For 14 years Pat Cleary sat at the right side of Edinboro head men’s basketball coach Greg Walcavich. When the 2013-14 campaign begins, Cleary will have to slide over one spot. Today Director of Athletics Bruce Baumgartner announced the appointment of the former assistant coach as Edinboro’s tenth head coach.
This will mark Cleary’s first head coaching job, as he takes over for his mentor. Walcavich announced his retirement after 24 years as Edinboro’s head coach on March 8.
“We feel confident that Pat is the right man for the job,” related Baumgartner. “We put quite a bit of time in talking to people about what our next move should be, and it kept coming back to Pat. He had an opportunity to learn from one of the best coaches in the country, and Greg (Walcavich) was adamant about Pat’s ability to keep this program moving forward.”
Baumgartner noted that Walcavich credited his assistant for many of the top recruits that joined the Fighting Scots in recent years. His first order of business will be to find replacements for two of those recruits – departing seniors Jay Fletcher and Isaiah Prince.
“I am honored to be chosen to follow a legend,” Cleary stated. “Coach Walcavich has taught me so much and I have been very fortunate to work with him for so long, I wish I could work with him another 14 years.
Cleary 1
Pat Cleary (far right) takes over as head coach.
“I love Edinboro University,” he continued. “It is a special place that has prepared me for this challenge. I’m very thankful for the support I’ve received from the people around campus and in the community, and I will work myself to the limit to make Coach Walcavich, (Edinboro University President Julie E. Wollman) and the entire Edinboro Community remain proud of Edinboro basketball.”
Cleary was hired as an assistant coach in the fall of 1999. He served as a student assistant from 1997-99, helping the Fighting Scots reach the PSAC Playoffs both years, along with an NCAA Division II Playoff berth in 1997-98.
Then came back-to-back PSAC championships and three trips to the NCAA Playoffs in four years. All told, Edinboro won 20-or-more games five times in his 14 seasons as Walcavich’s assistant, and the Fighting Scots had an overall record of 229-139. In addition, he has helped bring in four All-Americans and 16 All-PSAC performers. Six players have moved on to play professionally.
Walcavich was pleased to hear that his former assistant would be his successor. “Pat is absolutely the right man at the right time for Edinboro to hire,” he exclaimed. “He will approach the job working 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. That’s the way you have to do it. He’s the right person.”
Cleary attended Sharon High School where he played basketball for the Tigers. He completed work on his Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1999. In addition to his basketball duties he has been the co-director of the Athletic Department Study Program. He was presented the Outstanding Supervisor Award for Peer Tutoring by Edinboro University in 2005 and ’06. Cleary and volunteer assistant coach Terry Thompson serve as co-directors of the Achieve Your Dreams Program.
Stay with HoopDirt for the latest college basketball coaching news and rumors.
