men's basketball program. Procino returned to his alma mater in 2016 and is the longest tenured assistant for Head Coach Guy Rancourt. Highly regarded for his coaching acumen and evaluation and development of talent, Procino has guided numerous players to all-conference accolades and beyond.  In addition to his varsity duties, Procino is also the head coach of the WestConn junior varsity program and coaches in the spring and summer months with the famed Riverside Church AAU program.  His 17u squad won the prestigious Hoop Group Academic Leagues inaugural tournament championship in July 2025.               Last winter, WestConn posted started 8-8, before righting the ship and grinding out out a 10-game winning streak, and beating No. 21-ranked Keene State on senior night. The Wolves finished with an 18-9 record, including a 13-3 mark in conference play, and reached its third consecutive Little East Conference (LEC) Finals.  Procino was a key factor in developing Cameron Gallon into a two-time All-LEC player and Jourdan Belcher who received LEC All-Defensive Team recognition.        In 2023-2024, the Wolves dominated the league with a 14-2 record inside conference play, including a 76-73 win at No. 6-ranked Keene State.  The Wolves were ranked among the top five nationally in seven defensive statistics.  WestConn narrowly missed the NCAA tournament after losing to Keene State in the LEC Championship game despite a 22-5 overall record. Jaheim Young finished his career with a breakout senior campaign,  becoming the first player since 2016 to score 1,000 points and receiving All-LEC First Team accolades, while Gallon made the all-conference second team and Melo Williams garnered LEC All-Defensive recognition.          In 2022-2023,  the Wolves stormed out of the gate to win 19 of their first 20 games, winning by an average of 21 points and finished the season at 22-5. WestConn's year came to a close in the league championship game with an overtime loss to No. 4-ranked Keene State.  The Wolves boasted one of the top defensive teams in the nation while averaging 86 points per contest.  Procino was the lead recruiter and played a hand in the development of All-Region forward Kendall Robinson, who also collected WestConn's coveted male athlete of the year award and fielded professional offers from teams all over the world.  Robinson is currently playing in Slovenia. Additionally, Ryan Alkins was named All-LEC Second Teamer off the bench as a senior.         Procino played a big role in WestConn winning the  2020 LEC regular season and tournament championship titles,  helping to bring 11 first-year players onto the roster. That squad included Fenton Bradley Jr. who was named LEC Player of the Year and is currently playing professionally in Denmark and Ahmad Privott who was All-LEC Second Team as a sophomore.      In the summer of 2019, Coach Procino was selected to be part of USA Basketball’s Pan American Games Training Camp in Providence, Rhode Island. Serving under current Washington Wizard’s (NBA) coach Mike Longabardi, Procino helped prepare star players from top Division I programs for international competition.      Upon graduating from WestConn in 2009, Procino enjoyed a four-year career as a professional player in several pro leagues stateside such as the EBA, the PBA and the APBL.  At WestConn, Procino was a three-year letter winner and was named to the All-LEC Second Team as a junior and senior and All-Metro Third Team as a junior. He was also a member of the WestConn's baseball team in 2007.