Goucher College Director of Athletics Dr. Andrew Wu announced Monday that Justin Klingman, the current associate head men’s basketball coach at Catholic University, has been named the Gophers’ head men’s basketball coach. Klingman is the third head coach in program history and officially begins his duties on May 1.
“I am beyond excited and honored to become the next head men’s basketball coach at Goucher College,” said Klingman, who has spent the last four seasons at Catholic, a fellow member of the Landmark Conference. “I am very grateful to Andrew Wu and the rest of the search committee for this incredible opportunity. I look forward to having a positive impact on our student athletes and representing Goucher with pride!”
“Coach Klingman was on our list immediately upon starting the search for our next head coach and I’m thrilled he’ll be joining our team. He is a known and highly respected coach in our conference and he displayed his basketball knowledge and understanding of coaching in Division III throughout the process,” said Wu. “He is a winner who believes in the potential of the men’s basketball program at Goucher and will be a fantastic addition to the Goucher community.”
Klingman joined the Cardinal staff as an assistant coach in 2019 and was elevated to associate head coach ahead of the 2022-23 campaign. Taking over a program with new head coach Aaron Kelly that was 10-15 the season before their arrival, this past season Catholic finished 22-4, opening the season with a 13-game win streak and starting the season 21-1, the best start in program history. The Cardinals were ranked as high as No. 22 in the D3hoops.com Top 25 and had three players named Landmark All-Conference, including Jesse Hafemeister who was First Team All-Conference and an All-Region selection by D3hoops.com and the NABC.
Over Klingman’s four seasons at Catholic, the Cardinals posted a record of 51-32 and 29-20 in conference while making three straight conference semifinal appearances (2021-23). He coached a total of nine All-Conference selections and two All-Region selections, while Hafemeister was the D3hoops.com regional Rookie of the Year in 2021. Catholic also earned the NABC Team Academic Excellence Award in 2021 and 2022.
Prior to Catholic, Klingman spent four seasons as an assistant coach at Ursinus College, a member of the Centennial Conference. Over his four seasons in Collegeville, the Bears posted a record of 58-47 and made Centennial semifinal appearances in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Klingman worked with seven Centennial All-Conference selections and the Bears earned the NABC Team Academic Excellence Award in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
A 2015 graduate of the University of Scranton, Klingman was a four-year letterman who earned All-Landmark Second Team honors as a senior. He appeared in 82 games with 42 starts for the Royals over his four seasons and totaled 708 points. Over his four seasons Scranton compiled an 89-25 record and was a four-time NCAA participant, including an Elite Eight appearance in 2012.
Klingman is the Royals all-time leading three-point shooter, shooting 50.7% behind the arc over his career while ranking No. 11 in career three-point field goals with 138. As a junior he shot 56.5% (65-115) from long range, setting a single-season program record for three-point field goal percentage. Klingman was also a three-year member of the Scranton baseball team from 2012-14.
A native of Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania, Klingman is the son of former longtime Scranton men’s soccer coach (1973-94) and current assistant athletic facilities director Stephen Klingman and former Royal women’s basketball standout Deanna (Kyle) Klingman who was named the 1985 NCAA Division III Player of the Year. His brother, Derek, was a member of the Royals’ men’s soccer team and his sister, Kelly, played on the women’s soccer team from 2001-04. Brother Colin started 60 games for the Ursinus men’s soccer team from 2016-19 and is currently an assistant coach at Catholic.
Klingman earned his bachelor’s in Business Administration from Scranton in 2015 and received his Master’s from Catholic in Management with a concentration in Management and Leadership in 2022.
https://athletics.goucher.edu/sports/mbkb/2022-23/releases/20230410is3rzj
