Clarion’s Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. Wendy Snodgrass announced today that Damian Pitts has been hired as the 13th men’s basketball coach in school history. Pitts comes to the Golden Eagles after having spent the previous two seasons as the head coach at NCAA Division III Centenary, and before that was a longtime assistant at Millersville.
“I am thrilled to introduce Damian Pitts as the newest member of our Golden Eagle family,” Snodgrass said. “Throughout the search process Damian impressed us with not just his basketball acumen, but also his abilities to communicate, lead and inspire student-athletes on and off the court. We are confident that he is the person to lead our program during this exciting period of change and transition.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank associate athletic director D.J. Bevevino and the members of his search committee for their work in identifying and interviewing candidates for this important job,” Snodgrass said. “Their attention to detail and hard work allowed us this opportunity, and I am grateful for their how they handled this search.”
“I am truly honored to be chosen as the new Head Men’s basketball coach for Clarion University,” Pitts said. “I would like to thank Dr. Snodgrass and the search committee for their diligent work and faith in me. I look forward to building a strong, competitive program that represents the values of the university and the greater community. My goal is a program marked by high achievement on the court and in the classroom. My family and I are excited to become active members of the university and the community.”
Pitts was the head coach at Centenary from 2017-19, laying a foundation for success in the Cyclones’ program. He engineered a turnaround in his second season that saw his team break the program record for consecutive wins, rattling off six straight victories as part of a 9-1 run during the 2018-19 season. Pitts coached Centenary to a five-win improvement from his first year to his second, finishing with a 12-14 overall record and a 7-5 conference mark. The Cyclones finished with a winning record in Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) action for the first time since 2015-16 and reached the semifinals of the conference tournament for just the second time in school history.
Under Pitts, freshman forward Billy Veras became the second player in program history to be named the CSAC Rookie of the Year and was also a second-team all-conference selection. Veras shot 48.0 percent from the field and averaged 12.9 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. Sophomore guard Chris LaBelle averaged 18.5 points per game and totaled a team-high 43 steals en route to a First Team All-CSAC selection, Centenary’s first honoree since 2009-10. Both Veras and LaBelle were also named All-Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Honorable Mentions. Senior guard Tom Weiler earned all-conference honorable mention honors in 2018-19 as well.
Pitts will be no stranger to PSAC competition, as he spent nearly two decades on the bench at Millersville during a highly successful run for the Marauders. He began his tenure as a graduate assistant coach from 1999-2002, during which time Millersville won the 2002 PSAC East championship. He went on to be a full-time assistant from 2004-17, helping coach the Marauders to the 2007 PSAC Championship, two PSAC Tournament finals, three NCAA Tournament appearances and two NCAA Regional Finals appearances. During his tenure at Millersville, the Marauders had 21 All-PSAC East selections, including a two-time Player of the Year in Charlie Parker and a Defensive Player of the Year in Eijah Obade. Eleven Marauders went on to play professional basketball, and two of Pitts’ charges have been named to the Millersville Hall of Fame.
Pitts earned a Bachelor’s Degree from Goucher College, where he was also a standout basketball player. He received a Master’s degree in Sport Management from Millersville in 2002.
Damian Pitts Named Clarion University Head Men’s Basketball Coach
