Rutigliano Named General Manager
Apr 09, 2026 | Men's Basketball
The former head coach spent 10 seasons with Alexander at Lipscomb and Belmont.
Pronounced roo-till-ee-AH-know
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Head coach Casey Alexander continued the build out of his coaching staff on Thursday morning (April 8) with the selection of Sean Rutigliano (roo-till-ee-AH-know) as General Manager.
Rutigliano is the first person to hold the title of General Manager. He joins assistant coaches JJ Butler, Kerron (kuh-RON) Johnson and Luke Smith, all of whom were announced on March 30.
In this new role, Rutigliano will manage the construction of the men's basketball roster in consultation with Alexander and the rest of the coaching staff while developing strategies to retain current student-athletes and attract prospective student-athletes.
"I've worked with Sean for 10 years and there's no responsibility I wouldn't trust him with," said Alexander. "He's the ultimate go-getter and will work tirelessly for K-State as our General Manager."
The Suffern, N.Y., native spent 10 seasons with Alexander on staff at Lipscomb (2015-19) and Belmont (2019-25), where he was part of 224 wins, five conference championships (three regular-season and two tournament titles) and four postseason bids (two NCAA Tournaments and two Postseason NITs). He was part of nine consecutive 20-win seasons between the two schools.
Rutigliano spent the past season (2025-26) as the head coach at Division III Colby College in Waterville, Maine, where he led the Mules to a 16-9 overall record, including a 4-6 mark in the highly-competitive New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC), which is referred to as the Little Ivy League. It was the highest win total for the program since winning 20 games in 2022-23, as Colby ended the year with a loss to No. 11 Tufts in the NESCAC Quarterfinals.
Rutigliano was just the third head coach for the Mules since 1970.
Rutigliano coached sophomore Dan Civello to All-NESCAC Second Team honors in 2025-26, as Civello ranked third in the league in scoring at 18.3 points per game, while he was fifth in field goal percentage (52.7) and fourth in 3-point field goal percentage (39.8). He assembled a strong 2026 recruiting class that included Mr. Maine Basketball winner Nolan Ames.
"I'm incredibly excited to join the Kansas State basketball staff and to reunite with Casey Alexander, someone I have so much respect for as both a coach and a person," said Rutigliano. "I feel very fortunate for the opportunity to be part of a winning tradition and to compete in the Big 12. It's an honor to join a program with such high standards, and I'm eager to get to work."
Rutigliano was part of 140 wins during his 6-year stint at Belmont (2019-25), which included a 21-game winning streak, two Ohio Valley Conference regular-season title and an OVC Tournament Championship and the subsequent automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament in 2020. He was elevated to associate head coach at Belmont prior to the 2023-24 season.
During his time at Belmont, Rutigliano helped in the development of 15 all-conference selections, including 10 First Team recipients, seven all-newcomer picks, three all-freshmen nominees and a conference Newcomer of the Year in Cade Tyson in 2023. He also coached three-time First Team All-OVC selections Grayson Murphy (2020, 2021, 2022) and Nick Muszynski (2020, 2021, 2022) and two-time First Team pick Ben Sheppard (2022, 2023).
Rutigliano helped Lipscomb win 85 games from 2015-19, including a pair of Atlantic Sun Conference championships. In his final season, he helped guide the Bison to a historic 29-win season, which included a run to the NIT finals.
Rutigliano coached six all-conference selections at Lipscomb highlighted by three-time First Team pick and 2019 ASUN Player of the Year Garrison Mathews as well as three all-freshman nominees.
Four of Rutigliano's former players have attracted NBA attention, including NBA veterans Sheppard and Mathews, both of whom play for the Indiana Pacers, as well as Will Richard (Golden State Warriors) and Jonathan Pierre (Washington Wizards).
Rutigliano first joined forces with Alexander at Lipscomb in 2015 after four seasons (2011-15) as an assistant coach for head coach Zach Spiker at Army West Point, where he was part of the school's first winning season (16-15) in 28 years in 2012-13. In all, he was part of 58 wins with double-digit win totals all four seasons, including 29 in Patriot League play. He coached nine all-conference selections, including two-time First Team All-Patriot League pick Ella Ellis (2012, 2013).
Prior to Army West Point, Rutigliano gained experience at the Division II and III levels as an assistant coach, first at Division III Kean University in Union, N.J., then at Division II at Alabama-Huntsville and Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Ark.
Rutigliano was a two-sport standout in basketball and tennis at SUNY Rockland Community College in Suffern, N.Y., where he earned an associate's degree in 2005. He also earned the SUNY Chancellor's award for student excellence as well as national academic recognition from the National Junior College Athletic Association.
Rutigliano graduated magna cum laude from Cortland State in Cortland, N.Y. with a bachelor's degree in physical education in 2007. He earned a master's degree from Ball State in 2010.
Rutigliano and his wife Bridget are the parents of a son, Kaleb.
Alexander, who was formally introduced as the 27th head men's basketball coach at K-State on March 16, will have further announcements on his coaching staff in the coming weeks.
How to follow the 'Cats: For complete information on K-State men's basketball, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X, Instagram and Facebook.
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Head coach Casey Alexander continued the build out of his coaching staff on Thursday morning (April 8) with the selection of Sean Rutigliano (roo-till-ee-AH-know) as General Manager.
Rutigliano is the first person to hold the title of General Manager. He joins assistant coaches JJ Butler, Kerron (kuh-RON) Johnson and Luke Smith, all of whom were announced on March 30.
In this new role, Rutigliano will manage the construction of the men's basketball roster in consultation with Alexander and the rest of the coaching staff while developing strategies to retain current student-athletes and attract prospective student-athletes.
"I've worked with Sean for 10 years and there's no responsibility I wouldn't trust him with," said Alexander. "He's the ultimate go-getter and will work tirelessly for K-State as our General Manager."
The Suffern, N.Y., native spent 10 seasons with Alexander on staff at Lipscomb (2015-19) and Belmont (2019-25), where he was part of 224 wins, five conference championships (three regular-season and two tournament titles) and four postseason bids (two NCAA Tournaments and two Postseason NITs). He was part of nine consecutive 20-win seasons between the two schools.
Rutigliano spent the past season (2025-26) as the head coach at Division III Colby College in Waterville, Maine, where he led the Mules to a 16-9 overall record, including a 4-6 mark in the highly-competitive New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC), which is referred to as the Little Ivy League. It was the highest win total for the program since winning 20 games in 2022-23, as Colby ended the year with a loss to No. 11 Tufts in the NESCAC Quarterfinals.
Rutigliano was just the third head coach for the Mules since 1970.
Rutigliano coached sophomore Dan Civello to All-NESCAC Second Team honors in 2025-26, as Civello ranked third in the league in scoring at 18.3 points per game, while he was fifth in field goal percentage (52.7) and fourth in 3-point field goal percentage (39.8). He assembled a strong 2026 recruiting class that included Mr. Maine Basketball winner Nolan Ames.
"I'm incredibly excited to join the Kansas State basketball staff and to reunite with Casey Alexander, someone I have so much respect for as both a coach and a person," said Rutigliano. "I feel very fortunate for the opportunity to be part of a winning tradition and to compete in the Big 12. It's an honor to join a program with such high standards, and I'm eager to get to work."
Rutigliano was part of 140 wins during his 6-year stint at Belmont (2019-25), which included a 21-game winning streak, two Ohio Valley Conference regular-season title and an OVC Tournament Championship and the subsequent automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament in 2020. He was elevated to associate head coach at Belmont prior to the 2023-24 season.
During his time at Belmont, Rutigliano helped in the development of 15 all-conference selections, including 10 First Team recipients, seven all-newcomer picks, three all-freshmen nominees and a conference Newcomer of the Year in Cade Tyson in 2023. He also coached three-time First Team All-OVC selections Grayson Murphy (2020, 2021, 2022) and Nick Muszynski (2020, 2021, 2022) and two-time First Team pick Ben Sheppard (2022, 2023).
Rutigliano helped Lipscomb win 85 games from 2015-19, including a pair of Atlantic Sun Conference championships. In his final season, he helped guide the Bison to a historic 29-win season, which included a run to the NIT finals.
Rutigliano coached six all-conference selections at Lipscomb highlighted by three-time First Team pick and 2019 ASUN Player of the Year Garrison Mathews as well as three all-freshman nominees.
Four of Rutigliano's former players have attracted NBA attention, including NBA veterans Sheppard and Mathews, both of whom play for the Indiana Pacers, as well as Will Richard (Golden State Warriors) and Jonathan Pierre (Washington Wizards).
Rutigliano first joined forces with Alexander at Lipscomb in 2015 after four seasons (2011-15) as an assistant coach for head coach Zach Spiker at Army West Point, where he was part of the school's first winning season (16-15) in 28 years in 2012-13. In all, he was part of 58 wins with double-digit win totals all four seasons, including 29 in Patriot League play. He coached nine all-conference selections, including two-time First Team All-Patriot League pick Ella Ellis (2012, 2013).
Prior to Army West Point, Rutigliano gained experience at the Division II and III levels as an assistant coach, first at Division III Kean University in Union, N.J., then at Division II at Alabama-Huntsville and Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Ark.
Rutigliano was a two-sport standout in basketball and tennis at SUNY Rockland Community College in Suffern, N.Y., where he earned an associate's degree in 2005. He also earned the SUNY Chancellor's award for student excellence as well as national academic recognition from the National Junior College Athletic Association.
Rutigliano graduated magna cum laude from Cortland State in Cortland, N.Y. with a bachelor's degree in physical education in 2007. He earned a master's degree from Ball State in 2010.
Rutigliano and his wife Bridget are the parents of a son, Kaleb.
Alexander, who was formally introduced as the 27th head men's basketball coach at K-State on March 16, will have further announcements on his coaching staff in the coming weeks.
How to follow the 'Cats: For complete information on K-State men's basketball, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X, Instagram and Facebook.
K-State Men's Basketball | New Staff Arrivals Part II
Tuesday, April 07
K-State Men's Basketball | New Staff Arrivals
Thursday, March 26
K-State Men's Basketball | Head Coach Casey Alexander Baseball Game TV Interview
Saturday, March 21
K-State Men's Basketball | Head Coach Casey Alexander Baseball Game Radio Interview
Saturday, March 21
