Frank Carbone, the athletic director and longtime women’s basketball and softball coach at St. Joseph’s College Brooklyn, Clinton Hill, has announced that he will step down from coaching duties starting this upcoming season, but will remain in place as athletic director.

In his 18-year coaching tenure, he amassed an unprecedented 500 combined victories leading the Lady Bears’ teams. This fall, St. Joseph’s athletic program will compete as members of the Skyline Conference.

“It’s a bittersweet feeling giving up the reins of something I’ve dedicated so much of my life to,” Carbone said. “I’ll cherish all the wonderful memories with the Lady Bears and always consider myself a coach above anything else, but with the new facility and conference, it’s been an increasing challenge to give the teams and the department as a whole the attention it deserves in order to reach the next level of our development as a program.”

Under Carbone’s leadership, the college’s athletic program has grown from three to now 13 varsity sports teams with nearly 150 student-athletes participating.

“While I will certainly miss being on the sidelines and in the dugout, I will still be with the Lady Bears cheering them every step of the way,” Carbone said. “I am truly confident that my successors will continue to take the Lady Bears’ to even greater heights in the years ahead.”

The search is currently underway for Carbone’s successors.