SUNY Canton is pleased to announce that Jim Bechtel has joined the athletic department as the new men’s basketball coach.

Bechtel takes over the program from Keith Sullivan who resigned this summer after four years at the helm.

Bechtel brings 10 years of coaching knowledge to the Roos having served as an assistant coach at all three collegiate levels. Most recently Bechtel was the assistant coach and defensive coordinator for St. Lawrence University the past two seasons and under his leadership the Saints finished in the top five in the Liberty League in every defensive category in 2011-12. Prior to joining the Saints Bechtel was an assistant coach at Division I institutions Coastal Carolina University and Penn State University; Division II Shepherd University; and Division III Susquehanna University where he helped lead the Crusaders to the 2008 Landmark Conference regular season championship. He was also the head junior varsity coach at Susquehanna overseeing all aspects of that program. During his time at Penn State and Shepherd Bechtel worked as an academic counselor charged with monitoring the academic progress of the men’s football and basketball teams respectively throughout the year.

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