Mike Witcoskie returns for his fourth season as an assistant coach on the Rider University men’s basketball staff.
 
“Mike has really established himself here in his first three years,” said Head Coach Tommy Dempsey. “He has helped our current players develop on the court, in the classroom, and has done a great job getting our players out in the community. Mike also is making an impact on the recruiting trails, helping us land a couple key recruits since joining our staff. I like our assistants to be well rounded and Mike has embraced that philosophy during his first three seasons.”
 
Witcoskie’s duties include off-campus recruiting, post-player development, game scouting, practice and game coaching and coordinating the team’s academic program.
 
Witcoskie was instrumental in bringing the last two incoming classes to campus. The current sophomore class was ranked second in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference according to Hoopscooponline.com. Rider’s 2012 class includes a Top 200 recruit and two of the top five recruits in the MAAC (Hoopscooponline.com). According to Hoopscooponline.com the current freshman class is ranked fourth in the MAAC.
 
“Wit” helped develop Jason Thompson into an NBA Lottery Pick in 2008 as well as the MAAC Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, MET Player of the Year and a CollegeInsider.com All-America team member. In the same year, Mike Ringgold earned recognition as a MAAC All-Rookie team member and a CollegeInsider.com All-Freshman team member. In 2009 Novar Gadson was honored as the CollegeInsider.com Mid Major Freshman of the Year and was a member of the MAAC All-Rookie Team.
 
As coordinator of the academic program Witcoskie twice helped Rider receive national recognition for its Academic Progress Rate (APR). In the past two years, the Broncs have achieved the highest and third highest grade point average in the history of the program.
 
“I’ve greatly enjoyed my first three years here at Rider,” Witcoskie said. “We have a very good team and we are excited to meet the expectation we have set for ourselves this year. There is a special feeling on campus and you can tell that the entire University is behind us, from the administration to the students.”
 
In his first two years Witcoskie served as a camp director, managed team travel, film exchange, recruiting data base manager along with every day activities such as workouts and practice schedules.
 
Witcoskie is a 2001 graduate of Susquehanna University, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Biology. Witcoskie was the Susquehanna men's basketball team captain as a senior.
 
“Mike played for me when I was an assistant coach at Susquehanna,” Dempsey said. “He was a very hard worker when he was a player and he has attacked the coaching profession with the same work ethic that made him successful on the court.”
 
Witcoskie came to Rider already with several years of coaching experience. At Wilkes University, Witcoskie was a full-time assistant for two years, both years reaching the Middle Atlantic Conference playoffs. He helped coach the Colonels to the Freedom Conference Championship Game in the MAC.
 
At Wilkes, Witcoskie was the recruiting coordinator, oversaw team defense, developed scouting reports, practice and game coaching, individual development of post players and also served as the Intramural Director.

During the 2003-04 campaign, Witcoskie served as an assistant coach at Susquehanna, where he was involved in every aspect of the program. Witcoskie's responsibilities included recruiting, scouting, practice and game coaching and the individual development of the Crusaders guards. He also implemented a new weight training program. While at Susquehanna, Witcoskie also served as the Junior Varsity basketball coach and was the Assistant Camp Director.
 
Witcoskie is a 1997 graduate of Palmyra High School in Palmyra, Pa., and now resides in Ewing with his wife, the former Megan Fisher, a kindergarten teacher in South Brunswick.