Matt Alosa left Pembroke Academy in 1991 as a Class I champion and the all-time leading scorer in school history to play Division I basketball for Rick Barnes at Providence College.

 On Wednesday he chose to move on again as he resigned as the school’s head basketball coach after rebuilding his alma mater in nearly a decade at the helm. The 42 year old Alosa moves on to become an assistant coach at Notre Dame Prep. (MA) under head coach Ryan Hurd.

 Pembroke became one of the best basketball programs in the state during Alosa’s tenure and unquestionably it’s most scrutinized. He now moves on to what figures to be a very long career at the next level.

 Where Pembroke Academy goes from here is less certain.

 Notre Dame Prep. has evolved as one of the top prep teams in New England and recently included former Pembroke stars Patrick Welch and Kafani ‘Jordan’ Williams on its roster. “We’re excited to have Matt on board,” said head coach Ryan Hurd. “We share similar outlooks and philosophies but most of all Matt is someone I have known for a long time and can trust. Matt has obviously proven himself by all of the success he has had at Pembroke and I think what this new opportunity brings him is the chance to prove himself at the next level, eventually leading to a career coaching at the college level.”

 Alosa gained a reputation as one of the best high school coaches in New Hampshire and leaves his alma mater with two state titles (2012 & 2013) and an .808 winning percentage in nine seasons.

 “ One of the joys I had coaching at Pembroke was teaching & coaching kids like Pat Welch, Jordan Williams and Dom Timbas from the time they were freshman all the way until they graduated,” explained Alosa. “We have a great class of 8th graders and incoming freshman at Pembroke coming in. I knew I wanted to take the next step as a coach and move on the prep school level, and I decided I didn’t want to leave those kids in the middle of their high school careers. I just didn’t think that would be fair.”

 “(I) have forged a relationship with Coach Hurd at Notre Dame Prep.  This move will allow me to continue to work with the kids from New Hampshire and the New England area and also coach for a nationally ranked prep school in the traditional basketball season.  I have worked very hard trying to make NH kids compete on a national level and advance to play college basketball if they desire.”

 Pembroke moved up to Division I last season after an exhausting off-season that saw them fight to even get a Division I schedule approved by D 1 athletic directors and for the eligibility of all-state guard/forward Dominic Timbas. The NHIAA looked into accusations that Pembroke had illegally recruited players into their program and violated off-season practice policies. 

 Pembroke and Alosa were not found guilty of the major offenses (although Alosa did serve a 2 game suspension to begin last season) but four plus months of chatter surrounding the situation put a lot of stress on the program. What state the program is left in will depend on who athletic director Suzanne Klink hires to replace Alosa.

The Spartans graduated five starters from last year’s quarterfinal team and look to be a team that will struggle to even make the 16 team playoff field this winter. Whether a coaching change opens up a possible move in the near future back to Division II is yet to be determined but make no mistake, it will be a topic of discussion from here until deep into March.

 Alosa is thought by many to be a college level coach whose 10 years of professional basketball experience overseas leaves him with a strong ability to relate to players. As a player Alosa scored 2,575 during 4 years in high school and holds the highest scoring average in UNH basketball history with 24.6 ppg. He was a top 10 scorer in the nation his junior and senior year (9th and 7th respectively).

 What Coach Hurd gets at Notre Dame Prep is a coach who brings instant credibility as far as his ability to see the game evolving on the floor and in player development. Alosa has always seemed better suited to being a college coach and after rebuilding his alma mater while hanging two banners on the wall there was really little left to prove. “Pembroke is my Alma mater and holds a special place in my heart as a player and a coach.”