Vincent Giambanco Reviews

If you run Cross country you hate him because you have to deal with his awful coaching, but if you run Track you still hate him but slightly less because you’ll never see him. He also talks like he’s AI generated.

Coach was the only Coach that came to my home and spent time with my family. I chose Hofstra because of him. At first I struggled with my academics but with increased structure and a strict academic regiment I was able to bring my GPA to 3.7. I ran fast and finished very high at the conference championship. Coach would have us over to his home, he took us to Maine for training camp where we spent a week bonding with our fellow teammate and staff. Coach and his wife Page would have us over to his home where the team would hav eat together. I ended up transferring to another school due to financial reasons but had my besrunning and running at Hofstra with Coach. He was very supportive when I spoke to him about transferring and encouraged me to do what I felt was best for me. When I saw Coach at competition now at the other school he came over and gave me a hug and asked me how I was doing. I would reccomend Coavh and the staff at Hofstra to anyone very one.

From the day that coach Giambanco got to Hofstra, the program began improving. Prior to his arrival the team had exactly 1 male runner make all CAA - since then Hofstra has produced multiple medalists, including CAA champions and NE Regional champions. This is not a coincidence. Coach Giambanco cares immensely about this program, and it reflects in the amount of time and effort he puts in. During my time he would arrive at 4:30am, and not leave until 6pm most days. From a personal standpoint he helped me improve as a runner, and as a leader. He definitely has a way of doing things - a way which might differ from one's high school experience - however I did not find him dogmatic. There were times when I approached him with ideas, and we worked to find common ground. Moreover, when I did get injured, he was understanding and patient. I never felt rushed to come back from an injury. I found him to be deeply knowledgeable, passionate, and caring as a coach. If you are a runner complaining about weekly mileage, then you should find another sport. And, for those who do not understand the impact that coach Giambanco has had on the program, I implore you to look back at the results prior to his arrival. Hofstra was the worst team in the entire NCAA, bar none. He almost single handily brought the program from the absolute basement of the NCAA to a level of respectability.

From my personal experience, I didn’t enjoy him as my coach when I ran here. He only focused on the top runners which are usually from the cross country team. If you aren’t a top performer you won’t get that much attention even if you show you want to grow as an athlete. He never put actual time into a training plans. A lot of training was copied and pasted from one another’s and from previous weeks. Lack of originality. There was no considerations that we were also students. Up unnecessarily early to train and by mid day I’m falling asleep in classes. I’ve seen multiple athletes get hurt because they are overworked. No one needs to run 100 mile weeks to race a 10k. The fact he struggles to hold onto a full team and keep everyone healthy shows part of why he isn’t fit to be a D1 coach.He’s gone through multiple assistants in my time there because he can’t work well with others. If you don’t agree with him it’s a problem even when he’s wrong which is 95% of the time. He never put time into the track team. He made the assistant coach create our workouts and manage the team. It was known as the “developmental group”. The cross country and track team was kept separate when it came to training and the teams were small already so why not make them smaller right? I was genuinely surprised by all the good reviews but as I read them they are just people he chose to reach out to, to write a good one. I think he’s a good person which I gave him a bonus star on caring but in my 4 years at Hofstra I’ve yet to hear a positive experience between him and an athlete. The team on the other hand is how you make of it. I enjoyed my team and they made it bearable. We didn’t like coach so it’s common thing we bonded over even tho there was a separation between the mens and girls team. Mainly became a maturity thing.

Violates NCAA rules, abuse of power, narcissistic, extremely closed minded, lacks common knowledge of the sport and poor training choices, unfair to most athletes and favors others, the team would be better off training ourselfs or with a new coach who knows what he's doing, he also uses athletes past success to show off the school when he never coached them before when they were fast, none of his athletes get faster instead they get injured!, do not train with this coach, you would be better off training your self with YouTube videos :/

Coach Giambanco, can not deal with the truth. He has read all of the bad reviews and instead of listening to them and trying to change, he has been calling up every person, athlete, and contact in his phone to get them to write a good review about him. He is dismissive and can never admit his faults especially when the change is in his best interest. He bosses his assistant coaches around and treats them like puppets, which is why there has not been a single one who stays for more than 2 years. His now assistant coach has her hand so far up her butt that she can not treat her athletes like humans.

As a parent of 4 college student/athletes and a 40 year career in public education and law enforcement ; I fully endorse Coach Vincent Giambanco. When my daughter had narrowed her search to a small North East D1 college and one that embraced academic prowess and a competitive cross country program ; Hofstra University was a must visit. After contacting the school and a recruiting visit at my home by Coach Vince and staff, it was clear that this man embodied all the qualities necessary to promote a University , a competitive and challenging classroom and campus life for my daughter, while putting our entire family at ease with the knowledge he would watch over her as if she were his daughter. Once at Hofstra my daughters' transition was smooth and in the classroom the student /teacher ratio was low and challenging and Coach Vince was always available to help with even the smallest things on and off the field. I can conclude by saying that Coach Vince is a sincere and honest person. He challenged my daughter on the field to be the best she could be and taught her leadership by example. My daughter was a five year runner and captain for team Hofstra and was a High Honored student for all semesters through graduation. BEST OF LUCK COACH AND THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO.

I have known Coach Vince for nearly 20 years. We competed against each other in college (at academically strong ACC schools) and remain close to this day. He's always shown himself to be deeply knowledgeable and passionate about XC/track. As a current HS coach, I often seek his advice about training and motivating young runners. I have PRs of 4:02 mile and 3:44 1500. I made footlocker xc nationals twice in high school. I know this sport well - I know what a good coach looks like. And Vince is a good coach. I would let him coach my athletes - and I would let him coach my child -- which is the strongest possible endorsement of a coach. In addition, his coaching philosophy allows athletes to excel academically - his teams have one of the top GPAs in their conference. In short, he's passionate about the sport and his athletes. To vince, his athletes a more than a stat sheet or roster spot. They're people whom he cares about deeply.

As a former athlete under Coach Vince Giambanco's guidance, I am compelled to share my disappointing experience. Despite his purported credentials in mental health, my time under his coaching was marked by a glaring lack of concern for individual needs, mental health, and academic welfare. One would expect a coach with a degree in mental health to prioritize the holistic well-being of their athletes. However, Coach Giambanco's actions spoke louder than his qualifications. I witnessed a blatant disregard for the mental health struggles of team members. Instead of offering support or resources, Coach Giambanco consistently brushed aside concerns, prioritizing performance over the well-being of his athletes. His indifference extended to academic obligations. Despite knowing the rigorous demands student-athletes face, Coach Giambanco showed little regard for our academic responsibilities. Practices often ran long. When approached about balancing academics with athletics, he offered little more than dismissive remarks, further exacerbating the stress on his athletes. Perhaps most egregious was Coach Giambanco's lack of interest in individual needs. Athletes were treated as mere cogs in a machine, expected to conform to their rigid training regimen without consideration for personal strengths or limitations. Instead of fostering growth and development, his coaching style stifled individuality, leaving many feeling unsupported and undervalued.

Being one of Coach Vince's athletes he is an exemplary leader who wholeheartedly believes in the value of hard work and positivity. He impresses the importance of hard work in his athletes through his dedication and commitment to their development. Athletes can undergo challenges and that's normal as a sportsperson, despite's those challenges I was able to run my best time 13:39 for 5K under Coach Vince and his assistant coach Steph, and as a team, we are expecting more in the coming season to proof wrong those who are against the program.

As a former supervisor to Vince, I can tell you first hand that you will not find a better advocate for their program and student athletes. Vince took over the program and gradually built up his and his program's credibility. As a leader, he checks every box you could ask for. This allowed Vince and the University to expand the program by adding indoor and outdoor track. Vince is not shy about advocating for his program and he always did so but putting the program first, before himself. When presented with challenges and obstacles Vince knows how to figure out solutions.

Many years ago Vince was recruiting my son. My son was a high performer and being recruited by many coaches. The challenge was that he had special needs so with his great talent came a young man that would also require a lot of assistance. With many college coaches reaching out to us we felt like they were all trying to butter us up/ sell us something. Vince was different. Instead of selling, Vince took time to get to know our family, to open himself up and allow us to get to know him. We all created a meaningful relationship. We eventually realized that college would not be the path for our son. But the relationship would last, to this day Vince still takes the time to call my son, to meet up with him, to let him know that he is his friend.

Coach Giambanco is more than just a great coach, he is a caring, passionate person of high moral standard. He has a true passion for the sport and knows how to help his athletes perform at the highest level. The attention to detail he puts into programming is exceptional. He connects with his athletes and cares deeply about the culture of the program. If you want to be your best and work with the best, look no further.

As both a former teammate and athlete under Coach Giambanco's guidance, his expertise and passion for running is second to none. During his time as an assistant coach and under his training, I set personal records in both the 3k, 8k, and 10k. Coach Giambanco is able to connect with anybody on both a personal and professional level. Because of this, his honesty and feedback on your training or racing comes off as genuine every time and you know it's coming from a place of care. Coach Giambanco's success with the Hofstra cross country program was one of the leading factors in developing and maintaining an official men's and women's indoor and outdoor track and field team. Before Caoch Giambanco, Hofstra's cross country team was regularly an afterthought in the CAA, on both an individual and team level. Under his watch, he has seen unprecedented success at the conference, regional, and national level for both cross country and track and field. Any cross country or track and field athlete would be lucky to be on his team!

Coach Vince is an extremely knowledgeable Coach who continuously strives to maximize the experience of the student athlete. His experience and dedication to the program is evident in his daily efforts. His successes as a Coach has been seen throughout his career as multiple of his athletes have graduated and continued their own success.

As an alumni of Coach Vince Giambanco's program, I must express my disappointment and concern regarding his coaching methods and approach. Coach Giambanco's rigid and self-conscious demeanor does not align with the needs and well-being of his athletes. It is disheartening to witness his preference for Kenyan athletes, which creates an environment of favoritism and exclusion. During my time under Coach Giambanco's leadership, I observed firsthand the negative impact of his strict and narrow-minded approach. The departure of one of the Kenyan athletes speaks volumes about the toxicity within the team dynamics under his supervision. Furthermore, the reported struggles of the new Kenyan athlete highlight a pattern of overlooking individual talents and potential in favor of nationality. As an alum who cares deeply about the program and its athletes, it is troubling to hear that current student-athletes are experiencing similar negative interactions with Coach Giambanco. More than half of them describing negative experiences is a clear indication that his coaching style is not conducive to a positive and nurturing environment for growth and success. Coach Vince Giambanco's coaching methods and biases are detrimental to the well-being and success of his athletes. It is imperative that steps are taken to address these issues and create a more inclusive and supportive environment within the program.

The team and its dynamic has been steadily improving over the last few years and continues to do so. There are definitely bumps in the road, but it continues to get better with time. This is a mix between the hard work of the coach Vince, and the work of the athletes. No one is perfect, but when coach Vince believes he can do something better, he tries, and when he thinks he did something wrong, he does his best to adjust. The best you can ask for in a coach is one that is always learning and one that wants to do better for his team and make it better always. His efforts and the growing momentum the team is gaining is a foundation for excellence, and great things to come.

Coach Giambanco fostered one of the best running cultures that an athlete could have asked for. During our time together Coach Giambanco built relationships with all of his athletes and ensured that our team was a tight knit group who had each other’s backs. All athletes felt comfortable and confident in themselves pushing themselves to be the best person they could be. Some of most cherished memories are with the team lounging around after practice and telling stories or the van rides to meets that were filled with laughter. Truthfully, I lacked confidence in myself and who I was as a person until Coach Giambanco gave me the confidence to become the person I am today. By creating this environment it allowed the team to compete at a high level as everyone pushed one another to be the best they could be. His knowledge of the sport was unparalleled and he knew exactly what I or my teammates needed to succeed. Thanks to my individualized training program that he created, I was able to set numerous personal records and win many individual awards. Coach knew all the perfect places to run and train along the north shore of Long Island, Central Park and Rockefeller State Park. I appreciate his sacrifices to bring us to these places as they were unparalleled to anywhere I had run before. I wouldn’t want to run for any other coach. I cannot speak highly enough about Coach Giambanco, but don’t take my word for it. Just look at his resume and how much all of his athletes and program have improved in the short time Coach Giambanco was there. Thank you for everything Coach!!!!

Vincent Giambanco is the most atrocious coach that I have ever had. From all my years being here I can say confidently that he lacks organization. He lacks leadership and basic manners. He makes his athletes self conscious about their weight .He only gets his athletes hurt. He lacks understanding and compassion and treats all of his athletes like robots. He constantly hates on the fact that his athletes have lives outside of the team. He makes practice purely on sacrificing when the only time he has sacrificed is by wasting the entirety of the funding on a kenyan, banking on him, who can not win anything. Practices are abnormally 5 hours long when it could be done in 2.5. He has his athletes wake up before dawn to practice which makes our first meal at 1pm. He also doesn't follow ncaa 40 hour a week practice rules and can't accommodate for anyone EVER unless it's in his own best interest. He also does not let his athletes race he makes them DNF every time which makes other people question his coaching style which to some degree is valid cause his coaching style is horrific. I've honestly never seen anything like it. Never come here.

Me and my fellow midshipman had the pleasure and honor of working with Vince. To those that are trying to hinder his program and recruiting on here, I have some advice for you. Look. In. The. Mirror. Yeah Vince helped us to run faster but he encouraged us to believe that if you have a goal, and are intentional about your attitude and actions you can achieve that goal......just don't expect it to be an easy path. Vince embodied this and infused this mentality in all of us. His life was his fiancé (now wife) Page and Running, he was extremely passionate about both. In our distance graduating class 3 of us went on to become Navy Pilots and 2 of us Navy Seals. Nothing but respect for Vince. Acta Non Verba.

Coach Giambanco is a motivating coach who goes above and beyond to ensure his team's success both on and off the course. He is incredibly understanding and encourages team bonding activities and serving the community through volunteering and promoting a special needs track club called Shooting Stars which I created while on the team. Coach has a good heart.

Vince is a special coach, he along with incredible teammates helped me become confident not only as a runner but as a person. I was very shy and reclusive but through running and being part of a supportive team I became comfortable in my own skin which has had lasting effects. I went from a walk-on who ran over 21 minutes for 5K to one of the captains and running under 18:20 for 5k. Some of my favorite memories were going with my team to preseason training camps at Acadia National Park in Maine, memories I will never forget (Vince loved to make us wake up early). Vince and my teammates made me feel like family and I am forever grateful for that. Running for this team was an adventure. We were a cross country only team at the time but he always said that some day we would convince the university to add track. I was no longer on the team when this finally happened but my teammates and I who had graduated felt a great satisfaction that we were able to contribute towards this mission.

Embraced coaching me from the start. Shared his own personal equipment with me to try and help me accomplish my goals (altitude tent, gear, training partners, etc). One of the nicest people I have ever been involved with in the sport. Took his own personal time to go above and beyond to get myself and others to races and workouts. Would recommend him to coach anyone who was interested in being a better runner.

Coach Giambanco is a passionate, caring and committed coach. His coaching style fosters a great team environment, and at same time his training is very individualized to each athlete. Coach Giambanco cares about his athletes as both athletes and people. His success is evidenced by the drastic improvement of his team members from high school into their careers in the NCAA. Since taking over as coach, Coach Giambanco has made great strides in helping the program to grow and become successful, and with time the success will continue to grow.

I had the opportunity to have Vince coach me post collegiately through the Citius Running Team and I appreciate his dedication and commitment. Vince went above and beyond to plan training and workouts that were tailored to my individual needs, while always being responsive to my feedback. Together we learned and grew as a team. The foundation that Vince helped to lay enabled me to run a 2:34 marathon later in my career, but more importantly Vince taught me embrace the love for the process.