By Joseph Staszewski
Cory Semper has left his position as Bayside boys’ basketball coach after five seasons to become the coach at Construction, he told TimesLedger Newspapers.
Semper cited not having to travel to get to practice or games and wanting to coach where he teaches as the reason for his departure. He leaves after leading Bayside to its first PSAL Queens title in February. Semper has been a physical education teacher at Construction for the last six years and thinks he is in a better situation to make an impact there.
“The travel back and forth, I don’t have to do it anymore,” Semper said. “I can get in the gym earlier. The kids are in the building. It’s just easier.”
He takes over a Construction program coming off a 9-7 season in the Queens A East division under Coach Jason Salamanca, who is now the girls’ varsity coach. The Red Hawks are hoping to make the jump to the Queens AA division this year, according to Semper. He is looking forward to the challenge of leading another program.
“You just have to build and compete,” Semper said. “The program has always been good at Construction. They didn’t have a great year last year.”
He leaves behind a Commodores team that has distinguished itself as one of the city’s best in recent years. Bayside won 20-plus games two of the last five years and has been traditional borough powerhouse Cardozo’s biggest competitor for Queens supremacy. Bayside athletic director Joseph Capuana praised Semper for the way he handled himself as both a person and mentor to the kids of Bayside during his time at the school.
“We’ve always been a competitive basketball program, but he did take us to another level,” Capuana said. “I expect that to continue.”
Who will be given the task of moving the program forward has yet to be decided. Capuana is still in the process of interviewing candidates, which he will continue to do when he returns to school Aug. 26. He hopes to have a new coach by the first week in September.
“As soon as school begins, a coach is going to be named,” Capuana said
