Cardozo’s head coach Ron Naclerio achieves his 973rd victory, establishing a New York record.

Historic Win for Coach Naclerio

Ron Naclerio has once again made his mark in New York high school basketball history.

The veteran head coach of the boys’ basketball program at Benjamin N. Cardozo High School in Queens celebrated his 973rd victory with a 69-46 win over Julia Richman, setting the record for the most wins by any high school coach in New York state.

At 68, Naclerio surpassed the legendary Jack Curran of Archbishop Molloy, who recorded 972 wins over a remarkable 50-year career.

Moreover, Naclerio now holds the title for the most wins across all basketball levels in New York City, which includes the NBA.

Before the game even started, Naclerio could feel something special about the atmosphere. Despite being the away team, he described it as “a love fest of Cardozo basketball.”

“I knew it was going to be special,” Naclerio reflected in a phone conversation after the game. “Just look at the crowd, you could see about 30 or 40 former players and a bunch of media.”

Cardozo took an early lead, allowing Naclerio to play all his athletes as the game progressed.

“At halftime, I thought, unless something catastrophic happened, 16 minutes of basketball would get me to this incredible milestone,” he chuckled.

With just a minute left in the game, Naclerio found himself at the center of a historic moment, comparing his achievement to that of the iconic Knicks coach Red Holtzman.

“Being spoken of in the same breath as the only Knicks coach to capture two NBA championships, a Hall of Famer…it’s something I’ll really savor,” he said.

The win led to a celebration, with numerous figures from the New York basketball community reaching out to express their congratulations.

“It was pretty surreal to get an email from Rick Pitino, and also Kenny Anderson and Kenny Smith. Definitely a ‘wow’ moment,” he remarked.

Naclerio reached this landmark despite facing serious accusations in the past related to recruitment practices, which nearly cost him his coaching position. Ultimately, he prevailed legally, though he was handed a two-game suspension by Cardozo’s administration last December.

His tenure at Cardozo spans over 51 years, featuring two city championships in 1999 and 2014, along with developing four players who made it to the NBA: Rafer Alston, Royal Ivey, Duane Causwell, and James Sutherland.

Although he has been coaching for over five decades, Naclerio insists he’s not finished yet, humorously comparing his coaching journey to a basketball game.

“I know I’m in the fourth quarter,” Naclerio said. “But am I at the start, halfway, or nearing the end? Or am I already in overtime? I can’t quite say.”