GREENVILLE, Pa.—Thiel College Director of Athletics Isaac Collins announced the hiring of Trey Austin as the next head coach of the men's basketball program.
Austin joins the Tomcats after two seasons as head coach at Penn State Fayette, where he led one of the program's most significant turnarounds in recent years and guided the Roaring Lions to their first postseason appearance and playoff victory in more than a decade.
During his time at Penn State Fayette, Austin improved the team's record from 7-18 to 12-10 while developing conference award winners and multiple all-conference selections. His teams were known for a high-tempo style of play, strong offensive production and an aggressive defensive approach that consistently created turnovers and scoring opportunities.
Austin also brings experience from the NCAA Division II level, having served three seasons as an assistant coach at Frostburg State University. A former student-athlete at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, he has also worked extensively in player development and AAU basketball, helping mentor athletes who advanced to collegiate and professional levels. Austin succeeds longtime head coach Tim Loomis, who retired after 20 seasons leading the Tomcats.
"After an extensive national search that attracted an outstanding pool of candidates, we are excited to welcome Trey as our as the next men's basketball head coach at Thiel," Collins said. "Throughout every stage of the interview process, Coach Austin consistently demonstrated the qualities we were seeking in our next leader. He presented a clear vision for building a championship-caliber Division III program centered on recruiting, retention, player development, accountability and meaningful relationships. More importantly, he showed a detailed and measurable plan for how he intends to turn that vision into reality."
About Thiel College
Thiel College is an independent college founded in the Lutheran tradition. Located in Greenville, Pa., the College offers 60 majors and minors, 24 varsity sports, and an 11:1 student-faculty ratio. The College is also home to a new Master of Science in speech-language pathology and 2Master of Business Administration. Both master’s degree programs offer innovative and accelerated five-year paths which allow students to earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree in five years. The speech-language pathology program also has an accelerated 15-month graduate-level program. The M.B.A. program also has a 12-month post-graduate program.A dedicated faculty paired with dynamic research and internship opportunities produce numerous graduate school and job placements. Coeducational from its beginnings, the College remains committed to combining tradition with innovation as it celebrates 150 years.