Rhodes College Executive Director of Athletics Portia Hoeg announced today the hiring of Tyler Papadinis as head men’s basketball coach, effective Aug. 15. He is the college’s seventh men’s basketball coach since World War II, and replaces Mike DeGeorge, who resigned in May to take another position.
Papadinis comes to Rhodes after spending the past three seasons at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he helped guide the Engineers to a 66-20 record. He was the associate head coach for the team the last two years, which included two New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Championships and two NCAA Division III Tournament berths. The team went 25-6 during the 2017-18 campaign, advancing to the Elite 8.
“I am honored and excited to be named the next basketball head coach at Rhodes College,” says Papadinis. “I’d first like to thank Executive Director of Athletics Portia Hoeg, the search committee, and all the students and staff who I was fortunate to meet on my visit. I was struck by the beauty of the campus, but more importantly, the passion and pride of the Rhodes community. I can’t wait to get on campus and continue the rich tradition of Rhodes College athletics.”
In his time at MIT, Papadinis recruited and coached two NEWMAC Rookies of the Year, two Defensive Players of the Year, and seven All-Conference student-athletes. Additionally, the MIT Engineers compiled 19 Academic All-Conference honorees, six earned CoSIDA Academic All-District honors, and one was named CoSIDA Academic All-American.
“Coach Papadinis was able to distinguish himself among a very talented pool of candidates,” says Hoeg. “His experience at two very diverse institutions will allow him to hit the ground running as we recruit a talent rich Memphis area while maintaining our national recruiting ties.”
Prior to MIT, Papadinis spent seven seasons at the University of Massachusetts Boston. He spent the 2014-15 season as associate head coach and helped the program reach its highest number of wins in nine years. Papadinis served as the Beacon’s recruiting coordinator, most notably acquiring D3Hoops Northeast Region Rookie of the Year and Little East Conference (LEC) Rookie of the Year. He also recruited two-time first team All-Conference, first team All-Defense, All-Rookie, and the first D3Hoops.com third team All-Region in program history.
Papadinis was a basketball operations intern for the NBA’s New York Knicks before accepting a position at the University of Massachusetts Boston. He worked directly with players, coaches, and staff and even spent time as a special education teacher in the Boston Public School System.
“Throughout the search process, Tyler showed a willingness to genuinely care for our student-athletes while inspiring them to compete at a high level,” adds Hoeg. “I’m excited for the program’s continued growth, alumni engagement, and philanthropic efforts under his leadership.”
Papadinis earned a bachelor’s degree in sports management from Ithaca College in 2007. He later received an MBA from UMass Boston in 2012. He has attributed his preparedness for working with student-athletes to mentors he has had in the last 10 years. “Charlie Titus and Larry Anderson are not only great coaches, but more importantly, they are caring leaders whose guidance and support have nurtured hundreds of student athletes in their collective careers,” says Papadinis. “I’m thrilled to join their ‘coaching trees’ and continue the tradition of positively impacting young people’s lives. I’ve learned so much through our shared experiences, and I am eager to pass that knowledge on to the student athletes at Rhodes College.”