Fallo Steps Down As Lakeland Boys Basketball Coach

After nine years, and a 100-90 record coaching boys basketball at Lakeland, Steve Fallo won’t be on the sidelines this winter.

“It was just time to step away,” Fallo said. “Obviously, I’m going to miss the players and coaches. Game day was always fun.”

Fallo’s highlight was when his squad went to the Section 1 Class A Final Four at the Westchester County Center in White Plains in 2023.

“That was special, especially with how we got there (beating John Jay-Cross River in the quarterfinals), tying the game at the buzzer (on a Chris Whyte-Luciano 3-pointer), and winning in overtime,” Fallo said. “Also, coaching with my sons (Will and Tim) and coach (Bill) Casey. We had a lot of fun.”

Before coaching the boys, Fallo coached the Lakeland girls squad for 26 years, which included a 369-147 record, Section 1 Class B titles in 1987-88 and 1988-89, a state Class A championship in 2006-07, and state Class A finalist in 2009-10.

Fallo will continue coaching the Lakeland girls volleyball team, where over 39 seasons he has amassed 389 wins and a Section 1 Class A title in 2022. He also coached LHS softball for 31 years through 2023, winning 327 games and Section 1 Class A titles in 2017 and 2021.

Fallo was a special education teacher at Lakeland for 41 years before retiring on Dec. 31, 2023.

He will be replaced as boys coach by Shawn Sullivan, who was an assistant coach for Lakeland’s girls squad for the last seven seasons. Originally, he was supposed to take over for Miranda Mangan, who stepped down to spend more time with her family, as girls head coach.

“It was time for a change,” Sullivan said. “I really enjoyed being part of the girls program, but I needed a new challenge.”

Sullivan previously coached the Walter Panas boys squad for 14 years, winning the Section 1 Class A title in 2014.

“I’m really excited and grateful to be back coaching boys basketball, I wasn’t sure if I would get this opportunity again in the Lakeland district,” Sullivan said. “I plan to pour all my energy into this team and make the most of it. We have a great group of players that have been working in the off-season and I can’t wait to see them improve throughout the regular season.”

Sullivan said that it was a difficult decision to leave the girls team because of all the fantastic players that are returning.

“They were a pleasure to work with and will continue to be successful under coach (Mike) Auerbach,” Sullivan said.

Auerbach, who is entering his 19th year coaching high-school basketball, spent the last seven years as the boys coach at Panas, which included reaching the Section 1 Class A Final Four at the County Center in 2018.

Previous to that, he had been the boys head coach at Valhalla and Irvington. He also spent four years at Briarcliff as Matt Evangelita’s assistant for boys hoops.

“It (the job) actually kind of fell into my lap,” Auerbach said. “I was slated to become the assistant coach for the girls and work with Shawn Sullivan, who has been a friend for a long time, but when Steve Fallo resigned from the boys side, Shawn moved over to coach them, and I bumped up to become the girls head coach. Originally, I was expecting to take over the girls program down the line, but I was very excited to do so immediately once the opportunity presented itself. I have taught physical education on the Lakeland side of the district for 11 years at Ben Franklin (Elementary School), so I think it makes sense to be coaching on that side as well.”

Auerbach said he is very excited to be working with the girls team at Lakeland.

“As mentioned, I have taught on this side of the district for over a decade, and see a lot of potential in the program in the immediate future,” Auerbach said. “Lakeland has a very strong tradition of girls athletics across a variety of sports. They’ve had recent success under Miranda Mangan, and we’ll continue to build on that. Nicole Verrino, who has been the JV coach, will be my assistant moving forward. She’s familiar with the program and the girls we have returning. She’s been very helpful through the transition.”

While excited about coaching the girls at Lakeland, Auerbach said it was definitely a hard decision to leave the boys at Panas.

“I played there, and coached there for seven years,” Auerbach said. “I also have a great relationship with my former assistant coach Ryan Dobson, who has taken over the program. I really liked the returners we had. They’re good kids who work hard and want to win. At the time, I knew it was likely I’d be able to hop on the girls side at Lakeland in some capacity. Given that I teach on that side of the district, my kids go to school at Ben Franklin, it was an opportunity I was excited for and felt like the right time to make a change.”