On Bob Sassone and his standing in St. Bonaventure history

Bob Sassone, honored here at Reilly Center, passed away Monday at 91 after spending nearly 75 years in St. Bonaventure family. (Photo by the Olean Times Herald)

By Ray Floriani (@rfloriani)

The weekend saw the St. Bonaventure faithful in a celebratory mood following the Bonnies’ big win over Dayton Saturday night at the Reilly Center. The mood was soon altered. On Monday came the news of the passing of Bob Sassone at the age of 91.

Robert M. Sassone — everyone knew him as Bob or Coach Sass — was a Brooklyn native who ventured the 360 or so miles west to attend St. Bonaventure. The school and surrounding area became his home.

Sassone was linked to, not years, but generations of Bona excellence. He was an all-city player for the New York City champion Lincoln High School team in 1949. While at Bonaventure, he led the Bonnies to the 1951 NIT his sophomore year. It was Bonaventure’s first trip to the nation’s oldest postseason tournament. A year later, the Bonnies were back and Sassone was chosen All-NIT. He was sophomore All-American as chosen by the Sporting News in 1951 and an honorable mention All-American in 1952. Sassone is credited as the first player in college basketball history to take a charge from an opposing player.

A third round draft choice of the Philadelphia Warriors in 1953, Sassone was also a draft choice of Uncle Sam. Following a two-year stay in the army, Sassone passed on pro ball to settle down, raising a family as an educator in the Olean area. In 1990, he was selected as a member of the St. Bonaventure Athletics Hall of Fame. Counting his playing and coaching days, Sassone was a part of 13 Bona squads appearing in postseason play. He was an assistant at Bona for two separate time periods, 1957-61 and 1968-82, working under Eddie Donovan, Larry Weise, Jim Satalin and Jim O’Brien. He also had a successful run coaching high school basketball at Olean and Franklinville High Schools as well as Jamestown Community College-Olean.

An educator in the Olean system for years while he worked as a Bona assistant, Sassone was — in theory — a part-time assistant, but in practice, far from it. Sassone was labeled assistant coach for the Bonnies and gave a full time commitment and devotion to Bonaventure during his years on the staff. He was involved in every aspect of coaching as an assistant: Practice, game planning, breaking down tape, you name it. He was best known for arguably his strongest contribution, though, recruiting.

In the Fall of 1970, my freshman year at St. Bonaventure, I joined the program as a student manager. In the early weeks of preseason practice, one of my duties was to insert letters of introduction into envelopes to be sent to prospective recruits. It was a job Coach Sass asked me to perform and, just being involved with a prestigious program coming off a Final Four, I loved it. Coach was even gracious enough to lend me the use of his office.

The four years at my St. Mary’s (Rutherford, NJ) High School were also spent as a basketball manager. Naturally, I knew everyone coming back for the season following my graduation. I told Coach Sassone about a St. Mary’s 6’5” senior, Steve Walters, who might be of interest, and mentioned St. Mary’s would be in the Garfield (NJ) Christmas Tournament. The morning of December 26, I went to Garfield to see St. Mary’s play a first round game at 10 a.m. Just before the opening tip, Coach Sassone entered the sparsely attended gym, taking a seat next to me. We talked while watching the game then about midway through the first quarter, he said, “Ray, your high school is very well-coached.” Coming from a veteran of the game, that stamp of approval was an outstanding complement. Coach Sassone could not stay the full game. There were a few other recruiting visits on the agenda before flying out to meet the team in Florida for the Gator Bowl Classic. He asked to meet my former high school coach. While teams were warming up before the second half, I brought him to the St. Mary’s bench to meet coach Charles Agel. About a minute later, the two coaches were cordially conversing. Coach Sassone made Coach Agel feel like he was a old friend he was reuniting with.

In the aftermath, Steve Walters wound up going to Siena and having a nice career. But that morning solidified in my mind, what others already knew: Coach Sassone was someone special, someone who was thorough and would leave no recruiting lead ignored.

Beside his attention to all leads on the recruiting trail, Sassone also excelled by having excellent contacts, not only in his native New York, but throughout the East Coast as well. Add to that his extensive knowledge of the many areas he recruited, plus his engaging, friendly personality, and it’s no wonder Bonaventure enjoyed resounding recruiting success during his tenure.

Sassone was largely responsible for the recruitment of numerous student-athletes starring for the brown and white. He recruited a great deal of players on the Bob Lanier-led 1970 Final Four team as well as the 1977 NIT championship squad as well. Greg Sanders, the school’s all-time leading scorer and 1977 NIT MVP, played for John Thompson in high school. Despite overtures by Maryland and Georgetown, where Thompson was coaching when Sanders was a senior, Sanders chose St. Bonaventure. Sassone played an integral part in the recruitment.

Jim Baron was one player both discovered and recruited by Sassone. 

“I looked at coach Sassone,” Baron told the Olean Times Herald. “He was just a very good coach and a better man. To me, he was like an ambassador from St. Bonaventure.” Baron said. Baron, a starting guard on the 1977 NIT championship team, starred at Bonaventure as a player from 1974-77 and later had an excellent run as the head coach of the Bonnies from 1992 through 2001. Baron recalled Sassone making a home visit to his Cooper projects. Sassone met with Baron’s parents as he stood outside to ensure his car was safe, forging a lifelong relationship. 

Following his playing days, Baron spent time on Satalin’s Bona staff with Sassone and Billy Kalbaugh. On Baron’s suggestion, Sassone went overseas to coach at basketball camps in Yugoslavia. He worked with Naismith Hall of Famer Vlade Divac and the late Drazen Petrovic of the New Jersey Nets. Divac, in fact, kept in touch with Sassone over the years. Baron last visited Sassone at his Olean home last summer, when he attended Mark Schmidt’s Coaches vs. Cancer golf event.

Tributes came in following Sassone’s passing. Among them, the Buffalo News reported, came from former rivals Frank Layden and Hubie Brown, both of Niagara. Layden played against Sassone in high school, engaging in the rivalry between Layden’s Fort Hamilton team and Sassone’s from Lincoln. The rivalry extended to college with Layden playing for Niagara, and continued during their coaching days as they opposed each other on opposite sidelines. Layden noted that Sassone was as loyal to St. Bonaventure as anyone could get. Brown, a Naismith Hall of Famer, recounted Sassone’s toughness and talent and how he led St. Bonaventure against Niagara in many of those Little Three meetings.

“He’s been involved with all of the best teams Bona has ever had,” Satalin told the Times Herald in a 2019 story. “He’s been the one common thread throughout the history. He’s been with all those great coaches and great players.”

Weise retired following the 1973 season. Satalin was moved up, following three years as a freshman coach, to run the program. Kalbaugh was a new assistant. Sassone was the constant, the veteran on board who could mentor and help guide Satalin and Kalbaugh in their new roles. In fact, teaching, counseling and mentoring were all things Sassone spent his life doing. 

Whether it was the traditional classroom or the 94’ by 50’ one, Sassone was at home. He greatly admired Pete Newell, who was fond of saying “basketball is over coached and under taught.” Sassone was one who undoubtedly taught the game and genuinely enjoyed people just as much  his cigars and what he would call a libation or two. If you wanted to, and were fortunate enough, to talk basketball with Sassone, you were in great company. Time would fly and you would be captivated by some of the tales, ranging from Brooklyn to Olean and virtually anywhere.

“He was a city guy and grew up in a tough environment,” Baron added. “And coming from Brooklyn to St. Bonaventure, it was a beautiful experience for him, and for us, he fit in like a glove and never left.”

Baron is spot on, just like one of his pinpoint passes during his days in a Bona uniform. Bob Sassone was Brooklyn, and he was St. Bonaventure. He was a friend to so many. In fact. You seemed to gain his friendship shortly after meeting him. He will be missed, no doubt. The memories, some decades old, remain indelible. That was the impression Coach Sassone gave all of us fortunate and blessed to know him.