Mike Perno said he was “disheartened” with the direction that college basketball is taking.
Brian Beaury, 62, said he feels like a much younger man after a life-changing medical diagnosis.
The College of Saint Rose announced Tuesday Perno resigned as head men’s basketball coach and is being replaced by Beaury, who begins his second stint. Beaury won 643 games with the Golden Knights over 32 seasons before retiring in 2018 for health reasons.
Beaury rejoined Saint Rose in March as an associate head coach working under Perno.Â
“I wish we were starting practice tomorrow,” Beaury said. “I feel like I’ve been given a brand-new opportunity and I’ve got the energy I had when I was 25 years old when I started this job.”
Perno, 45, said he wanted to try a different career path, possibly in teaching, and spend more time with his sons, who are entering eighth and third grade. The Golden Knights went 9-20 last season and saw their best player, forward Shane O’Dell of Schalmont, transfer to Division I Stonehill.
Perno said his “heart’s not into it right now” and he had trouble picturing himself having to recruit a new team every year because of the transfer portal.
“I sat down with my wife and talked about other options,” said Perno, who spent five seasons as head coach and 12 years as Beaury’s assistant before that. “I’m kind of disheartened with the state college basketball is in. It wasn’t anything that transpired that made me step away specifically, but I just felt like I just need a change. The whole transfer portal thing was disheartening and my kids are growing up a little bit now. I’d like a chance to watch them play and do things.”
Beaury said this will give him a chance to conclude his coaching career on his own terms. He missed the 2014-15 and 2017-18 seasons due to medical reasons while Perno handled the…
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