Steve RoccaforteSteve RoccaforteSteve Roccaforte begins his fourth year on the Tulane basketball staff as an assistant coach.
Roccaforte, known simply to his colleagues as "Rock," comes to Tulane after five years as an assistant at Centenary College, where he served as the Gents' primary recruiter.
Roccaforte is excited about the opportunity that Tulane presents.
"When Coach Clark first came here, I kept a close eye on Tulane because it was a private school much like Centenary and because they were starting over," Roccaforte said. "I think I was as surprised as anyone else with how quickly the program was built.
"Now, the way Tulane is perceived all over the country is as a Top 20 program," said Roccaforte, who added, "I think it's exciting to try to turn it into a Top 10 program."
He helped the Green Wave turn in its second top-10 recruiting class in five years last year.
"Recruiting is the part of the job I enjoy the most," Roccaforte said. "It's also my biggest responsibility for this program. We look forward to continuing to be able to recruit outstanding student-athletes to Tulane University."
In his five years at Centenary, the Gents won their first Trans America Athletic Conference regular season championship and also finished second on another occasion. Those teams also set eight TAAC single-season records and four other single-game records in that span.
Roccaforte enjoys working with Tulane coach Perry Clark for a number of reasons.
"I think it's important for me to learn how to become a head coach, since Coach Clark has had four of his assistants become head coaches," he said. "I feel very fortunate to be able to work for him. I can't say how much I appreciate the opportunity he's given me."
Said Clark, "Steve gives the program the energy, enthusiasm and work ethic it was built upon. He reminds me of how I was when I first became an assistant. He has the ability to become one of the best assistant coaches in college basketball."
Roccaforte says his strongest points are the ability to recruit student-athletes and relate to the players.
"I'm not that much older than them and I think I can relate to what makes those guys tick and do the things they do," he said.
What are the strong points of Tulane basketball that Roccaforte tries to sell to recruits?
"I think educationally, Tulane is recognized as one of the top schools in the country, and No. 2, the status of the program. I think that sells itself," Roccaforte said. "Having the opportunity to play for Perry Clark and the style of play he coaches is also a plus.
Roccaforte credits current Jackson State coach Andy Stoglin with influencing his coaching career.
"I played for Coach Stoglin for one semester (at Southern University)," Roccaforte said, "and he told me that because I worked very hard and got along with the players, that I needed to think about becoming a coach down the line."
In 1986, Roccaforte became a student assistant coach at Lamar University, where he coached for three years. The Cardinals won 20 games in 1987-88, the school's last 20-victory season. He earned his bachelor's degree from Lamar in 1989.
Roccaforte was a basketball and baseball player at Thomas Jefferson High School in his hometown of Port Arthur, Texas. His high school classmates included Mississippi State assistant football coach Craig Stump, Alabama assistant baseball coach Mitch Gaspard and Texas Rangers pitcher Xavier Hernandez.
Roccaforte was born May 21, 1965. He is married to the former Tina Womack,
and they have one daughter, Victoria Elise (2).