Xavier University Athletics
Richard Pitino Hired Former St. John's Assistant Greg Youncofski To Complete His Staff
04.17.26 | Men's Basketball
Youncofski has experience at St. Johns, Loyola Marymount, UCLA, Cincinnati and Kansas.
CINCINNATI --- Xavier University head coach Richard Pitino has hired Greg Youncofski as an assistant coach to complete his staff heading into the 2026-27 season. Youncofski, who spent the last two seasons on the St. John's staff under Rick Pitino, was elevated to the position of assistant coach during the 2025-26 season after joining on as the program's director of operations in June of 2024.
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"Greg is one of the top young assistant coaches in the country," said Pitino. Â "I have gotten to know him the last few years and have been extremely impressed. Â He's a relentless worker. Â He's terrific on and off the court."
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Youncofski's was a part of two successful seasons at St. John's. The Red Storm compiled a record of 61-12 (.836) with two outright BIG EAST Regular Season titles and two BIG EAST Tournament crowns over the last two seasons. After notching the program's first NCAA Tournament win since 2000 in his first season, this past year's Red Storm advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1999. Youncofski joined Rick Pitino's staff with over a decade of Division I experience that includes stops at Loyola Marymount, UCLA, Cincinnati and Kansas.
Youncofski arrived in Queens after spending four seasons as an assistant coach at Loyola Marymount under head coach Stan Johnson. During his tenure in Los Angeles, Youncofski helped lead the Lions to a pair of winning campaigns, including a 19-win season in 2022-23 that marked the third-most victories for the program in more than three decades.
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In 2022-23, Youncofski helped the Lions earn the highest ranked win, 68-67, in program history on Jan. 19, 2023, by defeating sixth-ranked Gonzaga in Spokane, Wash. Nearly a month later, LMU took down 15th-ranked Saint Mary's, 78-74, in overtime to become the first Lions team in over a decade to knock off a pair of top-15 teams in the same season.
During his second season at Loyola Marymount, the Lions finished in the top three of the West Coast Conference (WCC) standings for the first time since 2005-06. It was also the first time Loyola Marymount posted a winning record in the WCC since 2011-12.
Prior to LMU, Youncofski spent the 2019-20 season at UCLA as the program's Director of Recruiting/Player Personnel after having spent the previous six seasons on Mick Cronin's staff at the University of Cincinnati.
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Youncofski helped UCLA's program record a strong mid-season turnaround in 2019-20, as the Bruins won 11 of their final 15 games to go 19-12 overall. UCLA finished second in the Pac-12 standings with a 12-6 mark and secured the No. 2 seed in the Pac-12 Tournament. UCLA won each of its final three games against teams that were ranked in the AP Top 25 – against No. 20 Colorado, at No. 23 Arizona and at No. 18 Colorado.
In Youncofski's six seasons at Cincinnati, the Bearcats registered a record of 161-47 (.774). Cincinnati advanced to the NCAA Tournament in each of those six seasons, notching two AAC regular season titles and a pair of AAC Tournament crowns.
Youncofski served as an assistant coach with Cincinnati in 2018-19. That season, the Bearcats compiled a 28-7 record and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. Cincinnati finished second in the American Athletic Conference's regular season standings but won the AAC Tournament.
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Youncofski was named to the 2023 Silver Wave Media's 75 Rising Stars: Impactful Men's Mid-Major Assistants list. Additionally, he was selected to participate in the 2023 Collegiate Coaching Consortium, which is hosted by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and AthleticDirectorsU. Youncofski also received recognition as one of Under Armour's "30-under-30" honorees in 2017-18 by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). He serves on the Board of Directors for Rising Coaches Elite, an organization dedicated to facilitate learning, growth and networking within the coaching realm.
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Youncofski earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Kansas in May 2013 after working for three years as a student manager with the Kansas men's basketball program. As an undergraduate, Youncofski was a member of three straight Big 12 Championship teams under head coach Bill Self, including the 2012 squad that finished as the NCAA Tournament's runner-up.
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Youncofski grew up in Middletown, N.J., and was a three-year varsity basketball letterwinner at Middletown High School North from 2007-09. He and his wife, Kelsey, welcomed a son, Rowdy, in 2025.
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"Greg is one of the top young assistant coaches in the country," said Pitino. Â "I have gotten to know him the last few years and have been extremely impressed. Â He's a relentless worker. Â He's terrific on and off the court."
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Youncofski's was a part of two successful seasons at St. John's. The Red Storm compiled a record of 61-12 (.836) with two outright BIG EAST Regular Season titles and two BIG EAST Tournament crowns over the last two seasons. After notching the program's first NCAA Tournament win since 2000 in his first season, this past year's Red Storm advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1999. Youncofski joined Rick Pitino's staff with over a decade of Division I experience that includes stops at Loyola Marymount, UCLA, Cincinnati and Kansas.
Youncofski arrived in Queens after spending four seasons as an assistant coach at Loyola Marymount under head coach Stan Johnson. During his tenure in Los Angeles, Youncofski helped lead the Lions to a pair of winning campaigns, including a 19-win season in 2022-23 that marked the third-most victories for the program in more than three decades.
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In 2022-23, Youncofski helped the Lions earn the highest ranked win, 68-67, in program history on Jan. 19, 2023, by defeating sixth-ranked Gonzaga in Spokane, Wash. Nearly a month later, LMU took down 15th-ranked Saint Mary's, 78-74, in overtime to become the first Lions team in over a decade to knock off a pair of top-15 teams in the same season.
During his second season at Loyola Marymount, the Lions finished in the top three of the West Coast Conference (WCC) standings for the first time since 2005-06. It was also the first time Loyola Marymount posted a winning record in the WCC since 2011-12.
Prior to LMU, Youncofski spent the 2019-20 season at UCLA as the program's Director of Recruiting/Player Personnel after having spent the previous six seasons on Mick Cronin's staff at the University of Cincinnati.
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Youncofski helped UCLA's program record a strong mid-season turnaround in 2019-20, as the Bruins won 11 of their final 15 games to go 19-12 overall. UCLA finished second in the Pac-12 standings with a 12-6 mark and secured the No. 2 seed in the Pac-12 Tournament. UCLA won each of its final three games against teams that were ranked in the AP Top 25 – against No. 20 Colorado, at No. 23 Arizona and at No. 18 Colorado.
In Youncofski's six seasons at Cincinnati, the Bearcats registered a record of 161-47 (.774). Cincinnati advanced to the NCAA Tournament in each of those six seasons, notching two AAC regular season titles and a pair of AAC Tournament crowns.
Youncofski served as an assistant coach with Cincinnati in 2018-19. That season, the Bearcats compiled a 28-7 record and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. Cincinnati finished second in the American Athletic Conference's regular season standings but won the AAC Tournament.
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Youncofski was named to the 2023 Silver Wave Media's 75 Rising Stars: Impactful Men's Mid-Major Assistants list. Additionally, he was selected to participate in the 2023 Collegiate Coaching Consortium, which is hosted by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and AthleticDirectorsU. Youncofski also received recognition as one of Under Armour's "30-under-30" honorees in 2017-18 by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). He serves on the Board of Directors for Rising Coaches Elite, an organization dedicated to facilitate learning, growth and networking within the coaching realm.
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Youncofski earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Kansas in May 2013 after working for three years as a student manager with the Kansas men's basketball program. As an undergraduate, Youncofski was a member of three straight Big 12 Championship teams under head coach Bill Self, including the 2012 squad that finished as the NCAA Tournament's runner-up.
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Youncofski grew up in Middletown, N.J., and was a three-year varsity basketball letterwinner at Middletown High School North from 2007-09. He and his wife, Kelsey, welcomed a son, Rowdy, in 2025.
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