Tony Bonilla’s journey in New Paltz began in the fall of 1982 when he enrolled as a Spanish major at the State University of New York at New Paltz. Bonilla was an excellent volleyball player in high school and was recruited to several universities with NCAA Division I athletic programs, including Rutgers and West Point.
Luckily for the Hawks, Bonilla chose to attend New Paltz, where he would play on the men’s volleyball team for all four years of his undergraduate tenure.
Some of Bonilla’s fondest memories come from his experiences as an undergraduate student-athlete at New Paltz.
“My undergraduate career here at New Paltz was amazing,” he states. “I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
In particular, Bonilla remembers being part of several Latino clubs and organizations on campus, as well as the Spring Breaks he experienced in the fields of New Paltz.
“Thousands of people came to the fields to see live bands such as Pat Benatar, The Grateful Dead and Santana.”
During Bonilla’s four years as a student-athlete, he helped the Hawks post an impressive record of 111-9. Bonilla and the Hawks won back-to-back-to-back Eastern Collegiate Volleyball League (ECVL) Championships from 1984-86.
In the 1980s, the format of collegiate volleyball was much different than it is today.
“We were facing competition from Division I, Division II and Division III schools,” says Bonilla.
Bonilla was a three-time school MVP and also the East Coast MVP in 1986.
In 1988, just one year after receiving his bachelor’s degree, Bonilla was named the second-ever head coach for the men’s volleyball program, replacing his former coach, Bill Odeneal.
“Odeneal was like a mentor to me, to the point where he became the best man at my wedding,” states Bonilla. “He was able to teach me quite a few things, not only about volleyball, but about life in general.”
Bonilla was the head coach of the men’s volleyball program from 1988-95 and then again from 1997-2000. He was also the head women’s volleyball coach from 1992-99, and as a coach of the Hawks’ women’s team, Bonilla posted a record of 201-114 and earned State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Co-Coach of the Year honors in 1998.
While coaching, Bonilla continued to play the game. In 1992, Bonilla won a national championship in the adult open division with his club team Creole. He also is a 12-time national champion in wallyball.
Currently Bonilla is the director of the Educational Opportunity Programs (EOP) at New Paltz as well as the assistant men’s volleyball coach.
“I like the position of being an assistant coach because I can help the athletes with tweaking their skills,” says Bonilla.
As a coach, Bonilla hopes that he can keep his players humble—the Hawks are currently ranked among the top five teams in Division III—but still urges them to be competitive.
“They’re a good group of guys, and I am excited to be a part of the team.”
