Varsity Team
Mr. Gary DeCesare – Varsity Head Coach
Coach Gary DeCesare has recently completed his second successful season as the Head Basketball Coach at St. Rita of Cascia High School.
Coach DeCesare brings to the Mustangs, a wealth of experience, at both the collegiate and high school levels. Recently Coach DeCesare served as Associate Head Coach at DePaul University for 4 years and also spent three seasons as the Assistant Basketball Coach at the University of Richmond.
Prior to coaching at the collegiate level, Coach DeCesare spent 16 seasons as the Head Varsity Basketball Coach at St. Raymond’s High School in the Bronx, New York. He led St. Raymond’s to two New York State Championships and four City Championships, while being named the New York City or State Coach of the Year four times. The Ravens under Coach DeCesare have been regularly a top 25 team in the country and have traveled to prestigious tournaments in Alaska, Alabama, Hawaii, Missouri, San Diego, San Francisco, Cincinnati, Florida, Myrtle Beach, Baltimore, Texas, Arkansas, Washington D.C., Delaware, Toronto, North Carolina, and Italy. Winning Tournaments in Alaska 1989 and 1993; Hawaii 1990; Missouri 1991,1993,1999; Florida 1992; Arkansas 1993; Baltimore 1993; Toronto 1993; San Francisco 1994 and Binghamton 1998.
Coach DeCesare has produced well over 30 Division I players, including three McDonald’s High School All-Americans. In addition, he has been a Director for the prestigious ABCD basketball camp.
Coach DeCesare resides in the western suburbs of Chicago with his wife Pam, twin sons Gary and TJ, and daughter Amanda.
Coach DeCesare overall High School coaching record 313-170.
Mr. Kenton Terrell - Varsity Assistant Coach
Coach Terrell begins his first season at St. Rita after six successful seasons as an Assistant Varsity Coach at LeoCatholicHigh School. During his tenure, the Lions compiled an impressive record of 131 wins and 50 losses, which included four Regional Championships, a Sectional Championship, a Super Sectional Championship, and a 4th place finish in the 2008-2009 IHSA State Finals.
He was a three year Letterman and starting point guard for the St. Rita Running Mustangs from 1981-1983. Highlights include: Captain 1982, 1983; Regional Champion 1982; All-Catholic 1982, 1983; All-Area 1983; Most Valuable Player 1983; Rockford Boylan Tournament MVP 1983; Varsity Record: 50-27.
Coach Terrell received an athletic scholarship to the University of Missouri-Kansas City, where he played one season for the Kangaroos before returning home toChicagoStateUniversity. He was a three year Letterman for the Cougars from 1985-1988. Highlights include: Captain 1987, 1988; Most Valuable Player 1988; All-Academic Honors 1988. Collegiate Record: 67-56.
Coach Terrell and his wife Roslyn reside inChicagoand have three children: Kaitlin; Kendall; and Kenton II.
Mr. Pat Connolly - Varsity Assistant Coach
Coach Pat Connolly, a Marist High School Graduate, just finished his playing career at St. Mary’s University in Minnesota and is working as an electrician. He comes from a great coaching family. His dad is our Freshman Coach and his mom is the Head Girls Basketball Coach at Marist High School.
Mr. Bill Judge - Varsity Assistant Coach
Mr. Shaun Napatal - Director of Basketball Operations
Coach Shaun Napatal is in his second year as Director of Basketball Operations at St. Rita. He is a graduate of DePaul University, where he served as Head Manager and Video Coordinator. Shaun also coached at Niles West and Loyola Academy.
Sophomore Team
Mr. Joe Claffy- Sophomore Head Coach
Coach Claffy is a 1977 graduate of Brother Rice HS and a 1981 graduate of Eastern Illinois University where he received a BS in Finance and BA in Economics. He is also a 1998 graduate of Governors State University where he received his Masters Degree in Political and Justice Studies.
Coach Claffy has coached all levels of grade school basketball at St. John of the Cross school from 1994 to 2007. He was the Assistant Sophomore Coach at Fenwick High School 2006, 2008 and Assistant Varsity Coach at Fenwick High School 2007.
Coach Claffy has been the Head Sophomore Coach at St. Rita High School from 2009 to the present.
He has been married for 24 years to Karen Claffy with two sons. John 19, is currently a sophomore at Miami (Ohio) University and Kevin 16, is a junior at Fenwick High school. The Claffys reside in Western Springs. Coach Claffy is the Owner and President of Cortech Correctional Technologies, Inc.
Mr. Mark Laudadio – Sophomore Assistant Coach
Coach Laudadio is a 1988 graduate of Spring Hill College , where he received his BA in Business and Communications .
Prior to joining the Mustangs staff , Mr. Laudadio coached at Fenwick High School at the sophomore level from 2008-20011 .
In 2011-12 , he was in charge of the freshman program . He comes to St. Rita with experience running tournaments , scouting and recruiting .
Coach Laudadio is currently assisting coach Claffy with the sophomores .
He lives in River Forest with his wife Melissa and two sons Cosmo and Lucca . Prior to coaching Mr. Laudadio was a partner with Dio Bros Brokerage at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange .
Freshman Team
Mr. Mike Connolly – Freshman Head Coach
Coach Connolly is entering his fifth season as head freshman coach. During his past four season he has a record of 68 wins and 28 losses, and a Catholic league freshmen Championship in 2009. Prior to coming to St. Rita in 2008 Coach Connolly coached grammar school basketball at St. Catherine of Alexandria for fifteen seasons.
Mr. Matt Wilsey - Freshman Assistant Coach
