LYCOMING COLLEGE NAMES DON FRIDAY HEAD MEN’S BASKETBALL COACH

WILLIAMSPORT, PA – Lycoming College athletics director Frank Girardi has announced the hiring of Don Friday as head coach of the men’s basketball program.

Friday joins the Warrior program after spending nine seasons as an assistant at Bucknell University under head coach Pat Flannery. Serving most recently as the first assistant for the Bison, Friday was responsible for creating and implementing practice and game plans, producing scouting reports, assisting with player development, and coordinating national and regional recruiting efforts. Friday helped coach 16 all-league players and was responsible for a defense that was consistently ranked number one in the Patriot League and among the top ten in the nation in recent years. He was also responsible for the team’s year-round strength and conditioning program. During his tenure at Bucknell, the Bison accumulated an overall record of 135-121 (.527).

Friday played an intricate role in helping Bucknell players succeed off the court, as well. The graduation rate for the Bison basketball program consistently ranks among the top-15 in the nation. Most recently, Friday coached two Academic All-Americans and four Patriot League Scholar-Athletes-of-the-Year.

Friday graduated from Lebanon Valley College in 1990 and began his coaching career there under the leadership of Flannery. In their first season together, Friday and Flannery guided the Dutchmen to the program’s first winning season in 18 years with a mark of 17-9. In 1993 Friday earned his masters degree in business administration and helped lead the team to the second round of the NCAA playoffs. In 1994, Friday helped guide Lebanon Valley to an NCAA Division III National Championship and an overall record of 28-4.

Friday has also been an active participant in community service and alumni events at both Bucknell and Lebanon Valley; and has been a member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches for 13 years.

A native of St. Clair, Pennsylvania, Friday currently resides in Mifflinburg with his wife Amy and their three-year-old son Donald Lewis.

 ADDITIONAL NOTES:

·        Friday becomes just the seventh head coach in the 55-year history of Lycoming’s men’s basketball program.

·        Friday is the third Bucknell assistant coach to be hired as a head coach in the Freedom Conference in the last four seasons (Terry Conrad – Lycoming, 2000 and Carl Danzig – Scranton, 2001). Conrad and Danzig were a combined 84-50 from 2000 though 2003, each won a conference championship, and combined for three NCAA playoff victories.

·        The Warriors will return 12 players from last season’s 15-11 squad, including first-team all-conference player Matt Stackhouse and Freedom Conference Rookie-of-the-Year Jonathan Pribble.  

·        The Lycoming College men’s basketball program has recorded eight consecutive winning seasons. The Warriors have also qualified for the conference playoffs each of the past five seasons – the second longest streak in the conference.

·        History of Lycoming head coaches:
o       Bob Smith (1948-56)              98-64 (.605)
o       George Lawther (1956-59)       15-48 (.238)
o       Nels Phillips (1959-62)            18-43 (.295)
o       Dutch Burch (1962-94)            318-403 (.441)
o       Joe Bressi (1994-2000)            97-53 (.647)
o       Terry Conrad (2000-03)            48-31 (.608)