On June 24, the University honored basketball and broadcasting legend P.J. Carlesimo with the 2024 Peter A. Carlesimo Award at the Carlesimo Golf Tournament & Award Dinner.
The annual celebration, which was held at the Philadelphia Cricket Club, raised more than $100,000 for Scranton Athletics. Quandel Construction Group served as the event’s title sponsor.
More than 250 alumni, parents and friends of the University participated in the golf tournament, and an additional 50 guests attended the award dinner.
While accepting the award, Carlesimo remarked upon the special significance of receiving an award named after his late father, Peter A. Carlesimo, who served the University for nearly 25 years as a coach and athletic director during many of P.J.’s formative years.
“It’s a little unusual when you get an award and it’s got your father’s name on it,” he said. “For a good 40 years or so, people would ask me, ‘Are you Pete’s son?’
“I think that when we can give our sons or daughters a name that they’re proud of, it’s really special, and I’m Pete’s son.”
About the Honoree
In nearly 40 years as a basketball coach, P.J. Carlesimo enjoyed immense success at both the college and NBA levels. As Seton Hall’s “Coach of the Century,” he won 212 games and made six NCAA Tournament appearances; additionally, he served as an assistant coach of the 1992 U.S. men’s Olympic basketball team that was better known as “The Dream Team.” As an NBA head coach, Carlesimo won 239 games, and, as an assistant coach, he won titles with the San Antonio Spurs in 2003, 2005 and 2007.
In addition to his coaching success, Carlesimo has also been a significant contributor in the broadcast booth, and he is the only broadcaster in history to call the Olympic Gold Medal basketball game, the NCAA championship game and the NBA Finals.
About the Event
Since 2011, the Peter A. Carlesimo Award has been presented to someone who has made special contributions to athletics and Catholic education. The Golf Tournament and Award Dinner serve as fundraising events to support and enhance the student-athlete experience at The University of Scranton. For more information, visit scranton.edu/carlesimoaward.
