Source: Press Release

Providence, RI - TJ Sorrentine, a Pawtucket, Rhode Island native and the leader of the Vermont basketball team that upset Syracuse in the opening round of the 2005 NCAA Championship, has been named an assistant basketball coach at Brown in an announcement made by Bears' head coach Jesse Agel.

Sorrentine will be reunited with Agel, who guided him as an associate head coach at Vermont and recruited Sorrentine to the Catamounts' basketball program.

"I've known TJ as a great player, a tremendous competitor and a leader that players gravitate towards and hoped to emulate," said Agel. "Now Brown basketball will be able to utilize all of TJ's championship attributes to help us achieve the successes he has attained."

A 2005 graduate of Vermont with a B.A. in sociology, Sorrentine was a two-year captain, America East Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year, a three-time First Team All-conference player and an Honorable Mention All-American. He was also named to the America East Academic Honor Roll in 2002 and 2003.

"It's always been a dream of mine to coach, and having an opportunity to coach at Brown and in my home state is a dream come true," said Sorrentine. I've been coming to the Pizzitola Sports Center for the last 10 years, so it's a home away from home. Coach Agel and I have a great relationship and I've always respected him as a coach and person. This is a tremendous opportunity to learn from him as a coach."

The point guard led Vermont to two NCAA Tournament appearances, in 2004 and 2005, and hit the game winning three-point basket that crushed the Syracuse Orangemen in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at the DCU Center in Worcester.

Sorrentine played professionally from 2005-2008, playing with Kk Krka in Slovenia, FC Porto in Portugal, Branca Nouvo Trappani in Italy, and the Florida Flame of the NBA Developmental League. He also played in the NBA Summer League with the Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks.

He also has extensive camp experience, and was a special guest speaker at the New England Top 90 Invitational, while working as a clinician at the Eastern Invitational Basketball Camp, the University of Vermont Basketball Camp, the University of Pennsylvania Basketball Camp, and the University of Rhode Island Basketball Camp.

Sorrentine's roots run deep through Rhode Island where he was a standout at St. Raphael's Academy in Pawtucket, earning All-State honors, while playing for his father, Thomas. He was the Rhode Island Player of the Year (USA Today, Gatorade) in 2000 after leading St. Ray's to back-to-back state titles. He was also guided by Steve MacDonald, WHJJ Sportscaster, in his early years, playing CYO basketball.