Indiana University of Pennsylvania Athletics

During his time as the head coach of the IUP men’s basketball program, Joe Lombardi has proven to be the most consistent and dominant coach in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, and one of the most recognized and respected not only the Atlantic Region, but the entire nation. He enters his 18th season at IUP in 2023-24. 

In 17 seasons, Lombardi has a 400-108 (.787) overall record with 12 NCAA tournament appearances, seven PSAC tournament titles (2010, 2011, 2013, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023), three Atlantic Region Championships (2010, 2015, 2022) and two Division II National Championship Game appearances (2010, 2015). He boasts a 245-57 record in conference games and has won 12 PSAC West regular season titles, including a record five straight on two occasions - 2010-14 and 2016-20. Lombardi has also been the top postseason coach in IUP history with a combined record of 51-19 (.728) in PSAC and NCAA tournament games.

Lombardi was named National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division II Atlantic District Coach of the Year for the fourth time in the last four seasons (2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23). Lombardi is IUP's all-time winningest coach, while his 400 wins are most among active PSAC coaches and fifth in conference history. 

Lombardi has led IUP to 14 straight PSAC tournaments and 12 NCAA tournaments during his tenure. 
 
Lombardi became the all-time winningest coach in program history with a 72-64 victory over the University of the Sciences on November 27, 2015. The win was his 207th, which broke his tie with Gary Edwards for most all-time. Edwards went 206-88 (.701) in 10 seasons at IUP.

With IUP's divisional-title clinching win at Edinboro February 27, 2019, Lombardi secured his 300th career victory, becoming the fastest coach in conference history to reach that milestone. He picked up his 400th career victory in the NCAA Tournament against Virginia Union on March 12, 2023 at the Kovalchick Complex. 

Lombardi has coached multiple individual successes during his time at IUP, including a Division II National Player of the Year, 11 All-Americans, 13 All-Atlantic Region selections, 11 PSAC West Athletes of the Year, six PSAC West Freshmen of the Year, and 37 All-PSAC West selections. Five of his players are ranked in the top-six scorers in IUP history while he also has coached players who hold the top eight spots in games played, top three in career assists and the top two in blocks.
 
Darryl Webb was a two-time All-American (2010-11) in addition to being named the NABC Division II National Player of the Year in 2011. Other All-Americans include Thomas Young and Webb in 2010; Ashton Smith in 2012; Devante Chance in 2015; Brandon Norfleet in 2016; Jacobo Diaz in 2017 and 2019; Anthony Glover, Jr. in 2018; Malik Miller in 2020; and Shawndale Jones 2023.
 
Five players have also played in the Reese’s Division II Challenge College All-Star Game: Jones (2023), Diaz (2019), Norfleet (2016), Marcel Souberbielle (2014), Smith (2012) and Webb (2011).

Lombardi continued guiding IUP through an unprecedented run in 2022-23, posting a 32-2 mark while going 21-1 in PSAC play. The Hawks won the PSAC West once again and captured the program's fourth straight conference championship, dispatching Mercyhurst in a defensive slugfest during a 54-53 win on March 5, 2023 at Shippensburg. 

The conference crown marked the seventh conference title and 13th in program history. 

IUP was named the top seed for the 2023 NCAA DII Atlantic Region Tournament for the fourth consecutive season, hosting the tournament at the KCAC. Lombardi was named the PSAC West Coach of the Year for the fifth time and second consecutive season. Shawndale Jones became the eighth straight IUP player - and 11th in the last 13 years - to earn Athlete of the Year honors in the PSAC. 

Jones joined Dave Morris and Tomiwa Sulaiman as All-PSAC West First Team selections for the 2022-23 campaign. Jones received D2CCA All-Atlantic Region honors, joining Morris on the 2022-23 NABC All-District Team. Again, Lombardi was awarded as the NABC District Coach of the Year award, securing his 400th career victory in the 2023 NCAA DII Atlantic Region Semifinals against Virginia Union. 

Jones, who returned from a season-ending injury in 2021-22, received All-American honors by the D2CCA and NABC. Jones was named a participant in the 2023 NCAA DII Reese's All-Star Game in  March 2023. 

After playing just three games in 2020-21, IUP returned to the court for a full season in 2021-22. IUP won the program's third consecutive PSAC Championship with a 63-52 triumph against Millersville on March 6, 2022 at the KCAC. The win marked Lombardi's sixth conference title and 12th all-time in program history. 

It was all part of a 33-3 season for IUP that included an Atlantic Region title as the top overall seed at the KCAC and a run to the NCAA DII Final Four. 

Lombardi was named the PSAC West Coach of the Year on March 4, 2022, later earning NABC Atlantic District Coach of the Year honors on March 21, 2022. 

IUP had a trio of All-PSAC West First Team selections in Armoni Foster, Dave Morris and Ethan Porterfield. Additionally, Tomiwa Sulaiman was chosen as the league's Freshman of the Year with Foster landed PSAC West Player of the Year honors. 

Foster and Porterfield landed D2CCA All-Region honors and NABC All-District laurels. Foster was named an All-American by the NABC as a finalst for the National Player of the Year. 

Lombardi and the Crimson Hawks followed up a historic season with another one in 2019-20.

On the strength of a diverse roster and Lombardi's coaching, IUP went back-to-back, winning the program's second straight - and 11th all-time - PSAC tournament championship with a 77-59 win at Shippensburg on March 8. The Crimson Hawks took that title and a 28-2 overall record into the NCAA tournament as the No. 1 seed and host of the Division II Atlantic Region Championships for a second consecutive year. 

It was Lombardi's fifth PSAC tournament championship, the most of any coach in program history. He also led the Crimson Hawks to the program's fifth straight PSAC West regular season title, a conference record, with a 20-2 division mark. It actually tied IUP's own record, originally setting it after five straight division titles between 2010-14. 

Unfortunately, Lombardi and the Hawks would not be able to realize their goals as the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the tournament and college sports for the rest of the semester. 

The Crimson Hawks started and finished the year in the top-25 for the second straight time and eighth time during Lombardi's tenure. Reaching has high as third in the NABC poll on December 17, IUP finished the year ranked sixth in the nation. 

IUP had three long win streaks sandwiched around its two losses - winning nine straight twice and 10 consecutive to end the season. The Crimson Hawks also boasted an undefeated home record (16-0) for the first time since going 18-0 in 2009-10. 

Lombardi was named the NABC Atlantic Region Coach of the Year for the second straight season. He coached senior guard Malik Miller to All-American, all-district, and PSAC West Athlete of the Year honors. Sophomore guard Armoni Foster also earned all-district honors and forward Ethan Porterfield was named PSAC West Freshman of the Year. 

IUP also finished the year ranked third in Division II in total attendance, drawing nearly 33,000 visitors for the 2019-20 season.
 

The Crimson Hawks' 2018-19 campaign was one of the finest in program history. Led by Atlantic Region Co-Coach of the Year Lombardi, IUP won the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division regular season title and the conference tournament championship, and finished the regular season as the No. 2-ranked team in the NABC Top 25 Coaches Poll. The regular season division title was the seventh straight for Lombardi and his ninth in the last 10 seasons. The PSAC tournament championship was Lombardi's fourth and the 10th in program history.

Lombardi guided the men's basketball program to a 30-3 overall record in. It was just the third time in program history that the Crimson Hawks posted a 30-win season, the most of any PSAC school in league history.

After an impressive showing on national television in an 86-64 exhibition loss to No. 2-ranked Kentucky, the Crimson Hawks started their regular season with 14 straight wins including a 7-0 record against one of the top non-conference schedules in the nation. They won six straight games to close out the regular season and went 3-0 on their own floor during the conference tournament.
 
The Crimson Hawks finished the regular season as the No. 2 ranked team in the NABC Division II Coaches' Poll, the highest end-of-year ranking for the program since it's 2009-10 national finalist season.                         

With the PSAC title in-hand, Lombardi and the Crimson Hawks earned the No. 1 seed and hosting responsibilities for the 2019 NCAA Division II Atlantic Region Championships. It marked just the second time ever – and first since the 2009-10 season – that IUP hosted the regional tournament. IUP defeated West Chester 74-65 in the opening round of the NCAA tournament but fell to eventual regional champ Mercyhurst in the round of 32.
 
 Lombardi saw three players – seniors Jacobo Diaz and Dante Lombardi and junior Malik Miller – earned first team All-PSAC West honors. It was just the second time in program history that IUP players earned top billing in the division (1995). Diaz and Lombardi were also all-region selections, while Diaz was a unanimous first team All-American.
 

Lombardi wrapped up his 12th season at the helm in 2017-18, leading the Crimson Hawks to the program's third straight and eighth PSAC West regular season championship under his watch. IUP finished the year with a 22-8 overall record, including an 18-4 mark in the conference. With two starters out of the lineup, IUP's season ended prematurely with a loss to Edinboro in the PSAC quarterfinals. 

Anthony Glover, Jr. earned fourth team All-American honors (Division II Bulletin) and was named the PSAC West Athlete of the Year as he posted one of the best scoring seasons in program history with 584 points and 20.1 points per game. Glover also broke the IUP single season 3-point record with 100. Juniors Jacobo Diaz and Dante Lombardi also earned All-PSAC West honors. 

Lombardi led the Crimson Hawks to the postseason (PSAC and or NCAA tournaments) for the ninth straight year in 2016-17. For the third time in his career, Lombardi was named the PSAC West Coach of the Year, after guiding IUP to its ninth consecutive 20-win season. The Crimson Hawks finished the season 28-4 and advanced to the semifinals of the PSAC tournament for the seventh time in his tenure. IUP also returned to the NCAA tournament, earning the fourth seed in the Atlantic region.

The Crimson Hawks won the PSAC West regular season title with a 21-1 conference record. The 21 wins are the most regular season conference wins in PSAC history. IUP has won or shared the PSAC West seven times under Lombardi.

IUP had a historic 18-game winning streak from mid-December through the PSAC tournament in March. During the run, IUP moved up in each of the NABC Division II Coaches Top 25 polls, going from No. 21 at the end of December to No. 2 in the beginning of March. It was the best team ranking for IUP since being voted No. 2 in the 2010-11 preseason Top 25. 

Sophomore forward Jacobo Diaz became the third straight IUP player to be named PSAC West Athlete of the Year. Dante Lombardi and Anthony Glover also earned All-PSAC West honors, landing on the first and second teams, respectively.
 

In 2015-16, Lombardi led IUP to its eighth consecutive 20-win season as the Crimson Hawks finished the season 21-8 and a share of the PSAC West and advanced to the semifinals of the PSAC tournament for the sixth time in his tenure.

Lombardi mentored guard Brandon Norfleet who was named an All-American by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), the Division II Bulletin and Basketball Times. Norfleet also started for the East team that defeated the West, 120-107 at the 2016 Reese’s Division II College All-Star Game in Frisco, Texas where he scored five points added four assists and two rebounds in 21 minutes. Norfleet was also named the PSAC West Athlete of the Year. Dante Lombardi was named PSAC West Freshman of the Year while Daddy Ugbede earned All-PSAC West second team laurels.
 

In 2014-15 Lombardi lead the Crimson Hawks to the program’s second Division II national championship game appearance in the last six seasons. The NCAA tournament appearance was the seventh straight for IUP under Lombardi, as the Crimson Hawks finished the year with a 31-7 overall record and its second Atlantic Regional Championship since 2010.
 
The run to the Elite Eight in 2015 began with a heartbreaking, last second loss to Gannon on the Golden Knights’ home floor in the PSAC Championship. IUP would go on to earn the third seed in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Region Championships, defeating sixth-seed Glenville State 73-53 in the opening round. The Crimson Hawks then took down seventh-seed Slippery Rock 73-65 to advance to the program’s ninth all-time Sweet 16 appearance, the fourth under Lombardi.
 
IUP faced a familiar foe in the Atlantic Regional Championship in West Liberty, the top seed and host of the regional tournament. IUP and West Liberty had squared off four times in the previous five postseasons, with the Hilltoppers winning each of the last three meetings, two of those for the regional title. This year was different, as the Crimson Hawks’ defense shut down National Player of the Year Seger Bonifant (10 points) and West Liberty’s high-scoring offense and used a late three-pointer by Brandon Norfleet in a 77-74 victory.
 
The Crimson Hawks headed to Evansville, Ind. and the Elite Eight, where they continued to grind out wins, defeating Azusa Pacific (Calif.) 69-65 in the quarterfinals before mounting a late second half comeback in a 72-68 victory over Tarleton State (Tex.) to advance to the national championship. IUP trailed TSU 49-39 with 10:04 left to play, but rallied with a 12-0 run over the next 4:34 to secure the victory.
 
The hard-nosed Crimson Hawks continued to the national championship, where they limited a high-scoring Florida Southern team offensively, but were ultimately denied the program’s first national title in a 77-62 loss.
 
Lombardi saw the career of Devante Chance come to an end in 2015, arguably one of the top point guards in program history. Chance was named to the prestigious NABC All-American Team as one of the top 16 players in Division II, averaging a team-high 16.5 points per game with a school record 217 assists. He was also a first team All-Atlantic Region selection, the PSAC West Athlete of the Year, and was on the Elite Eight and Atlantic Region All-Tournament teams.

Newcomer Shawn Dyer, who had transferred to IUP after playing three seasons at West Liberty, was named second team All-PSAC West. He was also named the Atlantic Region Tournament MVP and to the Elite Eight All-Tournament Team.
 
IUP opened the season ranked 15th in the NABC Top 25 and remain ranked by a national poll every remaining week of the season, reaching as high as fifth entering December. The Crimson Hawks entered the NCAA tournament ranked 25th in the nation, marking the sixth consecutive season with a top 25 finish.
 
The Crimson Hawks’ win over Glenville State in the opening round of the NCAA tournament was the 200th career victory for Lombardi. He became the third fastest coach in program history to reach the mark and the second quickest in PSAC history.  
 

2009-10 was an historic season that ended with the Crimson Hawks coming within one win of the first NCAA national championship in any sport in school history. IUP won the Atlantic Region title by sweeping Fairmont State, West Virginia State and West Liberty at Memorial Field House to advance to the Elite Eight in Springfield, Mass., for the first time since 2002. The Crimson Hawks then defeated Valdosta State and St. Cloud State before losing to Cal Poly Pomona in the championship game that was televised nationally by CBS.

IUP won a school-record 33 games against only three losses, set a PSAC record with 13 Western Division wins in 14 contests and won the conference tournament championship with victories over Gannon, East Stroudsburg and Kutztown to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

The Crimson Hawks were ranked No. 2 in the nation at the end of the season by the National Association of Basketball Coaches, the school's highest national ranking since being No. 1 early in the 1995-96 season. IUP is one of only two teams from the PSAC to play in the men's basketball championship game and the first since Cheyney in 1978.

For his team's accomplishments, Lombardi was named the PSAC West Coach of the Year, the first for an IUP men's basketball coach in 15 years, and was selected the Basketball Times Division II National Coach of the Year.
 

The Crimson Hawks have been on an incredible run over the last 11 years under the guidance of Lombardi, compiling an overall record of 292-58 (.834) with 10 PSAC West regular season titles, five conference tournament championships, four NCAA Sweet 16 appearances, two Atlantic Region titles and two appearances in the national championship game. IUP has averaged nearly 27 overall wins per year and has a conference win percentage of 85 percent during that time. 
 
IUP is also just one of three teams in the country to finish ranked in the top 25 nationally over a three-year span from 2014-16. 

Lombardi has been named the PSAC West Coach of the Year on three occasions (2010, 2012, 2017), in addition to being named the Basketball Times Division II Coach of the Year after IUP’s first national title appearance in 2010 and regional coach of the year in 2019 and 2020. 
 
Lombardi took over a program wracked by NCAA probation in 2006-07 and finished with a record of 6-21 that season. IUP improved to 13 wins the following year and made a return trip to the PSAC tournament before beginning its leap to national prominence in 2008-09.
 

When Lombardi was hired at IUP in April 2006, he brought with him more than 20 years of coaching experience including 21 on the Division I level and the previous three as an assistant at Pitt under head coach Jamie Dixon.

Lombardi has strong western Pennsylvania and Indiana connections. He also boasts a wealth of East Coast ties that he has built over his successful career. He grew up in Sharon, PA, graduated from Kennedy Christian (now Kennedy Catholic) High School in 1977, and his wife, Janet, is a native of Indiana. Lombardi was an assistant coach at IUP from 1984-87 under head coach Tom Beck.

Lombardi helped Pitt post a record of 76-22 from 2003-06. The Panthers advanced to the championship game of the 2004 and 2005 Big East tournaments and made a third consecutive trip to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA tournament at the end of the 2003-04 season when Pitt set a school record by going 31-5 and won the Big East regular season title.

Before arriving at Pitt, Lombardi gained a reputation for helping to build overachieving basketball programs. Lombardi served a two-year stint as an assistant at LaSalle from 2001-03 where he worked closely with former All-NBA rookie selection Rasual Butler.

Prior to LaSalle, Lombardi spent nine seasons at Saint Bonaventure where he was an assistant coach from 1992-96 and associate head coach from 1996-01. Lombardi helped the Bonnies go 21-10, reach the Atlantic 10 title game and play in the NCAA tournament in 2000. Saint Bonaventure also made appearances in the NIT in 1995, 1998 and 2001. Lombardi was instrumental in recruiting J.R. Bremer, an All-NBA Rookie Team honorable mention selection with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

After leaving IUP in 1987, Lombardi coached at Saint Francis from 1987-92 and was the assistant head coach his final three seasons with the Red Flash. During his tenure, Saint Francis registered its best seasons in 20 years, including records of 17-10 in 1989-90 and 24-8 the next year when it won the Northeast Conference title and played in the NCAA tournament. Lombardi tutored Mike Iuzzolino, an NBA draft pick of the Dallas Mavericks, during his time at Saint Francis.

His first coaching stops were as a graduate assistant at Ohio University in 1981-82 and one year at his alma mater, Youngstown State, in 1982-83. Lombardi came to IUP in 1984 and helped the team turn a 12-15 record the previous year into a 17-10 slate in 1984-85.

Lombardi was a four-year letterman at Youngstown State from 1977-81, serving as team captain in his junior and senior seasons. He graduated with honors with a degree in education from 1981 and then embarked on a coaching career that has brought him back to IUP.

Lombardi has international coaching experience as a member of the 1992 Pan American National Team coaching staff which participated in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament of the Americas against the United States' "Dream Team."

Joe and Janet Lombardi are the parents of sons Dominic - an assistant coach at Morehead State - and Dante, and daughter Alyssa.


Year-by-Year Record at IUP (through 2022-23 season)