Roslyn’s Hoffner, Bayport-Blue Point’s Selvaggio Earn Long Island Tennis Magazine Coach of the Year Honors
Long Island Tennis Magazine is proud to announce its Coach of the Years for the Long Island high school girls season:
Nassau County Coach of the Year: Brian Hoffner, Roslyn
Suffolk County Coach of the Year: John Selvaggio, Bayport-Blue Point
Hoffner led his Roslyn Bulldogs to a 12-5 record in 2024 which earned the third seed in the county tournament. Roslyn would reach the semifinals in the county tournament. At the Individual Championships, Chloe Gross & Alexandra Krol finished as runners-up in the doubles event and ultimately advanced to the New York State Championships.
Hoffner and his team also continued its great work in its community, which this year included a Tennis with the Teachers fundraiser doubles tournament.
“His outstanding commitment to the girls tennis program, which has translated to yearly success on the court as his team is always in the mix for a county title,” Nassau County Girls’ Tennis Coordinator Shai Fisher said of what makes Hoffner invaluable to tennis in the county. “Additionally, his contributions to Nassau County girls’ tennis off the court, as well as getting his team involved in various community service opportunities, makes Brian a great leader in our community.”
Hoffner said:
“I embrace being the coach of Roslyn, and being able to work with these girls and watch them grow is something I don’t take for granted. It’s a privilege to be able to be a leader here at Roslyn, and I look forward to many more years coaching the girls tennis team here.”
John Selvaggio led the Phantoms of Bayport-Blue Point to its best season in program history. For the fourth time in a row, Bayport-Blue Point won the Suffolk County small school girls tennis title, and took it one step further this year, winning the Long Island small school title to move into the New York State Team Championships, where it finished as runners-up.
In addition, Emilia & Evie Romano captured the Suffolk County doubles title in the Individual Championships.
“This past season was an incredible season for all those involved. What made it extra special was the former coach, Keith Sharf, who helped build this entire thing, was there every step of the way,” said Selvaggio. “He stuck around as a volunteer assistant and his presence was a big part of this team’s success. From a tennis stand point, the most memorable moment was in the LIC when we were on the brink of elimination. Lily Castka had a very tough second set and the weight of the match was on her shoulders. She came out in the third set with a fire in her belly and ran away with it. The most memorable for the team and probably the best part of the season was the bonding we did throughout. Specifically, Family Game Night in the hotel prior to states when the seniors destroyed everyone in Family Feud.”
