Berks Sports Report Paul Roberts
Alvernia has found its next men’s basketball head coach. Jason O’Connell, who grew up in the Daniel Boone School District, will take over the Golden Wolves program in early May. O’Connell spent the past twelve seasons as the head coach of Division III Cairn University in Langhorne. “First and foremost, my family and I are thrilled to join the Alvernia community. I am excited to begin building genuine relationships with our current student-athletes, the campus community, and alumni. I look forward to developing a program rooted in a strong culture where our staff is focused on pouring into our student-athletes and helping them grow on the court as players and off the court as men of character,” he said.
O’Connell guided Cairn to 149 NCAA wins, including a record of (80-53) since 2021. He took over a program that won just two games in the 2013-14 campaign. The Highlanders went (21-7) this past season. They finished third in the nation in 3-pointers per game. Cairn ranked 23rd in the country in scoring at 86 ppg. The Highlanders reached the postseason every year since the COVID-shortened season of 2020-21. O’Connell coached eleven first team All-Conference players and ten 1,000-point scorers.
O’Connell graduated from Lancaster Bible College in 2012 with a degree in Sports Management. He holds master’s degrees from California University of Pennsylvania and Eastern Kentucky University. “I am incredibly grateful and excited for the opportunity to be the head men’s basketball coach at Alvernia University. I am eager to lead this program and establish a culture that represents the university with pride, both on the court and in the campus community, all while striving to compete at a high level,” said O’Connell.