Over the course of his first three seasons at the helm of the Stevens Institute of Technology women’s basketball program, Head Coach Jon Hochberg has led the Ducks to an overall record of 65-22, which translates to an impressive 0.747 winning percentage. During his tenure at Stevens, Hochberg has guided his team to three straight Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Metro Championship appearances and the 2008 tournament title.
Not only have the Ducks improved their win total each season that he has been at the school, but Hochberg has produced the three best seasons in program history in terms of wins. Already the program’s all-time winningest coach, Hochberg helped Dani Dudek develop into an honorable mention All-American in 2007-08 – marking a first in program history. Dudek also ended the year as the national statistical champion with 7.4 assists per game.
In 2005-06, the Ducks posted an impressive 20-9 record, tied what was then the school record for wins in a season, and earned a No. 5 ranking in the NCAA Atlantic Region. Hochberg and the Ducks also halted six-time defending Skyline Conference champion Mount Saint Mary College’s 64-game regular-season conference unbeaten streak with a 59-56 win over the Blue Knights on February 11, 2006 in Newburgh, N.Y.
In the postseason, Hochberg guided Stevens to the semifinals of both the Skyline Conference and ECAC Metro Tournaments. He has also helped the Ducks earn their first-ever victory in the ECAC Championship with a 63-26 win over John Jay College in the quarterfinals.
Then, in 2006-07, Stevens recorded a 21-7 mark, reached the semifinals of the Skyline Conference Tournament, and secured the No. 1 seed in the ECAC Metro Tournament for the second-straight season. Furthermore, four members of the team received all-conference honors from the Skyline Conference.
In 2007-08, Stevens moved into the Empire 8. Hochberg, who was named the coach of the year, led his team to an impressive 15-1 mark against conference opponents during the regular season en route to securing the top seed for the postseason tournament. Despite losing in the finals to Utica College, Stevens earned the No. 3 seed for the ECAC Tournament. The Ducks went on to defeat Lehman College, the College of Staten Island, and Montclair State University to win its first-ever ECAC title in women’s basketball.
Hochberg’s team finished the season at 24-6 overall, setting a new school record for wins in a season for the second year in a row. In addition, he helped produce two Empire 8 first-team all-stars and the player of the year in Dudek.
Overall, in his three seasons at Stevens, Hochberg has had nine players earn all-conference honors from either the Skyline Conference or Empire 8. In addition, he has helped develop four ECAC, four Met Basketball Writers Association, and three D3hoops.com regional all-stars. Dora Enright was also a two-time Academic all-district selection by the College Sports Information Directors of America and ESPN The Magazine.
Prior to Stevens, Hochberg served as an assistant coach for five years with the Pace University women’s basketball program. In addition to his coaching responsibilities with the Setters, he was the team’s recruiting coordinator and scout. Hochberg was also involved with a variety of administrative responsibilities at Pace as he placed a strong emphasis on player development both on and off the court. His efforts resulted in Pace being ranked No. 17 in the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Division II Academic Top-25 poll.
During Hochberg’s tenure at Pace, the Setters enjoyed great success as they reached the NCAA Division II Elite Eight in 2001. They also clinched a spot in the Northeast Regional three times in Hochberg’s five years there. Additionally, several individuals earned postseason honors during his time at Pace, which included a Kodak All-American in the 2001-02 season.
Furthermore, Hochberg coached four players that went on to play professional basketball overseas. Wanda Maynard-Morris played in England. Maria Brown and Ashley Wallace are currently playing in South Korea and Estonia, respectively. Liran Buchris is also playing in Israel.
Prior to going to Pace, Hochberg had a one-year stint as an assistant coach at Mohawk Valley Community College in Utica, N.Y. In that season, the Hawks recorded a 29-3 mark and won the Mountain Valley Conference with a 14-0 record in league play. The team then went on to the Elite Eight of the National Junior College Athletic Association Tournament and finished off the year ranked second in the country.
In that same year, Mohawk Valley tied the school record for wins in a season and broke the record for consecutive victories. The Hawks also garnered NJCAA Academic Team of the Year honors. Lastly, the team boasted several individuals who received postseason honors, which included a first-team All-American in Crystal DeRosa.
As a player, Hochberg began his collegiate career at Ulster County Community College in Stone Ridge, N.Y. where he was named team captain for the 1994-95 season. Upon graduation from UCCC, Hochberg played out his final two years at SUNY Institute of Technology, where he captained the Wildcats from 1995-97.
As a coach, Hochberg has obtained a great amount of experience as an instructor in several basketball camps around the nation, which include the Gary Williams Basketball Camp at the University of Maryland and the Philadelphia 76ers Basketball Camp. He has also served as the assistant director for both the Pace and Mohawk Valley summer camps.
Hochberg earned his A.S. degree in Individual Studies from Ulster in 1995 before receiving his B.S. in Business/Public Administration from SUNYIT in 1997.
