Northport HS Girls Basketball Coach, Player, Earn Suffolk Honors

NORTHPORT, NY — Northport High School girls varsity basketball coach Richard Castellano and fifth-year varsity player Danielle Pavinelli recently won Suffolk County Coach and Player of the Year titles, respectively, the Northport-East Northport Union Free School District announced.

Castellano has been coaching the Lady Tigers for 40 years and, along with earning his fourth Suffolk County Coach of the year title this year, has also been named New York Daily News Coach of the Year two times, BCANY Section Coach of the Year and, in 2017, was inducted into the New York State Coaches Hall of Fame.

"Coach Rich Castellano is a class act, role model and truly exemplifies what an educator and coach should possess,” Director of Health, Physical Education and Athletics Mark Dantuono said in a news release.

Over the years, Castellano has led the varsity team to win 25 League Championships, 11 County Championships and five Long Island championships. Additionally, the team has made it to state finals and semifinals five times, including this year, which was unfortunately cut short due to mandatory school closures as a result of the new coronavirus. This year, the Lady Tigers finished the regular season, 22-2, all while following Castellano’s "play as a team" philosophy.

"I always think it’s team first. It’s easier to stop one player; it’s very difficult to stop a team," he said. "That’s the epitome of what we did this year. We’re a family and we’re all in this together."

As one of three team captains, Danielle Pavinelli, often led by example. She said that the bond that her and her teammates share is special.

"I owe this award to all my teammates and my coaches. I couldn’t have done it without them," she said. "The team is so special to me and I’m sad that we couldn’t end it the way we wanted to, but I’m so thankful for the bonds that we have. We became a family."

This season, Pavinelli was the top point-scorer and netted her 1,000th career point. She is also a member of the school’s girls varsity lacrosse team, coached by Carol Rainson-Rose. After graduation, she plans to continue her passion for sports with a full scholarship to play lacrosse at the University of Florida.

Castellano described Pavinelli as a "team player" with an infectious "refuse to lose" attitude. "She carried the team when she had to, she was emotional when she had to be emotional, she was a coach’s dream in my mind," he said.