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USF's Tonelli going back to Wharton High

Tribune file photo by JASON BEHNKEN

Tommy Tonelli (left) is headed back to Wharton, where he coached for 10 years.

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By BRETT McMURPHY | The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 10, 2009

TAMPA - Ultimately for Tommy Tonelli, the opportunity to coach outweighed remaining at his alma mater.

Tonelli resigned after two years as the University of South Florida's director of basketball operations Monday to return as coach at Wharton, where he was 213-72 from 1997-2007.

"For my family and my professional career, as an educator and a coach, the opportunity to go to Wharton, I felt, was what I wanted and where I needed to be at this point," Tonelli said. "Wharton and USF are the only two places I ever worked professionally. Both are special. There's a lot of good relationships I'll miss at USF, but I'm excited being back at Wharton with a lot of good people and good friends."

Tonelli, who will be a guidance counselor at the school, replaces Dave Bastian.

"Tommy was terrific," USF coach Stan Heath said. "He's a guy that wants to coach, he wants to be on the floor and work with young people. I think that's something he missed. I didn't make that decision [when USF had two openings] to put him in the [assistant's] position. That may have played somewhat into his decision."

Tonelli is the third staff member off Heath's staff last season that will not return for the 2009-10 season. Assistant Dan Hipsher left for an assistant's position at Alabama and Heath fired Byron Samuels. Reggie Hanson is the only remaining member on Heath's original USF staff remaining at USF.

A three-year starter at USF for Lee Rose, Tonelli played for the Bulls from 1982-86. When he graduated from USF, he was the school's all-time leader in assists (179) and steals (138). He currently ranks fifth in assists and eighth in steals.

Tonelli was a USF assistant under Coach Bobby Paschal from 1986-96. During Tonelli's USF career, he either played or coached on USF's only two NCAA Tournament teams and four NIT teams.

Heath said Hipsher's son, Andy, "is certainly a very strong candidate" to replace Tonelli as USF's director of basketball operations, but no decision has been made.

Heath also said he has a verbal agreement to fill the final opening on the Bulls' schedule. Heath wouldn't name the opponent until he has a signed contract, but said it would be a USF home game.

USF needed another game after a recent scheduling snafu between USF and Florida Gulf Coast. Heath said there was a verbal agreement to play, but Florida Gulf Coast coach Dave Balza said the schools never signed a contract and FGCU had no intention of playing the game.

Reporter Brett McMurphy can be reached at (813) 259-7928

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