Gary DiNola joined the men's lacrosse staff in 2009, bringing a wealth of coaching experience in both lacrosse and basketball to Rensselaer.
Most recently, DiNola served as the head boys’ lacrosse coach at Albany Academy from 1995-99, leading the Cadets to back-to-back undefeated league championships and Section II Class B titles in 1995 and 1996. Under his guidance, the team made the transition into the Western New England Prep School League (WNEPSL) in 1997. The team saw success as it went 14-1 on its way to being ranked second in the WNEPSL as high as 14th-nationally in 1999.
He also coached lacrosse in the Empire State Games, leading the Adirondack Men’s Team to the region’s first medal in 2004, while working alongside current RPI assistant coach, George Leveille.
DiNola also had outstanding success as a basketball coach at various schools in the Capital Region. His first job brought him to the former Mont Pleasant High School, where he coached from 1983-89 and led the program to Big Ten and Section II titles and to the Eastern Regional and State Championships in 1987.
He joined the men’s staff at the University at Albany, where he served under Dr. Richard Sauers from 1989-94. The Great Danes made four appearances in the NCAA Tournament during that time, including a trip to the Elite Eight in 1994.
DiNola returned to high school coaching in 1994 and led Schenectady to the Big Ten and Section II championships. The team advanced to the Eastern Regional and the 1998 New York State Class A Championship, setting the Section II record for wins in a season (28-0). He was also director of the Schenectady Basketball Academy, a summer sports program for youths in grades 3 through 12.
During his career, DiNola was recognized with numerous coaching honors, including the NYSBCA Region II Coach of the Year in 1987 and 1998, as well as the Times Union Coach of the Year in 1998.
An educator for over 33 years in the Schenectady City School District, DiNola taught English for 25 years and was twice named the district’s Teacher of the Year. He was the principal of Schenectady’s GE Scholars School of Humanities and Culture from 1999-04 and served as the school district’s Director of Institutional Wellness and Director of Athletics in Student Activities from 2004 until his retirement in 2007.
Awarded the 2001 GE Elfun Society’s Compass Award, DiNola was also the recipient of the YMCA’s President’s Award in 2000 and was listed among Who’s Who in American Education. He earned the Distinguished Service Award by Kiwanis of Schenectady and was presented an Executive Citation for Distinguished Service to Education by then-New York State Governor George Pataki.
As a player, DiNola was a three-year letterwinner in both basketball and lacrosse at Fairleigh Dickinson University.
DiNola and his wife, Susan, have three sons. All three graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy, where they played on the lacrosse team, and currently serve in the military. Dustin, a lieutenant and aviator serving his second tour of duty in Iraq, was a three-year letterwinner at Navy and graduated in 2003. Seth, a lieutenant junior grade and an aviator, was the team’s captain in 2005 while Jordan, a marine lieutenant, was the captain in 2008 and a three-time All-American. Additionally, Jordan was the 2008 Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year and was a finalist for the 2008 Tewaaraton Award.
A 1974 graduate of FDU with a Bachelor of Arts in English, DiNola also studied language and literature at the University of Salerno, Italy, on a Fulbright Grant and at Wroxton College in Oxfordshire, England. He pursued graduate studies at Harvard University and the University of Albany, earning Masters of Science degrees in education theory and educational administration and policy studies.
