James Cosgrove
Camp Director
James Cosgrove enters his 15th season at Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Trinity College for the 2024-25 season after guiding the Bantams on a historic run during their 2023-24 campaign. Cosgrove holds a career record of 456-261, including a 217-124 mark at Trinity. During his tenure at Trinity, Cosgrove has coached seven NESCAC All-Conference selections, three NESCAC Defensive Players of the Year, two National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-American selections, 2015-16 NESCAC Player of the Year, and 2022-23 NESCAC Rookie of the Year. The Bantams have earned 26 Academic All-Conference selections, and were named an NABC Academic Excellence Team in 2022-23.
Last season, Cosgrove helmed the Bantams to their best season in program history, posting a 30-2 overall record, with a 9-1 mark in the NESCAC. The Bantams opened the season with 20 straight victories, establishing the best start to a season in program history. After suffering a last-second defeat at Williams, the Bantams won their final three games, earning the second-seed in the NESCAC Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament. Trinity defeated seventh-seed Wesleyan (74-67) and fourth-seeded Tufts (80-68) before getting revenge against Williams with a 59-52 win over the Ephs in the Championship game, giving the Bantams their second conference title in program history and first since 2008. The Bantams returned to the NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament for the first time since 2015-16, and advanced to their second Final Four after picking up wins over Utica College (83-54), Swarthmore College (83-74), Tufts (70-53) and Calvin University (69-62). Trinity fell to eventual National Champions, Trine University, 66-54, in the Semifinals. The Bantams earned a #2 ranking in the D3hoops.com Division III Men’s Basketball Top 25 poll, the highest ranking in program history. Cosgrove was recognized as National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) District 1 Coach of the Year, D3hoops.com Region 1 Coach of the Year, and NESCAC Coaching Staff of the Year. The Bantams earned one All-American selection (Ben Callahan-Gold), two NABC All-District selections, two D3hoops.com All-Region selections.
Cosgrove prides his team on being one of the top defensive units in the country. Last season, the Bantams led the nation in scoring margin (19.7) and win percentage (.938), while ranking third in opponent field goal percentage (.369) and scoring defense, allowing 56.8 points per game. Trinity ranked fifth in assist-turnover ratio (1.58), eighth in turnover margin (5.2), 22nd in rebounding margin (7.1) and 23rd in opponent three-point field goal percentage (29.6). Trinity led the nation in three-point percentage defense (.261) and was eighth nationally in opponent field goal percentage (.381) in 2021-22. In 2019-20, the Bantams ranked eighth in the country in rebounding with 43.9 boards per game. In 2018-19, the Bantams ranked among the top 25 nationally in opponent field goal percentage (.400) and opponent three-point field-goal percentage defense. The Bantams were fourth in the country in opponent field-goal percentage (.381), 10th in opponent three-point field-goal percentage (.303), and 17th in scoring defense (65.1) in 2017-18. Trinity ranked 16th nationally in scoring defense (65.3 ppg) in 2016-17, and sixth in the nation in opponent field goal-percentage (.386) in 2015-16. Trinity finished No. 2 nationally in opponent field-goal percentage (.368) and third in opponent three-point field-goal percentage (.277) in 2014-15, and was ranked second nationally in rebounding margin (9.7) in 2013-14.
Trinity's run to the 2014-15 NCAA Elite Eight included NCAA wins over Colby-Sawyer (58-55), Salisbury (60-47), and Bates (79-62), and the Bantams came an overtime road loss against Babson (76-69) shy of reaching the program's second NCAA Final Four. Trinity won nine of ten conference games during the regular season, including six on the road, and hosted the NESCAC Quarterfinals. The Bantams repeated the feat the next winter, defeating every NESCAC team in the regular season except NCAA Final Four-bound Amherst College. Trinity received an at-large bid to the 2016 NCAA Tournament, but dropped a 75-73 decision against Johnson and Wales in the opening round. Cosgrove was honored as the 2014-15 NESCAC Coach of the Year and the 2015-16 Trinity Athletic Department Coach of the Year.
Prior to Trinity, Cosgrove served as Head Coach at Division II Adelphi University (2002-2010) and Endicott College (1997-2002). At Adelphi, Cosgrove posted a 166-77 record and reached the postseason in each of his eight seasons at Adelphi. The Panthers won 20 or more games six times, won three league titles, and earned four NCAA Tournament bids in a five-year span. In 2009-10, Adelphi earned a 22-10 mark played in the Northeast-10 tournament finals. His 2008-09 Adelphi squad led NCAA Division II in opponent field goal percentage (37.6) and was fourth nationally in scoring defense (58.9). Cosgrove was named as the East Coast Conference (ECC) Coach of the Year in 2004-05 and as the Metropolitan Writers Association Division II Coach of the Year in both 2004-05 and 2005-06. At Endicott, Cosgrove accumulated a 73-60 record including an 18-10 record in 1999-00, the program’s first Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Championship title, and its first bid to the NCAA Tournament. His 1998-99 Endicott team won the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) regular-season crown and earned Cosgrove GNAC Coach of the Year honors. Cosgrove also served as an assistant coach at his alma mater, St. Anselm College, from 1993-97, helping the Hawks to an 89-29 record, three straight NCAA Tournament appearances, and a pair of conference championships.
Cosgrove graduated from St. Anselm with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and holds a master’s degree in teaching from Sacred Heart University. He was a two-time All-Northeast-10 selection and the Northeast-10 Rookie of the Year. Serving as team captain, Cosgrove led St. Anselm to a 25-5 record and a No. 6 national ranking in the Division II Final Poll. He held the school's all-time record in assists and steals and was inducted into the St. Anselm College Athletic Hall of Fame.. In 2007, Cosgrove was inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame for his accomplishments as a player at St. Thomas Prep School and St. Anselm College. An associate professor in the Trinity athletic department, Cosgrove resides in West Hartford with his wife, Christine, and is the proud father of son, Casey, and daughters, Maggie and Callie.