Two former Adelphi University coaches are among 20 honorees that have been selected to the Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2020. Congratulations to Kim Barnes-Arico and Joe Spallina.
Barnes-Arico served as head coach of the Adelphi women’s basketball team from 1999 to 2002. She had an immediate impact, tying the program record for wins in just her first season (18). She also led the Brown and Gold to its first ever postseason bid, qualifying for the ECAC Tournament and was named the New York Collegiate Athletic Conference (NYCAC) Coach of the Year.
The Brown and Gold got even better in her second year, finishing with a record of 19-11 and tying for second in the NYCAC regular season while placing second in the ECAC Tournament.
In Barnes-Arico’s third season, Adelphi won its first NYCAC championship and advanced to the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16. The Panthers won their first 21 games of the season, finishing 28-3 overall, and earned the school’s first national ranking in program history. She was named the NYCAC, NIT/Metropolitan Basketball Writers Division II and Nassau County Sports Commission Outstanding Female Coach of the Year and in 2014, Barnes-Arico was inducted in the Adelphi Hall of Fame.
She is currently in her eighth season as the head coach of the Michigan Wolverines. She is the program’s winningest coach, amassing 156 wins entering the 2019-20 season and in Barnes-Arico was named the Big Ten Coach of the Year. Michigan has made the postseason in each of Barnes-Arico’s seven seasons, advancing to the NCAA Tournament second round three times (2013, 2018, 2019).
Spallina was the head coach of the Adelphi women’s lacrosse team from 2007 to 2011. During his time at the helm, Spallina led the team to three consecutive national titles (2009-11), and two undefeated seasons, for an overall record of 73-2.
He also led the Panthers to an ECC tournament title and two consecutive Northeast-10 regular season and tournament championship titles and was named NE10 Coach of the Year in 2010 and 2011. In 2011, Spallina was also recognized by the Nassau County Sports Commission as the College Coach of the Year and in 2009 he was named IWCLA and ECC Coach of the Year.
Spallina attended Adelphi from 1992-96 and earned a B.A. in physical education. He was a four-year starter on the men’s lacrosse team. During his four seasons as a midfielder for the Panthers, he helped the team to a 38-14 overall record and two National Championships in 1993 and 1995. Spallina also lettered two years on the men’s soccer team.
Spallina is currently the head coach of the Stony Brook women’s lacrosse program and also serves as general manager for the New York Lizards of Major League Lacrosse (MLL) after serving as head coach for six seasons. He helped guide the Lizards to the MLL championship game as an assistant in 2010, and took home Brine MLL Coach of the Year honors in 2012, his first season as head coach. He has also been an assistant coach with the women’s national team since 2018 and is the director of the Pro Player Girls Lacrosse Camp in Oakdale.
The ceremony will he held on May 26 at Watermill Caterers in Smithtown and will also mark the organization’s 30th anniversary.
