Women's Basketball

Wednesday April 18, 2007 started a new chapter in the history of Fairfield University women’s basketball when Joe Frager was named the program’s fifth head coach.  

Frager takes over the helm of the Stags after a nine-year stint as the head coach at Southern Connecticut State University.  He led the Owls to postseason play in each of those years, and to the NCAA Tournament in the last three, and four of the last five, seasons.  Frager’s squads posted wins in each of those NCAA Tournament appearances, with the most successful run coming in 2007.  The Owls won the Division II National Title that season, posting a school-record 34 wins in the process.

Frager brings plenty of experience with him as a head coach, with 20-years worth on his resume, and close to 400 victories.  He posted a 189-83 record in nine years at SCSU, and was 208-58 in 11 seasons as the head girl’s basketball coach at Seymour (CT) High School.  

Accolades have come Frager’s way during his head coaching tenure.  During the 2007 National Championship run he earned the Molton/Women’s D-II Bulletin National Coach of the Year award, as well as winning his third consecutive Northeast 10 Conference Coach of the Year award.  He was named the WBCA Region I Coach of the Year in 2005 and 2006, while at Southern.

Frager took over at SCSU in 1999, winning 18 games, and earning New England Collegiate Conference Co-Coach of the Year accolades.  Four years later Frager made his first NCAA Tournament appearance and first NCAA victory.  After a year’s hiatus from the NCAA Tournament, SCSU returned in 2005, again earning a postseason win, and earning Frager his first Northeast 10 Coach of the Year award.  SCSU finished that season ranked number 21 in the nation.
 
The 2006 squad set an SCSU record with 29 wins, and again picked up a victory in the NCAA Tournament.  Frager earned his second Northeast 10 Coach of the Year honor, and for the first time won both the regular season and tournament title, finishing the season ranked 14 in the nation.  

Defense wins championships, and Frager coached teams excel defensively.  His SCSU squads in 2004 and 2006 led the nation in scoring defense.  The 2007 National Championship team ranked fourth nationally, allowing foes to score only 49.7 points per game.

Frager began his coaching career at Seymour in 1987.  Over the 11 seasons at the helm of Seymour, Frager’s charges captured 208 wins.  Three of those victories gave them CIAC State Championships, winning the crown in 1993, 1997 and 1998.

A native of Shelton, Conn., Frager earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from the University of Connecticut in 1984.  In 1994 he earned a Master’s Degree in Social Sciences from SCSU.

Frager, and his wife Shirley, reside in Southbury, Conn., with their sons, Brendan (12), and Kevin (9).

Laura Scinto begins her first season as a member of the Fairfield University women’s basketball coaching staff.  In her role as assistant coach, Scinto will be responsible for the development of the Stags perimeter players, scheduling, assist with developing practice and game plans, as well as day-to-day operations of the program.

Scinto has been alongside head coach Joe Frager for 11 years, the last nine at Southern Connecticut State University.  During her time with the Owls, Scinto played an integral part in the 2007 National Title, as well as the team’s four NCAA Tournament appearances.

For the two years prior to making the move with Frager to SCSU, Scinto was his assistant at Seymour High School.  In that capacity she helped lead the Wildcat’s to back-to-back state titles and played a role in the 52 game winning streak. She also spent time coaching at Shelton High School along with other local AAU programs.

Scinto earned a B.S. in Business Administration from Bryant College, where she was a member of the women’s basketball team.  She led the squad to three NCAA Tournament appearances, while scoring over 1,000 points, and earning academic all-conference honors.  Scinto went on to earn A.S. and R.N. degrees from St. Vincent’s College of Nursing.

A native of Shelton, Conn., Scinto currently resides in Ansonia, Conn.

Aliya Cox begins her first season as an assistant coach with the Fairfield University women’s basketball coaching staff.  In her role with the Stags she is responsible for post player development and assisting in the program’s recruiting efforts, as well as playing a role in practice and game planning, and other duties in the daily operations of the program.

Cox comes to Fairfield after spending the last season at the University of Maine, serving as an assistant coach.  For the Bears she assisted in recruiting, film exchange and worked with the guards and post players on instructional drills.

Cox earned a Bachelor of Science in Health Education in 2000 from UMass-Lowell.  
She was a three-year starter for the RiverHawks, serving as a team captain as a senior.  As a senior Cox was honored as an All-Conference selection.  She was one of two non-professional players selected in the Winter of 2002 to play for a CWNBA exhibition team on a tour of China, where the squad played the Chinese National Team and League All-Star Team. The Summer of 2002 saw Cox playing for Guayama Brajas in Puerto Rico.  There she was a league All-Star, leading the team in points, assists and rebounds.

She began her coaching career at her alma mater, spending six seasons on the women’s basketball staff, the last two seasons as the top assistant.  During her tenure at UMass-Lowell, Cox was responsible for recruiting, as well as year round conditioning programs.  Other duties she assisted on were opponent scouting, scheduling, and every day operations of the program.

Cox currently resides in her hometown of Middletown, Conn.

Dennis Masi joined the Fairfield University women’s basketball coaching staff in May 2007.  Masi will work with the Stags post and perimeter players, handle the team’s community service efforts, play a role in recruiting, assist with practice and game planning, and play a role in the everyday operations of the program.

With over a decades worth of coaching experience, Masi will provide a veteran presence on the Stags bench. He spent the 2006-07 season at UMass-Lowell, where he was responsible for recruiting and travel.  He spent the prior season as a member of Joe Frager’s staff at Southern Connecticut State University.  In working with the Owls post players, Masi helped the squad to a final ranking of 14, going 29-4, and advancing to the Sweet Sixteen.

Masi also has head coaching experience on his resume, spending six seasons at the helm of the women’s basketball team at Southern New Hampshire University.  In that capacity he was responsible for coordinating and directing all aspects of the Penmen, a Division II member of the Northeast-10 Conference.

A team player, Masi showed illustrated that during his first collegiate coaching position, at the University of New Haven.  Hired to be an assistant coach with the men’s team, he coached both squads, when the women’s program had an immediate need for an additional assistant.  He coached for both teams, coordinating practices for both and game planning for both, as well as serving as the recruiting coordinator for the women’s program. He helped recruit five all-Conference women’s players, three of whom scored over 1,400 points, as well as a men’s conference Rookie of the Year.

Masi resides in his hometown of Milford.

Clare Faurote is in her second season as a member of the Fairfield University women’s basketball staff, serving as the Stags Director of Basketball Operations.  After a four-year playing career with the Stags, Faurote moved to the sideline for the 2006-07 season.  In her current role she will handle team travel, assist with the recruiting efforts, and handle day-to-day administrative efforts in the women’s basketball office.
Faurote was a team captain during her senior season with the Stags.  A consummate team player she earned the Mr. B. ‘Loyalty’ Award three times during her career.  Voted on by the coaches and players, the award is given annually to the player who exemplifies the definition of team player, honoring the player who has stayed true to her team, the program and herself.  
As a senior, Faurote enjoyed her most successful season, starting 24 of the 29 games in which she played. She averaged 4.0 points per game and ranked third on the team with 5.1 rebounds an outing. She also led the Stags with 33 blocked shots.
In her four seasons Faurote played in 73 games, with 29 starts to her credit. She scored 169 points and pulled in 196 rebounds.

A native of Cassville, Wisc., Faurote currently resides in Fairfield, Conn.