Upcoming Event: Women's Basketball versus Florida Memorial on November 4, 2025
Women's Basketball
vs. Florida Memorial
Florida Atlantic University Athletics
Women's Basketball
Battaglia, Otavio
Otavio Battaglia
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- obattaglia@fau.edu
- Phone:
- 561-297-1370
Otávio Battaglia was named an assistant coach with the FAU women’s basketball team in April of 2019 and is coming off his second season on the Owls’ staff.
The 2020-21 season was full of several challenges with navigating through the COVID-19 pandemic, but Battaglia helped the program continue to reach new heights. FAU finished tied for third in the Conference USA East Division, while holding the sixth best conference record among 14 teams (11-11, 8-8 C-USA). The team made history by winning its first ever C-USA Tournament game as the No. 3 seed with a 72-66 win over UAB to qualify for the quarterfinals.
During C-USA play, the Owls snapped UTEP’s nine-game winning streak with a huge road win on the road at UTEP, as well as defeated WKU to break a 12-game losing streak against the Lady Toppers and win at E.A. Diddle Arena for the first time in school history. Battaglia coached up Iggy Allen, who had an incredible year in C-USA to finish second in the scoring (22.2 PPG) and third in rebounding (10.9 RPG) in the league. Allen was tabbed C-USA Newcomer of the Year, recognized as the C-USA Player of the Week twice and was named to the All-Conference First Team and Defensive Team.
In his first season at FAU, Battaglia helped the Owls achieve several milestones. During the non-conference slate, the Owls won five out of six games beginning in mid-November and stretching into December. The Owls initiated a four-game winning streak with an 83-39 home opening win against Siena, which was the least amount of points FAU’s defense has given up since 2009.
Battaglia was instrumental in the development of the squad, which consisted of 15 underclassmen. The team saw Crystal Primm earn Conference USA Second Team honors, as well as receive C-USA Player of the Week. In her first season, Lotta Vehka-Aho sat second on the team in points per game (12.6 PPG) and led the team in assists (62), while also being named C-USA Freshman of the Week twice during the season.
Battaglia was most recently at Stetson University where he spent three seasons as an assistant coach. While Battaglia was on the staff, the Hatters won 59 games and claimed the program’s first ever Atlantic Sun Conference regular season title during the 2016-17 season. That year Stetson received votes in the USA Today Poll and reached a No. 10 ranking in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Poll.
Working primarily with the post players at Stetson, Battaglia helped Sarah Sagerer earn ASUN Defensive Player of the Year and All-Conference First Team honors, as well as Breana Bay earn Second Team nods. He also helped both players receive contacts for their professional basketball careers overseas.
Prior to his stop at Stetson, Battaglia was an assistant coach at New Mexico Highlands University during the 2015-16 season. His responsibilities included player development, defensive coordinator, international recruiting, team travel, academic advising and community service activities. He also assisted with scouting reports and videos, as well as developing team conditioning plans.
Battaglia served as a graduate assistant and video coordinator at Wichita State during the 2014-15 season. The Shockers won the Missouri Valley Conference championship that season and their defense allowed the fourth fewest points per game in the NCAA. While at Wichita State, Battaglia was in charge of live breakdown of game video, recruiting videos, highlight tapes, team graphics and motivational videos. During his time with the Shockers, he worked with NCAA All-American and WNBA draftee Alex Harden.
The São Paulo, Brazil native brings international experience to the Owls. He served as a scouting assistant for his native country at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain, helping the Brazil Men’s National Team earn a second-place finish in the group stage and a quarterfinal round appearance in the championship.
From 2013-14, Battaglia served as the assistant men’s basketball coach for Score Basketball Academy in Raleigh, North Carolina. He was responsible for player development, coordinating practices, strength and conditioning, recruiting, team travel, scheduling, budgeting, academic advising, national and international recruiting, video coordination and scouting.
Before coming to the United States, Battaglia coached for eight seasons in upper-level basketball development clubs in Spain. In 2012-13, he was the head women’s coach of the Torrelodones Basketball Club of Primera Nacional in Torrelodones, Spain. He was in charge of all facets of the program and helped lead his team to the final four of the state tournament, while seeing two of his players move on to play at the collegiate level in the U.S.
For seven years (2005-12), Battaglia served in numerous capacities with Club Estudiantes in Madrid, Spain. He achieved a combined seven state finals with the U18 and U16 teams, four appearances in the national tournament and back-to-back national championships with the U-20 team as an assistant coach. He was responsible for the player development of several professional prospects, including Lucas (Toronto), Sebastian Sainz (Ole Miss), Ivan Cruz (Miami), Jacobo Diaz (UIP), Daniel Clark, Rafael Hettsheimer, Fran Guerra, Jason Granger (Anadolu Efes), Jaime Fernandez, Edgar Vicedo, Dario Brizula (Estudiantes) and Juancho Hernangomez (Denver).
He is certified as a National Level Coach of Basketball in Spain with a specialization in post players.
Battaglia competed as a power forward at the University of São Paulo and earned his bachelor’s degree in sports science in 2004. He received a Master in Association degree with the PhD Program from Polytechnic University in Madrid in 2008. He completed a second master’s degree at Wichita State in sport management in 2016.
Battaglia lives in Boca Raton with his wife, Natalia Masia, and the couple’s two children, Oliver and Olympia.
The 2020-21 season was full of several challenges with navigating through the COVID-19 pandemic, but Battaglia helped the program continue to reach new heights. FAU finished tied for third in the Conference USA East Division, while holding the sixth best conference record among 14 teams (11-11, 8-8 C-USA). The team made history by winning its first ever C-USA Tournament game as the No. 3 seed with a 72-66 win over UAB to qualify for the quarterfinals.
During C-USA play, the Owls snapped UTEP’s nine-game winning streak with a huge road win on the road at UTEP, as well as defeated WKU to break a 12-game losing streak against the Lady Toppers and win at E.A. Diddle Arena for the first time in school history. Battaglia coached up Iggy Allen, who had an incredible year in C-USA to finish second in the scoring (22.2 PPG) and third in rebounding (10.9 RPG) in the league. Allen was tabbed C-USA Newcomer of the Year, recognized as the C-USA Player of the Week twice and was named to the All-Conference First Team and Defensive Team.
In his first season at FAU, Battaglia helped the Owls achieve several milestones. During the non-conference slate, the Owls won five out of six games beginning in mid-November and stretching into December. The Owls initiated a four-game winning streak with an 83-39 home opening win against Siena, which was the least amount of points FAU’s defense has given up since 2009.
Battaglia was instrumental in the development of the squad, which consisted of 15 underclassmen. The team saw Crystal Primm earn Conference USA Second Team honors, as well as receive C-USA Player of the Week. In her first season, Lotta Vehka-Aho sat second on the team in points per game (12.6 PPG) and led the team in assists (62), while also being named C-USA Freshman of the Week twice during the season.
Battaglia was most recently at Stetson University where he spent three seasons as an assistant coach. While Battaglia was on the staff, the Hatters won 59 games and claimed the program’s first ever Atlantic Sun Conference regular season title during the 2016-17 season. That year Stetson received votes in the USA Today Poll and reached a No. 10 ranking in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Poll.
Working primarily with the post players at Stetson, Battaglia helped Sarah Sagerer earn ASUN Defensive Player of the Year and All-Conference First Team honors, as well as Breana Bay earn Second Team nods. He also helped both players receive contacts for their professional basketball careers overseas.
Prior to his stop at Stetson, Battaglia was an assistant coach at New Mexico Highlands University during the 2015-16 season. His responsibilities included player development, defensive coordinator, international recruiting, team travel, academic advising and community service activities. He also assisted with scouting reports and videos, as well as developing team conditioning plans.
Battaglia served as a graduate assistant and video coordinator at Wichita State during the 2014-15 season. The Shockers won the Missouri Valley Conference championship that season and their defense allowed the fourth fewest points per game in the NCAA. While at Wichita State, Battaglia was in charge of live breakdown of game video, recruiting videos, highlight tapes, team graphics and motivational videos. During his time with the Shockers, he worked with NCAA All-American and WNBA draftee Alex Harden.
The São Paulo, Brazil native brings international experience to the Owls. He served as a scouting assistant for his native country at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain, helping the Brazil Men’s National Team earn a second-place finish in the group stage and a quarterfinal round appearance in the championship.
From 2013-14, Battaglia served as the assistant men’s basketball coach for Score Basketball Academy in Raleigh, North Carolina. He was responsible for player development, coordinating practices, strength and conditioning, recruiting, team travel, scheduling, budgeting, academic advising, national and international recruiting, video coordination and scouting.
Before coming to the United States, Battaglia coached for eight seasons in upper-level basketball development clubs in Spain. In 2012-13, he was the head women’s coach of the Torrelodones Basketball Club of Primera Nacional in Torrelodones, Spain. He was in charge of all facets of the program and helped lead his team to the final four of the state tournament, while seeing two of his players move on to play at the collegiate level in the U.S.
For seven years (2005-12), Battaglia served in numerous capacities with Club Estudiantes in Madrid, Spain. He achieved a combined seven state finals with the U18 and U16 teams, four appearances in the national tournament and back-to-back national championships with the U-20 team as an assistant coach. He was responsible for the player development of several professional prospects, including Lucas (Toronto), Sebastian Sainz (Ole Miss), Ivan Cruz (Miami), Jacobo Diaz (UIP), Daniel Clark, Rafael Hettsheimer, Fran Guerra, Jason Granger (Anadolu Efes), Jaime Fernandez, Edgar Vicedo, Dario Brizula (Estudiantes) and Juancho Hernangomez (Denver).
He is certified as a National Level Coach of Basketball in Spain with a specialization in post players.
Battaglia competed as a power forward at the University of São Paulo and earned his bachelor’s degree in sports science in 2004. He received a Master in Association degree with the PhD Program from Polytechnic University in Madrid in 2008. He completed a second master’s degree at Wichita State in sport management in 2016.
Battaglia lives in Boca Raton with his wife, Natalia Masia, and the couple’s two children, Oliver and Olympia.
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