University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Men's Basketball
Venezia , Mike
Mike Venezia
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- mvenezia@unca.edu
- Phone:
- 251-6826
UNC Asheville men's basketball head coach Mike Morrell announced on Tuesday, July 2, 2019 the addition of Mike Venezia as an assistant coach. Morrell and Venezia worked together at VCU and at Texas.
In his first season at Asheville, Venezia helped the Bulldogs engineer one of the best turnarounds in Division I basketball, as the team improved from 4-27 to 15-16 in 2019-20. The 11-victory improvement was tied for the third best in the country and Asheville was one of just four programs with a double-digit win improvement.
Venezia coached a pair of All-Big South performers, as DeVon Baker earned recognition on the Second-Team while LJ Thorpe was named an Honorable Mention selection.
In Venezia’s first season, the Bulldogs improved their scoring by 15.1 points per game from the previous year. All five starters averaged double-digits in scoring, and four players – Baker, Thorpe, Tajion Jones and Lavar Batts, Jr. – all ranked inside the Top 16 in the conference in scoring. No other team had more than two in the Top 16.
The Bulldogs were also able to establish themselves as one of the best pressure defenses in the country, leading the Big South and ranking in the Top 25 nationally in turnover margin (plus-5.2), turnovers forced per game (16.9), total steals (250) and steals per game (8.3).
Venezia joined the UNC Asheville men's basketball staff after spending the previous two seasons as the Director of Student-Athlete Development on Mike Rhoades' staff at VCU. The Rams advanced to the NCAA Tournament in the 2018-19 season.
During his time at VCU, Venezia focused on the off-court development of the program's student-athletes.
Prior to joining Rhoades' staff, Venezia served as a graduate assistant for Smart at Texas from 2015-17. Venezia was also a graduate assistant for Smart during his final season at VCU in 2014-15.
Venezia originally began his coaching career in 2013 when he worked as the Director of Basketball for the Basketball Stars of New York, which is an AAU and youth travel basketball program located in New York City. Venezia managed more than 40 youth teams that catered to more than 300 athletes.
Venezia was a four-year standout as a player at Colgate. A three-year captain, Venezia closed out his career with 1,027 points and 196 made three-pointers. Venezia was chosen to the Patriot League's All-Rookie Team as a freshman. He averaged 9.4 points and 2.2 rebounds per game during his career with the Raiders.
The Westfield, N.J. native played one year professionally for KK Tajfun Sentjur in Sentjur, Slovenia. He averaged 8.8 points per game and was named MVP of the Hopsi Polzela Tournament.
Venezia received his undergraduate degrees in economics and sociology and anthropology from Colgate in 2012. He added a master's degree from VCU's Center for Sport Leadership in 2016 and another in kinesiology from Texas in 2017.
In his first season at Asheville, Venezia helped the Bulldogs engineer one of the best turnarounds in Division I basketball, as the team improved from 4-27 to 15-16 in 2019-20. The 11-victory improvement was tied for the third best in the country and Asheville was one of just four programs with a double-digit win improvement.
Venezia coached a pair of All-Big South performers, as DeVon Baker earned recognition on the Second-Team while LJ Thorpe was named an Honorable Mention selection.
In Venezia’s first season, the Bulldogs improved their scoring by 15.1 points per game from the previous year. All five starters averaged double-digits in scoring, and four players – Baker, Thorpe, Tajion Jones and Lavar Batts, Jr. – all ranked inside the Top 16 in the conference in scoring. No other team had more than two in the Top 16.
The Bulldogs were also able to establish themselves as one of the best pressure defenses in the country, leading the Big South and ranking in the Top 25 nationally in turnover margin (plus-5.2), turnovers forced per game (16.9), total steals (250) and steals per game (8.3).
Venezia joined the UNC Asheville men's basketball staff after spending the previous two seasons as the Director of Student-Athlete Development on Mike Rhoades' staff at VCU. The Rams advanced to the NCAA Tournament in the 2018-19 season.
During his time at VCU, Venezia focused on the off-court development of the program's student-athletes.
Prior to joining Rhoades' staff, Venezia served as a graduate assistant for Smart at Texas from 2015-17. Venezia was also a graduate assistant for Smart during his final season at VCU in 2014-15.
Venezia originally began his coaching career in 2013 when he worked as the Director of Basketball for the Basketball Stars of New York, which is an AAU and youth travel basketball program located in New York City. Venezia managed more than 40 youth teams that catered to more than 300 athletes.
Venezia was a four-year standout as a player at Colgate. A three-year captain, Venezia closed out his career with 1,027 points and 196 made three-pointers. Venezia was chosen to the Patriot League's All-Rookie Team as a freshman. He averaged 9.4 points and 2.2 rebounds per game during his career with the Raiders.
The Westfield, N.J. native played one year professionally for KK Tajfun Sentjur in Sentjur, Slovenia. He averaged 8.8 points per game and was named MVP of the Hopsi Polzela Tournament.
Venezia received his undergraduate degrees in economics and sociology and anthropology from Colgate in 2012. He added a master's degree from VCU's Center for Sport Leadership in 2016 and another in kinesiology from Texas in 2017.
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