Playing for the NIU basketball team from 1981-84, Carl Armato will return to his Huskie roots this year as an assistant basketball coach under first year head man Rob Judson.

“His head coaching experience will be a real benefit for the team and the coaching staff,” said Judson. “Carl has deep roots in the Northern Illinois basketball community. Since his graduation, he has developed a great reputation in his area as a coach, teacher and recruiter.”

For the past 12 years the 41-year-old Armato has been the head coach for Rock Valley College in Rockford. Compiling a 219-135 record, Armato led the Golden Eagles to three appearances in the National Junior College Athletic Association Tournament. Taking seventh in their tournament appearance last year, Rock Valley finished the year at 25-8.

“I’m excited to work alongside Rob Judson,” said Armato. “This is going to be a great experience. The fans have always been loyal and with the new facility that we’ll be playing in a year from now it’s going to be really exciting.

“I have great memories from my playing days, and I think that we can get back to those days when we had Chick Evans Field House rocking, and that will be great for the school and the community.”

Receiving several votes for the NIU All-Century team last year, the 6-foot-2 former point guard led NIU in assists two years in a row. Playing under coach John McDougal at NIU, Armato is fourth all-time for a single season assists total of 115 in the 1982-83 season, which he matched the following year.

“Carl will be an outstanding addition to NIU athletics,” McDougal said. “He’s a terrific coach and an impeccable person. They don’t come any better than Carl. This is a great decision by Rob to bring him aboard. When he relates to the players, it comes directly from actual experiences. Carl is a been there, done that kind of guy.”

In 1989 Armato was inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame and began his coaching career at his alma mater, Rockford Boylan High School. He was an assistant at Boylan under Steve Goers, and then moved to the head position at Winnebago High School, directing the Titans to a 21-6 record, including a conference title, his first year.

After a second year at Winnebago, Armato took another assistant job, this time at DeKalb High School under the tutelage of Art Rohlman. After serving under Rohlman for one year, Armato took the head job at DeKalb in 1988 before moving onto Rock Valley.

Inheriting a Golden Eagles team that was 3-26 before Armato’s arrival, he turned the program around immediately, putting them at 18-12 his first year, which was the first of 10 consecutive winning seasons.

“It will definitely help that I have 12 years of head coaching experience at the collegiate level,” said Armato. “I feel completely comfortable stepping on the court. I love to be out there coaching and teaching student athletes. One of Rob’s goals is to prepare the student-athletes for life after basketball. That vision is shared the whole way from the president down to the athletics director, and it’s exciting to be a part of an institution that has that commitment.”

Armato’s hiring is awaiting the fulfillment of administrative procedures concerning the appointment.

Also, Ed Molitor, an NIU assistant under Judson for a short time, has been shifted to the position of director of basketball operations.