Some of the most knowledgeable and successful high school and college basketball coaches in the state will be conducting players’ and coaches’ clinics starting Saturday, October 16, at the Newtown High School gym.

The clinics, sponsored by the Newtown Youth Basketball Association, will be free and open to all players in grades 5 through 8 who participate in Newtown recreational or travel basketball programs. Each player will have to bring his or her own basketball with their name clearly marked in bold letters.

Conducting the players’ clinics will be Newtown High School boys’ varsity coach John Quinn; NHS girls’ varsity coach Gregg Simon; Western Connecticut State University men’s coach Bob Campbell; WCSU women’s coach Jody Rajcula; Fairfield University women’s coach Dianne Nolan; Rutgers University men’s coach Chris Casey; and Sacred Heart University women’s coach Ed Swanson.

Conducting the coaches’ clinics will be John Quinn and Gregg Simon.

The coaches:

Bob Campbell – Will begin his 16th year as coach of WCSU. He is the winningest coach in the 50-year history of the program, running up a record of 302-105. His winning percentage ranks second amond NCAA Division III coaches. The Colonials have won 20 or more games for seven straight seasons and eight times overall since Campbell took the helm in 1984 (until a 19-8 record in 1995-96). In 1993-94, the Colonials finished at 23-6 and captured the school’s first-ever ECAC New England championship. The 1989-90 season was the school’s finest as the Colonials posted a 28-2 record with a ranking as high as No. 2 in the NCAA Division III national polls. In 1999, the Colonials were the Little East Conference champions and earned a NCAA tournament bit. Aggressive defense combined with an opportunistic offense has been coach Campbell’s trademark.

Chris Casey – A 1986 graduate of Western Connecticut State College, he already is dean of Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference assistant coaches. Immediately after graduation, he stepped into the coaching ranks as an assistant at Central Connecticut State University. After two years, he spent a season back at WCSU and one at Saint Francis before joining St. Peter’s College, where he was an eight-year assistant, having seen the Peacocks earn their first NCAA Division I tournament big in 1990. Currently, coach Casey is starting his first year as head coach for Rutgers University in Newark, New Jersey.

Diane Nolan – Since her arrival at Fairfield University in 1979, and moving women’s basketball to the Division I level in 1981, coach Nolan has developed one of the most flourishing programs in the nation. She is the 44th winningest active women’s coach in the country. Fairfield has enjoyed 14 winning records in the last 17 years, with three Metro Atlantic Conference (MAAC) championships, three appearances in the NCAA tournament, and four 20-win seasons. Coach Nolan has won one New England Coach of the Year award, four MAAC Coach of the Year awards, and is closing in on 325 career wins at Fairfield. She was also cited as one of the Outstanding Women in Connecticut for her contributions to women’s athletics.

John Quinn – Entering his second season as head coach at Newtown High School, he has a career record of 8-11. A player and a graduate of Iona College, coach Quinn was an assistant under legendary coach John Valvano for four years.

Jody Rajcula – Beginning her 19th year as head coach at Western Connecticut State University, one of the premier Division III programs in the country, she has led Western to post-season tournament qualifications the last 15 years, including eight NCAA national tournament bids – the last in 1998. Last season the Colonials finished with a 22-7 record and advanced to the women’s basketball championships. Rajcula was named Little East Conference Coach of the Year after leading the Colonials to a 10-2 league mark and a second-place finish in the regular season and post-season tournament. In 1992, she was inducted into the Connecticut Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame and, in 1993, was inducted into the Southern Connecticut State University Athletic Hall of Fame.

Gregg Simon – Will begin his eighth year as coach of the Newtown High School girls’ basketball team. With an overall record of 104-55, the Lady Nighthawks have made the playoffs five of the last six years. They are the only team in the South-West Conference to have made it to at least the league semi-finals every year since the league began. Coach Simon recorded his 100th win last season. Prior to coaching at the high school level, he spent four years coaching both girls’ and boys’ basketball at Newtown Middle School.

Ed Swanson – The 1990-2000 season will mark coach Swanson’s 10th as head coach at Sacred Heart University. He helped guide the Pioneers to a 15-12 record last year. The top three winningest seasons in Pioneer history have all come during his tenure. He passed the 100 win total last season and is currently the winningest coach in Pioneer history. Last season’s record pushed Swanson’s overall winning percentage above the .500 level (126-119). In 1996, Swanson was named the NECC and Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Region I Coach of the Year.