Pete Moran, who has been an assistant coach for his alma mater the past five seasons, has been named the 24th head coach in the 98-year history of the John Carroll University program.
“I am happy to announce that Pete Moran has agreed to serve as our next Head Men’s Basketball Coach,” said Laurie Massa, Director of Varsity Athletics and Recreation at John Carroll. “Pete has been an important member of the John Carroll community, and has impacted our basketball success, both as a student and a coach. His connections in Cleveland and efforts to recruit throughout the region will continue to support our enrollment efforts, and the winning tradition of our program. I am confident Pete will bring the core values of his Jesuit education, and his own vision and approach to facilitate the growth and development of our student athletes.
If the name sounds familiar, it should. Pete Moran is succeeding his father, Mike Moran, who retired after this past season which was the last of a 25-year tenure at the helm of the JCU men’s basketball team. The Blue Streaks have made the NCAA Tournament in two of the last three seasons with the younger Moran on the staff. John Carroll won the 2016 OAC Tournament.
“This time of year, many coaches stand behind a podium and say how incredibly excited they are for the opportunity to lead a program,” said Pete Moran. “However, I can say with a hundred percent certainty that no one means it as much as I do. John Carroll University is responsible for all the good that has happened in my life. Relationships with former teammates that continue to grow, coaching staff in which became family, memories of playing in the final four with my brother Matt and the night I met my wife in Grasselli Library, on campus. I can’t think of a greater service to the university then to lead this program into its next chapter.”
Prior to joining the John Carroll staff, Moran was the head coach of Berkshire High School in Burton, Ohio from 2008-11. In his time at Berkshire, Moran led the Badgers to three Chagrin Valley Conference (CVC) titles and two district championships (2010, 2011). He was named CVC Coach of the Year three times, OHSAA Division III District Coach of the Year twice (2009, 2011), and News-Herald Coach of the Year in 2010.
Moran has spent the last six years as the boys’ golf coach at Lake Catholic High School, where he taught physical education and health.
As a player, Moran was part of the most successful stretch of men’s basketball in John Carroll program history. He was a four-year starter and three-time All-OAC point guard for the Blue and Gold. In 107 games, he averaged 10.3 points per game and 3.8 assists.
Moran ranks fourth all-time in career assists, racking up 403 for the Blue Streaks. His 92 starts are the fifth-most in program history.
He started 26 games as a freshman on the 2003-04 team that advanced to the national semifinal, which remains the best finish in program history. Moran would start on two other teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament, reaching the “Sweet Sixteen” in both 2005 and 2007.
“The success of this program has never been about the where, what, when or how … but the who,” said Moran. “We will continue to recruit quality student-athletes who represent the university’s values in the classroom, in the community, and on the basketball court. My career to date has been a compilation of experiences aimed at making a positive difference in the lives of student-athletes, preparing them for life after the basketball court. I am grateful for the opportunity John Carroll has given me to continue to live out my passion and lead the program at this pivotal point.
“The imminent goal is to continue the winning legacy that the program has already established, but the measure of success will truly be in the caliber of individuals who come through the program.”
Moran earned his Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science from John Carroll in 2008. He earned a Master’s degree in Physical Education, Health, and Recreation from Emporia State University in 2016.
He is the son of former John Carroll head basketball coach Mike Moran, who won 459 games and won 14 OAC titles in 25 years at the helm of the Blue Streaks program. Pete Moran and his wife Christina (Saluan) Moran, PhD ’07 have two sons, Thomas and Ernest.
“I wish to thank Laurie Massa, Mark McCarthy (Vice President of Student Affairs), the athletic department for supporting the program over the last several decades and the committee involved for the professionalism they demonstrated throughout process,” said Moran. “Additionally, I want to thank the broader university and local community for the support they’ve shown to me and my family currently as well as over the last 25 years and to the men ‘s basketball coaching staff for their support and loyalty shown towards my father and being a part of the transition of my father’s retirement. Then there is my family, who mean everything to me … my wife Christina, my siblings Bridgette, Joe, Pat, Matt and Jane, and my parents who raised me to be the best version of myself. I only wish my children will look at me through the same lenses that I look through when I look at my mother and father.”
Moran will inherit two starters and seven letterwinners from last year’s team that finished 17-8 overall and 14-4 in the OAC.
