Al Biancalana, the former Interim Head Coach and top Assistant Coach at Bradley University, enters his fourth season on Head Coach Howard Moore[apos]s staff at UIC, and his third campaign as the Associate Head Coach. Biancalana is no stranger to the bench, having spent more than 20 years as a coach throughout Illinois and California, including 17 years as a high school head coach. As a high school mentor, Biancalana[apos]s overall record was an impressive 313-171 (.647 winning percentage), including a 33-16 record in the state tournament. Before joining Moore[apos]s staff, Biancalana served as the Head Basketball Coach at York High School in suburban Elmhurst, Ill. In five seasons at the helm, his teams posted a record of 90-51 and a winning percentage of .638, which ranks as the second highest in school history. He guided the Dukes to four-straight Illinois High School Athletic Association (IHSA) regional championship appearances, and in 2005-06, Biancalana led the school to its first West Suburban Conference Championship in 38 seasons. Prior to his stint at York, where he also served as the school[apos]s College and Career Advisor, Biancalana worked for six seasons as the first assistant and Interim Head Coach at Bradley University from 1999-2005. It was there that he formed a relationship with Howard Moore who was on the staff from 1999-2003. Biancalana served as the program[apos]s main recruiter and was responsible for bringing in the majority of the roster from the Braves[apos] 2006 [quote]Sweet 16[quote] run. The last two players from the Missouri Valley Conference to be drafted in the NBA, Danny Granger (Indiana Pacers) and Patrick O[apos]Bryant (Golden State Warriors), were recruited by Biancalana. In the six years with Biancalana on BU[apos]s staff, 27-of-30 seniors graduated. Biancalana has also served as a head coach at Stagg High School (1995-99) in Palos Hills, Ill., Downers Grove North High School (1993-95), Clovis High School (1989-93) in Clovis, Calif., and Washington Union High School (1987-89) in Fresno, Calif. In 1988, while at Washington Union, Biancalana was named California Coach of the Year and led his squad to a Division IV State Championship. Over a two-year stretch, Washington Union won 36-consecutive games with Biancalana at the helm. Biancalana received his bachelor[apos]s degree in education from Elmhurst College in 1982 and a master[apos]s degree in educational administration from National University in Fresno in 1993. Biancalana and his wife, Laura, have three children: A.J., Jack and Audrey.
