A decorated Queens College student-athlete during his competing days, Joe Brancaccio is entering his ninth season on the Queens College's track and field coaching staff. He took over as the interim head coach in 2016-17, after previously season as the team's lead throwing coach.
Primarily the throws coach for the Knights, Brancaccio has been the guide to help the Knights claim a number of All-Conference mentions in the field while also holding a distinct mark for having won the hammer throw at the ECC Outdoor Track and Field Championship for seven straight years from 2013-19. This includes Andrew Saulpaugh's victories as a freshman in 2018 and a sophomore in 2019.
During the 2016-17 season, eleven members of the QC men's and women's track & field teams earned all-conference honors, including first-teamers Jared Coupe, Olivia Smithwick and Skandal Delince. The Knights had nine earn all-conference during the outdoor season, with Coupe winning the ECC men's hammer throw title as a freshman.
Under his tutelage, Coach Brancaccio has mentored Vincent Fratto, a two-time ECC Champion in the shot put; Angel Algers Rosario, who is an outdoor ECC Champion in the hammer throw; and All-ECC throwers Chris Pensa, Gregory Gromling and Michael Glanz. In addition, Diane Etienne has broken the school record in the discus, and won the outdoor CTC Championships in the discus.Â
Brancaccio graduated from Queens in 1984 with a Bachelor’s degree in physical education, and was a 1983 NCAA All-America performer in the hammer throw. In all, the Queens, N.Y. native qualified for nationals three times, and set the school record in the 35 lbs Weight Throw and the Hammer Throw. Among Brancaccio’s other collegiate accomplishments include competing in the Florida Relays, Millrose Games, Penn Relays, the IC4A Championships and qualified five times for the U.S. Olympic Invitational indoor meet.
A four-year scholastic standout at Msgr. McClancy High School in Queens, Brancaccio won the city shot put and discus championships as a freshman before garnering multiple Brooklyn-Queens discus titles in his illustrious career. In fact, his 58-1 3/4 shot put effort still serves as New York State’s freshman record.
Coach Brancaccio still competes to this day and won the hammer throw Long Island USA Track and Field Championships in 2011 and 2012. Coach Brancaccio was Nationally and World ranked in the Masters hammer Throw. He also traveled to 44 of the 50 states in the country throughout his competition days.
