Dagan Nelson was 35-66 in four seasons at New Paltz State. New Paltz athletics photo

NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – Fourth-year State University of New York at New Paltz head men's basketball coach Dagan Nelson has stepped down from his post effective June 8, as announced by New Paltz director of athletics Stuart Robinson. Nelson has been named the director of community outreach & external affairs and varsity boys' basketball coach at Westchester Country Day School in High Point, N.C. A national search to fill the position will begin immediately.

"I would like to thank the administration, all the players, all the coaches and all the supporters of the program who helped improve it over last four years," Nelson said. "I will be following the Hawks and look forward to seeing their future success."

Nelson came to New Paltz in August of 2007. After two years of building a solid foundation, he led the team to back-to-back State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Men's Basketball Championship Tournament appearances in 2009-10 and 2010-11, marking just the fourth time in program history that the squad qualified for the conference postseason tournament in consecutive seasons.

"We thank Dagan for his commitment and service to our student-athletes," Robinson said. "We wish him and Erin all the best as they take on this new opportunity and his pursuit of making a difference as a basketball coach."

New Paltz went 11-14 overall in 2010-11 and achieved a 7-11 mark in the SUNYAC, earning the No. 6 seed in the SUNYAC Championship Tournament. The Hawks won the Hamilton Tip-Off Tournament championship in November, marking the program's first title of any kind since the 1998-99 campaign. Next season appears promising for New Paltz, as the team lost just one senior to graduation.