Adams State University

Accolades

• 2022-23 RMAC Coach of the Year

Mario Caetano enters his sixth year as a member of the Adams State Athletic Family. Fall 2025 will be the start of his fourth season as head coach for Adams State University women’s basketball team.

In his previous three seasons at the helm, Caetano has guided the Grizzlies to a 77-45 overall record and a 58-28 RMAC record. 
 
Caetano took over the reign after spending the 2021-2022 season as the interim head coach, guiding the Grizzlies to a 12-15 overall record and an 8^th place finish in the RMAC.
 
In the last three of Caetano’s seasons as the head coach, Adams State has hosted playoff games, and made back-to-back RMAC semi-final appearances. 
 
During the 2024-2025 season, Caetano guided Adams State to 19 wins and a first-round appearance in the NCAA Division II National Tournament. He also coached Kiiyani Anitielu to a historic 52-point performance against Westminster University where she set the RMAC Single Game Points record and helped Taejhuan Hill average a double-double for the season, ranking seventh nationally in that category.

In the 2023-2024 season, Caetano led Adams State to 25 wins, which is the most ever in program history, and a second-round appearance of the NCAA DII National Tournament. tThe Grizzles led the RMAC in per game points per game (76.3), 3-point field goals made (253), 3-point field goal percentage (.36%), turnover margin (9.24), steals per game (14), & turnovers forced per game (23.4).  The Grizzlies also cracked the top 10 in three stat categories in the NCAA DII (8^th in turnovers forced per game, 6^th in steals per game, & 4^th in turnover margin). 
 
In his time at Adams State, Caetano has coached 7 All-RMAC performers, and 2 All-Region performers. 
 
Before coming to Adams State University, Caetano spent two years coaching with one of the nation’s top boys travel club programs, Vegas Elite Basketball Club (VEBC). VEBC competes in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL), which consists of some of the nation’s top high school players. 
 
Caetano becomes a member of the Grizzly family after serving an eight-year stint at Northern New Mexico College. During his time at NMMC, Caetano served as the Men’s Associate Head Coach for the Eagles before taking over in December 2018 as the Head Coach for the women’s team.
 
During his time as the men’s coach, he helped NNMC to their first ever A-II Conference Championship and NAIA National Tournament appearance (2014-2015).

The Northern New Mexico College graduate earned his Bachelor of Arts in Integrated Studies with an emphasis in Humanities (2012). He then went on to complete his Master of Science degree in Recreation and Sports Sciences from Ohio University (2015).
 
Mario is married to Shaniqua Caetano, together they have three children; Makai (9), Mya (2), & Masai (1).