Jose Irizarry joined the Wagner men’s basketball staff in 2022. Irizarry arrives on Grymes Hill from Covenant College Prep, where he served as the head coach from 2020-2022. Prior to his time at Covenant, Irizarry served as the Video Coordinator and Special Assistant to the Head Coach at Fordham University from 2019-2020.
Irizarry spent three years at Monroe College, the final year as Associate Head Coach, where he helped coach the Mustangs to a 70-27 overall record, including the 2017 Region XV and District 3 Titles, as well as an appearance in the 2017 NJCAA National Championship Tournament. He was instrumental in the development of 2017-18 Region XV Player of the Year Jhery Matos. At Monroe, he also coached former Wagner standout guard and All-NEC selection Will Martinez, as well as three JUCO All-Americans, 10 Division I players, and NBA player Mouhammadou Gueye.
At Monroe, Irizarry's squads set numerous statistical records.
In 2015-16, Irizarry was on the basketball staff at Mercy College. With the Mavericks, he was in charge of scouting and was lead recruiter for the team.
Irizarry served as Associate Head Coach and Assistant Athletic Director at Globe Institute of Technology in New York City in 2013 and 2015. He helped run practices, came up with strategies for games and started a nutrition program for several student-athletes.
At the AAU level, Irizarry served as a head coach for 10 years while also serving four years as an assistant, winning two national championships and finishing as the runner up in the Under Armour National Tournament in 2021 with the 17u Riverside Hawks.
Irizarry is a member of the NABC and former Commissioner of the Royal Family Basketball League (2008-16). He is a 2012 graduate of Mercy College, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology.
Irizarry played two seasons for Fulton Montgomery Community College before transferring to Saint Peter's, where he was named to the All-Region and All-Conference Teams. Irizarry was selected as a Preseason All-American prior to his sophomore campaign, earning All-Region and All-Conference honors again that season. He averaged 15.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game, while shooting 84 percent from the free-throw line and 43 percent from three-point range. Irizarry chose to forgo his senior season at Saint Peter's after earning a position as a student assistant coach at Virginia Commonwealth University under head coach Shaka Smart to kick off his coaching career.
Apart from his coaching duties, Irizarry will pursue a Master’s Degree while at Wagner.
