Damien Strahorn
email: dbstraho@colby.eduphone: 207-859-4925
fax: 207-859-4965
Damien Strahorn, who played under and was an assistant for legendary head coach Dick Whitmore, is in his second year as head coach of the Colby College men’s basketball team in the 2012-13 season.
Strahorn was the head coach at Plymouth State University two years ago and an assistant coach for four years at Columbia University. He is the first head coach, other than Whitmore, to lead the Mules since 1970. Strahorn is the seventh head coach in Colby men’s basketball history dating back to the 1937-38 season.
“I’m truly excited that Damien has accepted our offer to be the next head coach of men’s basketball at Colby,” said Harold Alfond Director of Athletics Marcella Zalot. “Damien has the right mix of terrific basketball knowledge and high level recruiting experience that we need, combined with his knowledge of the traditions and history of the men’s basketball program at Colby.”
Strahorn is a 2002 graduate of Colby, with a bachelor’s degree in economics and a minor in administrative science.
Despite taking over a Plymouth State team with just one returning starter and a squad predicted to finish last in the Little East Conference, Strahorn helped the Panthers to a sixth-place finish and an 11-14 record.
Strahorn was in the Ivy League at Columbia for four years under then head coach Joe Jones, who is now the associate head coach at Boston College. Strahorn was named interim head coach for the spring after Jones left for Boston College. He was in charge of spring workouts and did some home visits to the incoming first-year players.
Strahorn started out at Columbia as a third assistant and quickly worked himself up to Jones’ top assistant for his final two years with the Lions. Strahorn helped Jones lead Columbia to the most Ivy League wins during a three-year span since 1994 and helped them tie for most wins in one season in 30 years with a 16-12 record in the 2006-07 season. Columbia had the best four-year record during Strahorn’s time with the Lions since 1980.
Strahorn coached four years with Whitmore, first as a volunteer and then working himself into a paid assistant coach position.
Strahorn, a native of Menlo Park, Calif., was a two-year player at Colby after transferring from Foothill College. During his senior year at Colby, Strahorn earned All-New England Small College Athletic Conference First Team honors and was named to the All-New England Second Team. A captain his senior year, Strahorn averaged 22.9 points per game.
Besides his new job coaching the Mules, Strahorn also will have the opportunity to keep his fellow Colby basketball alumni active and engaged in the program.
“As a graduate of the program he has experienced the energy, the enthusiasm, and the sense of family within the men’s basketball program that transcends generations of players,” Zalot said. “He is the perfect person to continue building this family while simultaneously putting his own stamp on the program. I watched Damien play as a student and lead his team as a captain. He now has the opportunity to lead the entire program as our new head coach. It is a great challenge and opportunity, and Damien will be terrific.”
Assistant Coaches
Damian Farley, Assistant Coach
Phone: 207-859-4912; Fax: 207-859-4965
Damian Farley heads into his second year as assistant coach at Colby in the 2012-13 academic year.
He joined the Colby staff after serving as the top assistant coach for the men’s basketball program at Clarkson University for three seasons.
During his tenure, Farley helped lead the Golden Knights to a 41-35 record, including their second consecutive Liberty League Conference Tournament appearance in 2009, when they finished the season with a 15-11 record. The Golden Knights produced back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in 45 years after finishing the 2009-2010 season at 14-11.
Farley helped coach eight members of the All-Liberty League team during his time at Clarkson and was instrumental in the recruitment of two Liberty League All-Rookie team members.
Prior to Clarkson, Farley coached at Wheelock College in Brookline, Mass., helping revive basketball at that institution.
Farley graduated from Springfield College in 2007. While playing for the Pride, he averaged 8.9 points per game and 4.8 rebounds over the course of his career and tallied 100 assists. He played in the NCAA Tournament during his sophomore season.
Nelson Albino, Assistant Coach
Phone: 207-859-4959; Fax: 207-859-4965
Nelson Albino, a 2009 graduate of Drew University, returns for his second year with the Colby basketball program in the 2012-13 academic year.
Albino came to Colby after serving as the Director of Basketball Operations at New Jersey Institute of Technology, a member of the NCAA Division I Great West Conference, for the past two seasons. There, Albino was responsible for the day-to-day administrative duties of the office, including the film exchange program, alumni relations, organizing the team’s travel, and academic support.
NJIT advanced to the 2010 Great West Conference Tournament semifinals after upsetting third-seeded North Dakota. The Highlanders went on to have the best season in its Division I history after finishing the 2010-2011 season with 15 wins overall, placing second in the Great West Conference with a 9-3 record. Albino helped mentor Jheryl Wilson, Chris Flores, and Isaiah Wilkerson, all of which earned all-conference accolades in his two seasons, with Wilkerson earning 2010-2011 Great West Conference Player of the Year.
Albino, no stranger to Division III athletics, was a four-year basketball letter winner at Drew. He worked his way up the depth chart throughout his playing career, advancing from a full-time reserve role as a first year to becoming a starter as a junior and senior, captaining the Rangers in his final season. As a senior he ranked fourth in the Landmark Conference in assist-to-turnover ratio, total assists and assists per game, and was among the conference leaders in minutes played.
Off the court, he twice earned Landmark Academic Honor Roll recognition and raised his GPA each of his four years while pursuing a degree in sociology. His senior year, he was one of eight men’s basketball players to be named to the Landmark Conference All-Academic Team.
Albino is a graduate of St. Peter’s Prep in Jersey City, N.J., where he was a three-time letter winner and captained the Marauders to the HCIAA county championship game and NJSIAA Parochial A state quarterfinals in his senior season.