Bio

Thomas Flahive '75 enters his seventh season at the helm of the Bears in the 2022-23 season after being introduced as the fourth head women's basketball coach in SJC history in September 2015.

Under his guidance, the Bears have qualified for the Skyline postseason in four of five years, including each of the last three seasons. Entering as the No. 4 seed in 2020, the Bears assembled their best postseason run knocking off regular-season champion Mount Saint Mary on the road in the semifinals before falling in the title game to USMMA in the title game to take runner-up honors. Flahive was also named Skyline Coach of the Year.

Flahive has helped develop two of the most prolific scorers in SJC history -- Kelly O'Donnell '22 and Victoria Porcasi '19. O'Donnell, a three-time All-Skyline selection, was named Skyline Player of the Year, All-Met First Team, and D3hoops.com All-Region First Team in 2019-20. An All-Skyline First Team honoree in 2018-19, Porcasi poured in 1,647 points which is the most in the Bears NCAA era and third all-time.

A seasoned professional with over 20 years of experience coaching collegiate women's basketball at each division of the NCAA, Flahive is no stranger to SJC having received his Bachelor of Arts in psychology from the Clinton Hill campus in 1975 and serving as head women's basketball coach for three seasons from 1994 to 1997, restarting a program that lay dormant for seven years.

Flahive returned to SJC after two seasons as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for Division I St. Peter's University from 2011 to 2013, where he was responsible for all aspects of recruiting, scheduling, and team travel as well as preparing scouting reports.

Prior to St. Peter's, the Brooklyn native served eight seasons at Division II Queens College, from 2003 to 2011, his last seven as head women's basketball coach. While in Flushing, N.Y., Flahive directed the Knights to the NCAA tournament in 2009, winning their first East Coast Conference (ECC) regular season and tournament championship. For his efforts in guiding the squad to a 24-7 mark—setting a program record for wins that stands as second most in Knights history—and developing Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association (MBWA) All-Met Co-Player of the Year Amanda Bartlett, Flahive was also named the MBWA Coach of the Year adding to his ECC Coach of the Year selection in 2008.

Flahive also spent several seasons as an assistant at Division III Montclair State University (2002-03) and the College of Staten Island (1998-2002). While at CSI, Flahive helped the Dolphins to three straight postseason berths, claiming the CUNYAC titles and NCAA Tournament berths in 2000 and 2001 and receiving an ECAC bid in 2002. He started his collegiate coaching career at Division I St. Francis College in 1991.

Flahive resides in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn with his wife Ginny McCullough Flahive '77. The couple is happily married for 40 years after meeting at SJC. They have two children Kelly, 38, and T.J., 30, and are proud grandparents of their first grandchild Stephanie.  

Flahive's Year-by-Year Head Coaching Record