Assistant Coach Brian DePaoli is in his fourth season as a member of the Youngstown State staff, his sixth coaching alongside Coach Jerry Slocum and ninth season overall.
    DePaoli served two years at Gannon under Slocum before coming to Youngstown State prior to the 2005-06 campaign.
    DePaoli handles a variety of duties for the staff, including opponent scouting, on-court coaching, recruiting and working with the post players.
    A native of Erie, Pa., he spent two years at Clarion, a season at Mercyhurst and two campaigns with the Golden Knights before following Slocum to the Mahoning Valley in April 2005. In three of those seasons as a Division II assistant, his school’s appeared in the NCAA Tournament.
    In his two seasons at Gannon, the program posted overall marks of 22-8 in 2003-04 and 18-11 in 2004-05 while qualifying for the NCAA Division II Tournament both years. The Golden Knights finished second in the South Division of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference both years going 12-5 in 2003-04 and 11-6 in 2004-05.
    At Clarion, DePaoli coached under Dr. Ron Righter and helped lead the Eagles to a 19-10 mark, a PSAC Championship, and its first-ever trip to the NCAA Division II Tournament in 2000-01. He then helped lead the Eagles to a 15-11 record in 2001-02, cumulating in another PSAC playoff berth.
    He moved to Mercyhurst College in 2002-03 and helped Coach Karl Fogel guide the Lakers through the rigors of the GLIAC. In his year at Mercyhurst, he coached alongside fellow YSU assistant Michael Wernicki.
    DePaoli graduated from Clarion with a bachelor’s degree in secondary education in 2000 and a master’s degree in rehabilitation science in 2002.
    In his hometown, he has assisted the Millcreek Youth Athletic Association Boy’s Basketball Program. He has also worked numerous summer camps, including those at Notre Dame, Maryland, Army, and the Eastern Invitational.
    Brian and his wife Tera, who is a dentist, reside in Boardman.