PATCHOGUE, N.Y. – John Mateyko became the winningest coach in the history of the St. Joseph’s College men’s basketball program as a result of the Golden Eagles’ sixth consecutive win on Saturday night. SJC topped Mount Saint Mary, 92-77, for the historic win and took sole possession of third place in the Skyline Conference.

Coach Mateyko, a Long Beach native, is in his sixth year at the helm of the Golden Eagles and has posted a 72-76 career record thus far. This year he has produced his fifth double-digit winning season for the program and is poised to lead his team into their fourth appearance in the Skyline Conference Tournament. SJC may finish the year with their highest ever tournament seeding as they currently sit in third place with an impressive 8-3 Skyline mark (13-6 overall).

With 72 career wins, Mateyko passes James Murphy, who amassed 71 wins from 1986-1992. Since joining the NCAA in 1997, no coach at St. Joseph’s has had more seasons with ten or more victories than Mateyko. He also moved past the legendary Frank Mulzoff (former St. John’s & St. Joseph’s coach) for the most double-digit winning seasons in program history (five) with the Golden Eagles tenth victory earlier this season.

Before he was hired at SJC in 2001, Coach Mateyko spent four years on the staff at SUNY Maritime, including two seasons as associate head coach. He received his first coaching experience at American International, his Alma mater, starting in 1984 as an assistant coach. In that two-year span, he coached future NBA guard Mario Elie. Mateyko later returned to coaching in 1992, when he became an assistant at St. Mary’s of Manhasset, one of New York’s top prep hoops programs.

During Mateyko’s on-court career he played at Archbishop Molloy High School under coaching legend Jack Curran.