Steve Lappas
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Stephan Thomas Lappas (born March 18, 1954) is an American former college basketball coach. He coached at Manhattan (1988–1992), Villanova (1992–2001) and UMass (2001–2005), compiling a 280–237 (.542) record over a 17-year coaching career. He is currently a basketball color commentator and studio analyst for CBS Sports.
Biography
Education
Lappas graduated from Bronx High School of Science in 1972, where he was sixth man on its 1971 city championship team and a starter as a prep senior. He went on to the City College of New York, where he was a three-year letterwinner in basketball and served as the team's captain in his junior season. He graduated in 1977 with a bachelor's degree in primary education.
Coaching career
In 1977, Lappas started coaching at York College, City University of New York as a volunteer, and moved to Fort Lee High School the next year, becoming an assistant. After one season, he assumed his first head coaching job with Harry S. Truman High School (in The Bronx), staying there through 1984. Lappas fashioned a 91–32 record, and was named New York Daily News Coach of the Year twice (1981 and 1984). Harry S. Truman High School won a New York State Class A championship under Lappas in the 1983–84 season, during which it was 27–3. In 1984 Lappas joined Rollie Massimino's staff at Villanova University.
Head coach
In 1988 Lappas became head coach at Manhattan College, where he turned around the program from a 7–21 season in 1988–89 to a 25–9 season and a berth to the 3rd round of the NIT in 1992. In 1992, he succeeded Rollie Massimino as head coach at Villanova, where he guided the team to seven postseason tournament appearances (four NCAA, three NIT), posting an 8–6 record and winning the 1994 National Invitation Tournament. In 2001, he resigned as head coach after Villanova declined to sign him for a long-term contract due to multiple years of poor recruiting, and a subsequent lack of success in the postseason. He became head coach of the University of Massachusetts on March 26, 2001. In four seasons at UMass, the Minutemen struggled under Lappas, and finished with a record of 50–65. His contract was not renewed and he was let go on March 14, 2005.
Head coaching record
College
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manhattan Jaspers (Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) (1988–1992) | |||||
| 1988–89 | Manhattan | 7–21 | 3–11 | 7th | |
| 1989–90 | Manhattan | 11–17 | 7–9 | T–3rd | |
| 1990–91 | Manhattan | 13–15 | 8–8 | 5th | |
| 1991–92 | Manhattan | 25–9 | 13–3 | 1st | NIT third round |
| Manhattan: | 56–62 | 31–31 | |||
| Villanova Wildcats (Big East Conference) (1992–2001) | |||||
| 1992–93 | Villanova | 8–19 | 3–15 | 10th | |
| 1993–94 | Villanova | 20–12 | 10–8 | T–4th | NIT champion |
| 1994–95 | Villanova | 25–8 | 14–4 | 2nd | NCAA Division I first round |
| 1995–96 | Villanova | 26–7 | 14–4 | 2nd (BE 6) | NCAA Division I second round |
| 1996–97 | Villanova | 24–10 | 12–6 | T–1st (BE 6) | NCAA Division I second round |
| 1997–98 | Villanova | 12–17 | 8–10 | 4th (BE 6) | |
| 1998–99 | Villanova | 21–11 | 10–8 | T–4th | NCAA Division I first round |
| 1999–00 | Villanova | 20–13 | 8–8 | T–6th | NIT second round |
| 2000–01 | Villanova | 18–13 | 8–8 | T–3rd | NIT first round |
| Villanova: | 174–110 | 87–71 | |||
| UMass Minutemen (Atlantic 10 Conference) (2001–2005) | |||||
| 2001–02 | UMass | 13–16 | 6–10 | 4th (East) | |
| 2002–03* | UMass | 11–18 | 6–10 | 4th (East) | |
| 2003–04 | UMass | 10–19 | 4–12 | 4th (East) | |
| 2004–05 | UMass | 16–12 | 9–7 | 3rd (East) | |
| UMass: | 50–65 | 25–39 | |||
| Total: | 280–237 | ||||
| National champion Postseason invitational champion Conference regular season champion Conference regular season and conference tournament champion Division regular season champion Division regular season and conference tournament champion Conference tournament champion |
* A-10 record includes a forfeit victory vs. St. Bonaventure, but season's overall win total does not include it.
The Lappie Awards
The Lappie Awards, started in 2017 on CBS Sports, are annual honors Coach Lappas awards to recognizing standout achievements in NCAA Division I basketball. Presented during a featured late‑season CBS broadcast, the awards highlight categories such as Coach of the Year, Team of the Year, and Player of the Year. Since their debut, the Lappies have become a recurring fixture of CBS’s pre‑tournament coverage, offering a signature way to spotlight top performers heading into March Madness.