WATERVILLE — Sean Rutigliano is leaving the Colby College men’s basketball program after one season as the school’s head coach.
Rutigliano will be an assistant at Kansas State under Casey Alexander, the outgoing Belmont University coach. Rutigliano was an assistant at Belmont before accepting the Colby job last July.
A native of Suffern, New York, Rutigliano led Colby to a 16-9 record. The Mules went 4-6 in New England Small College Athletic Conference play, tying for seventh place, and lost 99-84 to Tufts in the NESCAC quarterfinals.
Rutigliano was just the third coach in 55 seasons at Colby, following Dick Whitmore (1970-2011) and Damien Strahorn (2011-25). Strahorn, who went 179-150 at Colby, was dismissed last May as Colby sought what athletic director Amanda DeMartino called “new direction.”
Rutigliano assembled a strong 2026 recruiting class that included Mr. Maine Basketball winner Nolan Ames of Camden Hills. Ames confirmed Rutigliano’s departure and said in a text message that he remained committed to Colby “as of now.”
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