Yeshiva University Athletics

Yeshiva University announced Elliot Steinmetz as its head men's basketball coach on April 28, 2014. Steinmetz, a 2002 graduate of YU's Sy Syms School of Business who lettered on YU's basketball team for three seasons from 1999-02, is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the men's basketball program while ensuring the academic success of its student-athletes. He has served with distinction as head coach of the varsity basketball team at North Shore Hebrew Academy High School and of the gold medal-winning United States 18 and Under Boys Basketball Team for the Maccabiah Games in Israel.

Steinmetz has led the men's basketball team to an appearance in the Skyline Conference Championships every year he has been at the helm (there was no Skyline Postseason in 2020-21 due to the coronavirus pandemic), including capturing the first Skyline Championship and NCAA Tournament bid in program history in 2017-18. He led the Maccabees to another Skyline Tournament crown in 2019-20. That year, the Macs made history by winning two NCAA Tournament games to secure their first ever berth in the Sweet 16, before the rest of the winter and spring seasons were canceled due to the pandemic. In 2021-22, he led the Maccabees to the program's third Skyline Conference Championship and automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. 

In his collegiate coaching career, Steinmetz was named Skyline Coach of the Year twice (2016-17 and 2019-20), and earned Atlantic Region Coach of the Year accolades from D3hoops.com and the National Association of Basketball Coaches in March of 2020. He was bestowed D3hoops.com NCAA Division III Coach of the Year accolades on March 24, 2020. Two days later, he was the recipient of the Glenn Robinson National Coach of the Year Award. Steinmetz was selected as the Division III Men's Basketball Coach of the Year by the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association three years in a row (2019-20, 2020-21, and 2021-22). On April 23, 2023, Steinmetz was honored by the Jewish Sports Heritage Association, Inc. as the inaugural Marty Riger Outstanding Jewish Coach of the Year. Under his leadership, the men's basketball team earned the NABC Team Academic Excellence Award five times (2017-18, 2018-19, 2020-21, 2021-22, and 2022-23).

Yeshiva won 50 consecutive games from November 10, 2019 until December 30, 2021. It stands as the second longest winning streak in NCAA Division III men's basketball history. The Maccabees were ranked No. 1 in the country for five weeks during the 2021-22 season, according to the D3hoops.com Men's Top 25 National Poll.

In Steinmetz's second year as head coach (2015-16), the Maccabees won 12 Skyline games. That same year, Yeshiva hosted and won its first home playoff game since the 2001-02 season.

In 2016-17, Steinmetz was voted the Skyline Conference Coach of the Year by all the coaches in the conference. He led the Maccabees to a 15-10 overall record and 11-5 in Skyline play. The Maccabees clinched a berth in the Skyline Conference Championships for a third straight year. 

In 2017-18, the Maccabees went 13-7 in the conference and captured the first Skyline Championship and NCAA Tournament bid in team history. The Yeshiva men's basketball team set a program record (at the time) for most wins in a season with 18. Steinmetz was voted the Hero Sports Division III Men's Basketball Coach of the Year.

In 2018-19, Yeshiva won 17 straight games on its way to a second straight appearance in the Skyline Championship game. The Maccabees also won a program-record (at the time) 19 games during the year.

The Maccabees finished the 2019-20 season ranked No. 8 in the country, according to the D3hoops.com Men's Top 25 National Poll. The Macs earned their first two NCAA Tournament victories in program history, on their way to the Sweet 16. Steinmetz led Yeshiva to an NCAA Division III-best record of 29-1, including 29 consecutive victories since the season opener. YU captured both the Skyline Regular Season and Postseason Championships. The Macs earned their first national ranking in school history, back on January 27, and climbed higher in the rankings in each of the last six weeks in which a new poll from D3hoops.com was released (from No. 24 to No. 22 to No. 21 to No. 15 to No. 13 to No. 8).

In the shortened 2020-21 season, Steinmetz led the Maccabees to a perfect 7-0 record. Yeshiva concluded the season by increasing its overall winning streak to 36 games (dating back to November of 2019) which is tied for the second-longest unbeaten stretch in Division III men's basketball history. YU also finished the year ranked No. 3 in the nation according to D3hoops.com. 

In 2021-22, Steinmetz guided the Maccabees to a 25-4 overall record, including a win over nationally ranked No. 5 University of Saint Joseph (Conn.), the first win against a nationally ranked opponent in program history, on February 17, 2022. Yeshiva won its third Skyline Conference Tournament Championship in the last four seasons in which a league champion was crowned. The men's basketball program was named the NCAA Statistical Champions in Field Goal Percentage (53.0) and Assists Per Game (20.9). Individually, Eitan Halpert won the NCAA Statistical Championship in Three-Point Field Goal Percentage (48.8), while Ryan Turell finished the year leading all three NCAA divisions in Points Per Game (27.1) which earned him the Travis Grant Award.

In 2022-23, Steinmetz guided a Maccabees team that had 10 rookies out of 16 players on the roster to a virtual tie for first place in the overall Skyline standings, a conference playoff win, and a berth in the semifinal round of the Skyline Championships. Rookie Zevi Samet scored 558 points in the 2022-23 academic year, the most in a season by a rookie in program history. The D3hoops.com All-Region third team honoree finished the year No. 1 in all of NCAA Division III in 3-point field goals per contest (3.96). 

In his collegiate coaching career, Steinmetz has coached and mentored a CoSIDA Academic All-America Team Member of the Year (Gabriel Leifer in 2020-21), an NABC Division III National Player of the Year (Turell), two D3hoops All-Americans, just as many NABC All-Americans, a pair of CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, eight All-Skyline first team honorees, two Skyline Player of the Year recipients, three Skyline Scholar-Athletes of the Year, four Skyline Rookie of the Year winners, a Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association Player of the Year, and three All-Met first team recipients.   

Steinmetz was hired after an international search that attracted more than 200 applicants, led by a 14-member advisory committee that included athletics and coaching personnel from high schools, universities, and professional sports teams. The search was chaired by Shabsi Schreier, captain of the Maccabees from 1983-85.

"As a Yeshiva University graduate and past captain of the basketball team, it has been a privilege to chair this esteemed and dedicated committee," said Schreier. "We have worked hard to find the best coach to ensure that Yeshiva University basketball's rich history of values and excellence both on and off the court is continued. I am confident that Coach Steinmetz will build upon Coach Johnny Halpert's extraordinary legacy and take our team to the next level."

"The level of due diligence performed on each applicant, the integrity, professionalism, and sharing of opinions by a very diverse group of committee members would rival searches that I have witnessed at professional sports teams," said Joel Mael, chairperson of the Miami Marlins and a 1979 graduate of YU who participated in the search committee.

Steinmetz said, "I am both honored and excited to have the opportunity to once again be a part of Yeshiva University basketball.  Studying and playing at Yeshiva was one of the most memorable and educational experiences of my life.  I am humbled by the history at Yeshiva and thrilled to be a part of the future as we move forward with the basketball program."

Most recently, Steinmetz has served as head coach of the varsity basketball team at North Shore Hebrew Academy High School in Long Island, New York. Over the past three years he guided the North Shore Stars to a 66-14 overall record and led the team to its first ever Metropolitan Yeshiva High School Athletic League Championship appearance in 2013. In 2014, he led the team back to the championship game. Before that, Steinmetz coached the varsity basketball team at Hebrew Academy of Nassau County from 2005 to 2010 where he guided the Hurricanes to a 104-44 overall record.

Internationally, Steinmetz's experience includes coaching the United States 18 and Under Boys Basketball Team for the Maccabiah Games in Israel, where he helped lead the team to the gold medal in 2013. He also coached the United States 18 and Under Boys Team for the Maccabi Australia International Games to the gold medal in 2010 and 2011.

Steinmetz is the former owner of JV Elite, Inc. where he managed an intense summer basketball training program for top Jewish high school basketball players nationwide until its sale in 2008.

"It's wonderful to bring on board a coach who has firsthand experience with YU basketball," said YU Director of Athletics Joe Bednarsh. "Elliot has a history of winning at every level he has coached including international play. He has coached high-level players, including the Ivy League Freshman of the Year. I'm excited for what Elliot will do as we continue to move the program into the future."