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Former La Salle hoops coach Dr. John Giannini retires as Rowan AD

Giannini, 61, is best known for his tenure as La Salle's men's basketball coach from 2004 to 2018 and had served as Rowan's athletic director since June 2019.

Dr. John Giannini took over as Rowan athletic director in 2019 after 14 years behind the bench for La Salle basketball.
Dr. John Giannini took over as Rowan athletic director in 2019 after 14 years behind the bench for La Salle basketball.Read moreSteven M. Falk
    by Owen Hewitt
    Published 

Dr. John Giannini has retired as Rowan’s athletic director, the university announced Wednesday morning.

The 61-year-old moved into an administrative role at Rowan after parting ways with La Salle, where he was the men’s basketball from 2004 to 2018. He was named Rowan’s interim athletic director in June 2019 and shed the interim tag in 2020.

“Dr. Giannini’s dynamic leadership has not only made our athletics program among the best in the nation, but more importantly, he positively impacted the lives of the hundreds of Rowan student-athletes who have played for the Profs during his tenure,” Rowan president Ali A. Houshmand said in a release. “We are grateful for his vision, his accomplishments here as a coach and director of athletics, and for reinforcing the winning tradition we have enjoyed for so many years.”

Giannini began his head coaching career at Rowan in 1989. In his seventh and final year at the helm, the Profs won the 1996 DIII championship. He spent the next eight seasons at the University of Maine, before accepting the head coaching job at La Salle in 2004. The Explorers, led by guards Ramon Galloway, Tyreek Duren, and Tyrone Garland, reached the Sweet 16 in 2013 under Giannini. Giannini amassed a 505-375 coaching record across 29 seasons.

“Reflecting on the last 40 years, coaching was a passion, and being the AD at Rowan was a privilege,” Giannini said in the release. “The Rowan athletic administrative and support staff is highly experienced, runs great events, and is very efficient. The Rowan coaches and student-athletes are annually the best in the NJAC and elite nationally. It has been a true pleasure to work with and get to know such amazing people.”

» READ MORE: It’s been 10 years since La Salle was in the NCAA Sweet 16?

During Giannini’s five years as athletic director, the Profs claimed 26 New Jersey Athletic Conference team championships, and 116 Rowan athletes received All-America honors. Rowan is ranked 21st nationally in the Learfield Division III Directors’ Cup and earned its fourth consecutive NJAC Cup in 2023-24, which recognizes overall athletic success in the conference year.

Rowan announced it will conduct a national search for Giannini’s replacement.