Masters Academy Appoints John Carroll to Lead Elite Basketball Program

Veteran Coach Has Produced More Ivy League Players Than Any Coach in the U.S., While Building the Nation’s Premier Academic-Basketball Model

STOW, Mass. – February 19, 2026 – Masters Academy International (MAI) announced the appointment of John Carroll as Director of Basketball, adding one of the most accomplished and respected leaders in prep school basketball to its growing athletic leadership team.

Over the past two decades, Carroll has built what many regard as the premier combination of elite academics and high-level basketball in the country. He has coached 54 Ivy League players — more than any coach in the United States. His programs have become synonymous with greatness on the court, elite academic performance in the classroom, and national-level basketball success.

In addition to his Ivy League placements, Carroll’s players have advanced to some of the nation’s most selective and competitive institutions, including Stanford, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Michigan, North Carolina, and many others. At the Division III level, his players have gone on to elite academic institutions such as MIT, University of Chicago, Williams, and Middlebury, reinforcing his reputation as the country’s leader in academic basketball placement.

“Masters Academy is building the first fully integrated 360-degree sports boarding school — where elite athletics, academics, and a best-in-class student experience operate as one unified model,” said Peter Masters, Co-Founder of Masters Academy International. “John Carroll embodies that philosophy. His career has demonstrated that you can achieve the highest level of basketball success without compromising academic outcomes.”

Carroll most recently built The Newman School program beginning in June 2022. In just four seasons, Newman captured the 2025 New England (AAA) Championship and earned No. 1 national rankings during both the 2024–2025 and 2025–2026 seasons. Nearly two dozen Newman players have advanced to Division I programs, highlighted by 2026 McDonald’s All-American Quinn Costello. In addition, four Newman student-athletes are bound for Ivy League institutions this year alone, with a potential fifth to follow — reinforcing the academic excellence that has become a hallmark of Carroll’s programs.

Carroll has spent over two decades in prep school basketball. During that tenure, he won 370 games as a head coach, four New England Championships, made nine National Prep Championship Final Fours, five National Prep Championship game appearances, and captured the 2013 National Prep Championship. His teams were ranked in the top five nationally for 15 consecutive years and in the top 10 for 17 straight seasons, achieving the No. 1 national ranking six times.

More than 150 of Carroll’s former players have gone on to Division I basketball. Over 30 have advanced to the professional ranks, including 2025 first-round NBA Draft pick Danny Wolf. His former players have captained more than 40 NCAA programs.

“Masters Academy International arrives at the intersection of leadership, academics and basketball at exactly the right time,” said Carroll. “The incredible basketball staff that we have assembled at MAI is perfectly positioned and talented to lead prep & high school basketball and to transform student-athletes into the best version of themselves.”

Carroll’s honors include a 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award from All-Academic Basketball, induction into the Greyhound Hall of Fame at Assumption University, the Positive Coaching Alliance National Double-Goal Coach Award, and induction into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame as a prep player, college player, and coach.

Masters Academy International will open in September 2026 in Stow, Massachusetts, as New England’s first elite sports boarding school — designed to integrate championship-level coaching, rigorous academics, and long-term student-athlete development under a unified structure.

About Masters Academy International: Masters Academy International is a groundbreaking boarding school opening in Fall 2026 that reimagines the student-athlete experience. Offering comprehensive academic programs alongside elite training in multiple sports, MAI provides students with the tools and support to excel in the classroom, on the field, and in life. Learn more at https://www.mastersacademyinternational.com/.

Media Contact: Joe Zarbano, Regan Communications on behalf of Masters Academy International, Jzarbano@regancomm.com.