From Bishop Carroll Catholic High School
One of the cornerstones of a high school experience is participation in extracurricular activities. Having strong leadership for the students is important, assisting in their growth and development. Bishop Carroll Catholic High School Boys’ Basketball Coach Cosie Aliquo emulates those qualities. He has been at the helm of the program for 14 years, recently securing his 250th victory.
Coach Cosie’s teams have found great success during his tenure. They have won 7 District Championships (’08, ’11, ’14, ’15, ’18, ’20, ’21), 33 District playoff victories, 2 Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference crowns, have reached the Elite 8 in the state playoffs 4 times (’13, ’14, ’18, ’20), the Final 4 twice (’14, ’18), and have secured 13 state playoff wins. The success on the court over the last 14 years can only be matched by his success in molding young men into leaders themselves.
Several of Cosie’s former players have come back to assist him with coaching, including Nick Gueguen (’08), Dylan Link (’11), and currently Mitchell Madonna (’14). Mitchell expressed that Coach Cosie’s ability to motivate his teams is inspirational. Mitchell said, “I don’t think Cosie ever had the best or most talented players, but he always managed to pull out a win when it counted. Everybody will see the 250 wins, but only a few people have seen the effort he has put in to win those games. It was an honor to play for Cosie, and an even greater honor to coach alongside him.”
Dylan Link echoed Mitchell’s sentiments, adding, “There is no person that deserves this honor more than Coach Cosie. Winning is hard and it’s something that he knows how to do well. I’ve been with him in some of the lowest lows and the highest highs and I am always amazed with his consistent level of joy and enthusiasm he had for his guys no matter what the situation. More importantly, his greatest achievement is how he has always helped each and every one of his players become the best person they could be. The lessons he taught and the relationships he built were far more important than any number of wins he has. No matter if you were the guy or the one folding the jerseys, he cared about you and wanted you to be great. That’s what always stuck out to me. He’s a winner and he loves his guys.”
Many of his former and current players also expressed that with Cosie, it is more than just basketball. Brandon Martinazzi (’15), who went on to play basketball at Juniata College, said, “Coach Aliquo taught me valuable lessons that helped me develop into the man I am today.” Senior captain Nathan Dumm (’22) added, “Coach Cosie pushes us beyond what we think is possible. We are disciplined and he demands the best of us at all times, both on and off the court. No one puts more time and energy into this program than he does.”
The administration of Bishop Carroll Catholic High School could not agree more with Nathan’s assessment of Cosie’s work ethic. “Cosie truly cares about his players as individuals,” said Dean of Students Jonathan Nagy. “His concern for their physical, emotional, educational, and athletic well-being is truly exceptional. He follows up with his current and former players with events in their lives. He also takes great care in working with the students in our feeder grade schools to not only learn the sport of basketball, but also how to be a great person.” Business Manager Lynn Weber remarked, “Over the years, I have been impressed and continue to be impressed with Cosie’s dedication to the school and our students. From the bottom of my heart, I thank him for everything that he does and congratulate him on this accomplishment.” Head of School Stephen Cotchen added, “I am truly grateful for the work that Cosie puts in. He is a role model to not only his players, but other coaches around the country. I look forward to many more years of Cosie’s contributions and I congratulate him on his 250th victory.”
Cosie’s efforts truly go beyond coaching. He is often seen volunteering countless hours cleaning the gym before and after games and practices. He gives of his time, talent, and treasure in any way that he can to help not only the boys basketball program, but the school in general. The phrase, “Respect is earned, not given,” truly applies to Coach Cosie. He has earned all respect that he has.
Chris Drenning, head coach of the Bishop Guilfoyle Catholic High School Boys’ Basketball Team holds Cosie in the highest regards. “Well done and Congratulations to Cosie on his 250th win. His teams are always one of the toughest to play in the area and he is no doubt one of the best coaches in the entire state of Pennsylvania. His program is always top notch. It’s an honor to play against him and I wish him the very best on this significant milestone.”
Coach Cosie is proud of his experiences as head coach at Bishop Carroll. He commented, “It has been a great honor to coach at Bishop Carroll for 14 years. The players have been awesome on and off the court. They are always willing to help out when the opportunity is needed. The players have all put in a lot of work to keep our basketball program on the rise. The one thing we take pride in is that no matter what we do, we are representing Bishop Carroll. For me, my players and Bishop Carroll will always be a huge part of my life!”
In summing up Coach Cosie’s contributions to Bishop Carroll Catholic High School, no one said it better than current assistant coach Bob Madonna. “Coach Cosie’s dedication and knowledge of basketball is second to none. When people think of Bishop Carroll Basketball, they think of Cosie. He has built this program to be one of the best in the state.”
[Photo: BCCHS boys basketball coaching staff (left to right) Mitchell Madonna, Cosie Aliquo, Bob Madonna.]
