By Max Sass and Alana Pelosi, Sports Editors
UPDATE: Following the men's basketball banquet at the University Club at Hofstra University Pecora would not issue a comment to The Chronicle.
Jerry Beach, author of Defiantly Dutch, a blog about Hofstra sports was at the banquet. "It was a little tentative at first," Beach said. Beach did add that Pecora tried to lighten the mood. "You could tell he didn't want to make it too somber of an occasion," Beach said.
"[Pecora] said it was a tough decision but the right one to make at the right time," Beach said.
Fordham University sent out a media advisory Wednesday confirming that Hofstra University's men's basketball Head Coach Tom Pecora is heading to the Bronx for next season. Pecora will take over for Dereck Whittenburg as head coach of men's basketball at Fordham.
Fordham intends to hold a press conference tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 p.m. Hofstra has yet to make an announcement about Pecora's departure as tonight is men's basketball banquet at the Hofstra University Club.
"Over the past sixteen years Tom Pecora has played a significant role in the growth of the Hofstra University basketball program, first as an assistant coach and then as the head coach.Tom has been an excellent coach, a mentor to student-athletes and athletic staff members, and an outstanding ambassador for our University.We wish him well at Fordham University and we will begin the search for a replacement immediately," Hofstra University Athletic Director Jack Hayes said in a statement Wednesday night.
Fordham fired Whittenburg in November and as recently as Tuesday night, Joe DiBari, Sports Information Director for Fordham men's basketball told The Chronicle that Pecora leaving for Fordham was, "news to me." DiBari also added that, "We haven't spoken to or interviewed any candidates other than Jared Grasso."
Pecora reportedly went to Fordham Wednesday midday to entertain the Rams offer.
In his nine years as head coach of the Pride, Pecora recorded 155 wins. He was also an assistant to Jay Wright for seven years before Wright left for Villanova. Pecora leaves a Pride team that won 19 games in the 2009-10 season and has CAA Player of the Year Charles Jenkins returning as a senior.
Last year Fordham was 2-26 overall and 0-16 in Atlantic 10 Conference play.