Former UMBC assistant men's basketball coach John Zito has been named the new boys coach at John Carroll.
Zito takes over for coach Tony Martin, who stepped down after 11 seasons to take a coaching position and be closer to extended family in Wilmington, N.C.
After playing at UMBC, Zito spent the past seven seasons at his alma mater as an assistant. He takes over a John Carroll team that went 27-11 last season and won the Baltimore Catholic League championship.
"I'm honored to be named the next head coach at John Carroll and I obviously have some big shoes to fill following coach Tony Martin," he said.
"My goal is to work hard with the guys to make sure they are great young men first and that will be of utmost importance. In terms of basketball, we're going to be a tough, hard-nosed team that wants to get up and down the floor."
Martin went 266-130 in his 11 seasons at John Carroll with his best season coming in 2010-11 when the Patriots went 33-5 and swept the BCL and Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference crowns.