High Point University men’s basketball head coach Scott Cherry has announced the addition of Scott Lombardi to the program’s staff as director of basketball operations.

Lombardi comes to HPU from George Mason University where he also worked in an operations role.

"Scott brings a wealth of experience to our program after spending close to a decade at George Mason," head coach Scott Cherry said. "The operations knowledge he gained while working for a perennial post-season contender will be incredibly valuable to ensure our program is run efficiently as we continue to compete for Big South Championships."

During Lombardi’s eight-year tenure at George Mason, the Colonials participated in four-consecutive postseason tournaments and five in six years. In his first year with the team, George Mason won the CAA Tournament and earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. From there, the Patriots won a CAA Regular Season Championship, received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, posted the best record in program history (27-7), tied the conference wins record in a season (16), and participated in the 2009 NIT. He also was a part of three consecutive 20 win seasons (27, 24, 22).

For much of his tenure Lombardi served at GMU under former head coach Jim Larranaga, who mentored Cherry during his seven years with the Colonials.

"Having the opportunity to learn for Coach Cherry – who’s played at the highest level, won a national championship, coached in the Final Four and been successful throughout his career – is something I had to jump for," Lombardi said. "This is a unique time in the program’s history. What Coach Cherry has done since he’s been here, getting the program in position to be successful year in and year out, really adds to the atmosphere of the campus and excites the student body. That’s what drew me here."

Prior to his time at George Mason, Lombardi coached five years at Georgetown Prep High School in North Bethesda, Md. There, he coached along side former McDonald’s All-American and Georgetown University point guard, Dwayne Bryant. During his time at Georgetown Prep, he coached numerous players who would go on to play Division I basketball, as well as some who competed collegiately in football and lacrosse. In his first year at Georgetown Prep, Scott coached former Georgetown University standout and current NBA player Roy Hibbert. Hibbert was drafted in the NBA first round by the Indiana Pacers.

Lombardi was born in Washington, D.C. and raised in Gaithersburg, Md. He attended Georgetown Prep High School where he played basketball, baseball and lacrosse. He went to University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and he received his degree in social work in 2007.

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