University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Men's Basketball
Ruffolo, Robby
Robby Ruffolo
- Title:
- Director of Basketball Operations
- Email:
- rruffolo@unca.edu
- Phone:
- 937-607-5569
Robby Ruffolo enters his second season as the Director of Basketball Operations in 2023-24. UNC Asheville Head Men’s Basketball Coach Mike Morrell announced on November 11, 2022 that Ruffolo had been named the program’s new Director of Basketball Operations.
“I am really excited to have Robby serving in the Director of Operations role,” said Morrell. “He is an extremely bright and talented young coach. He is a guy that will be able to serve in a variety of roles for our program and we will benefit immensely from it.”
In his first season in Asheville, Ruffolo helped the Bulldogs to one of their best seasons in school history. Asheville not only posted a school record 27 wins on the season but also captured both the Big South Regular Season and Tournament Championships. It marks Asheville's fourth outright regular season championship and eighth overall. The tournament title for the Bulldogs is their sixth in program history and with it earned the Big South's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, their first appearance since 2016.
The Bulldogs' 27 victories were tied for the fourth-most in Division I men's basketball and were tied for the most by any Division I school in the State of North Carolina. Furthermore, the 2022-23 Bulldogs matched the school record with 16 Big South regular season victories and set a new single-season program record with 25 wins against Division I opponents. Additionally, Asheville posted an 18-2 record during the 2023 calendar year.
A native of Dayton, Ohio, Ruffolo graduated from the University of North Carolina in 2021 with Honors with Highest Distinction from the Kenan-Flagler Business School. During his time in Chapel Hill, Ruffolo was a manager for the men’s basketball team and was a practice player for the women’s basketball program. He helped work with future NBA players (Coby White, Cole Anthony, and Walker Kessler) during his time at UNC and the Tar Heels went to the NCAA Tournament during his senior year.
Ruffolo also earned a Master’s Degree in Sports Management from Western Carolina in 2022.
“I am really excited to have Robby serving in the Director of Operations role,” said Morrell. “He is an extremely bright and talented young coach. He is a guy that will be able to serve in a variety of roles for our program and we will benefit immensely from it.”
In his first season in Asheville, Ruffolo helped the Bulldogs to one of their best seasons in school history. Asheville not only posted a school record 27 wins on the season but also captured both the Big South Regular Season and Tournament Championships. It marks Asheville's fourth outright regular season championship and eighth overall. The tournament title for the Bulldogs is their sixth in program history and with it earned the Big South's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, their first appearance since 2016.
The Bulldogs' 27 victories were tied for the fourth-most in Division I men's basketball and were tied for the most by any Division I school in the State of North Carolina. Furthermore, the 2022-23 Bulldogs matched the school record with 16 Big South regular season victories and set a new single-season program record with 25 wins against Division I opponents. Additionally, Asheville posted an 18-2 record during the 2023 calendar year.
A native of Dayton, Ohio, Ruffolo graduated from the University of North Carolina in 2021 with Honors with Highest Distinction from the Kenan-Flagler Business School. During his time in Chapel Hill, Ruffolo was a manager for the men’s basketball team and was a practice player for the women’s basketball program. He helped work with future NBA players (Coby White, Cole Anthony, and Walker Kessler) during his time at UNC and the Tar Heels went to the NCAA Tournament during his senior year.
Ruffolo also earned a Master’s Degree in Sports Management from Western Carolina in 2022.
Highlights || Men's Basketball || #2 UNC Asheville vs #5 Longwood (Big South Tournament)
Monday, March 18
Highlights || Men's Basketball || #2 UNC Asheville vs #3 Gardner-Webb (Big South Tournament)
Monday, March 18
Highlights || Men's Basketball || #2 UNC Asheville vs #7 Charleston Southern (Big South Tournament)
Thursday, March 14
Highlights || Men's Basketball || UNC Asheville at Radford
Monday, March 04
