Coaches

Frank Marcinek, Head Coach
(570) 372-4230 - marcinek@susqu.edu

Frank Marcinek begins his 19th season on the sidelines as the winningest coach in the program’s 103-season history.

When the Crusaders defeated Penn State Altoona 89-77 in the 2003-04 season opener, Marcinek surpassed the mark of 201 wins set by his predecessor, longtime head coach and director of athletics Don Harnum. His 245-207 record translates into the best winning percentage by any Crusader coach at .542.

During his tenure, Marcinek has guided 10 of his 18 teams to the Middle Atlantic/Commonwealth Conference playoffs, including the 2006-07 squad, with 13 of those teams finishing with winning records.

In 2002-03, his efforts were recognized by his colleagues as Marcinek was named Commonwealth Conference Coach of the Year for the first time in his career after leading the Crusaders to an 18-8 record and the league regular-season championship.

The Crusaders have made two trips to the NCAA Division III playoffs (1991-92 and 1993-94), won MAC overall titles in 1989-90 and 1992-93, captured the MAC Northern Division crown in 1991-92 and won Commonwealth Conference regular-season titles in 1995-96 and 2002-03.

Prior to becoming head coach, Marcinek served five years as an assistant under Harnum. During that time, the Crusaders made three NCAA trips, winning two MAC Northern Division titles. He was also an assistant for two seasons (1986-88) at Ithaca College while he earned his master of science degree in physical education.

In addition to his coaching duties, Marcinek has served as an assistant director of athletics since September 2003.

A 1981 graduate of Penn State with a bachelor of science degree in physical education, Marcinek and his wife, Cindy, live in Shamokin with their sons, Frank, Jr., who joins his father at Susquehanna this season, and Scott.

Chad Bailey, Assistant Coach

Chad Bailey begins his seventh season on the Crusader coaching staff and is involved in all aspects of recruiting.

A native of Mifflinburg and a 1988 graduate of Mifflinburg High School, Bailey began his collegiate career at York College before transferring to Lycoming. He graduated in 1992 from Lycoming with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and began his coaching career at Athens High School that fall.

After coaching junior varsity at Athens for one year, Bailey coached junior high basketball at Milton Middle School for several years before becoming an assistant at Penn College in Williamsport for the 1999-2000 season.

During the 2000-01 season, Bailey returned to Lycoming and served as an assistant coach before coming to Susquehanna for the 2001-02 season.

Bailey, an eighth-grade math teacher at Milton Middle School, is also the head golf coach at Milton High School. He resides in Lewisburg with his wife, Jocelyn.

Dave Brown, Assistant Coach
(570) 372-4476 - browndave@susqu.edu

Dave Brown enters his third season as an assistant coach with the Crusaders in 2007-08.

Brown is a native of New York City where he played for legendary high school coach Pee Wee Kirkland at the Dwight School, then attended Colgate for two years and played for Jack Bruen before transferring to Connecticut College, where he started at center for a Camel squad that won 37 games in his two seasons.

After graduating from Connecticut College in 2002, Brown coached one year at The Collegiate School before moving to John Jay as an assistant where he helped the squad to a school-record 21 victories during the 2003-04 season. Brown was also involved with recruiting and strength and conditioning while at John Jay.

Most recently, Brown spent a year-and-a-half working at Five-Star Basketball as the Director of Development, where his responsibilities included strengthening the relationships between Five-Star and high school programs along with recruiting new programs to camp.

Brown resides in Lewisburg as he pursues a masters degree in education at Bucknell.

Jim Bechtel, Assistant Coach
(570) 372-4535 - bechtel@susqu.edu

Jim Bechtel begins his third year as an assistant coach with the Crusaders after serving as a graduate assistant coach at Coastal Carolina in 2004-05.

Bechtel is a 1996 graduate of Xavier High School in Middletown, Connecticut. He began his collegiate career at Penn State Mont Alto where he was all-conference both years.

A 2000 graduate from Penn State University with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology, Bechtel served as an assistant strength and conditioning coach at Penn State working with all 28 varsity sports for two years before returning to Xavier as the head junior varsity basketball coach.

He earned his master’s degree in physical education at Springfield College in December, 2005 and resides in Selinsgrove.