CoachesCoaches

HEAD COACH
LANCE LOYA

Lance Loya begins his seventh year as head coach of the Mounties in 2009-10, making him the longest tenured head coach in the history of the College's men's basketball program.

Loya entered the collegiate coaching ranks at Mount Aloysius College at the age of 27, which made him at the time one of the youngest head coaches in the nation.  In his first season as men's basketball coach, the Mounties showed signs of promise, despite finishing the season with a record of 5-20. 

It did not take long for the program to experience a heightened level of growth, however, as they quickly improved to 12-13 in 2005-06.

Loya's teams have consistently been the top scoring team in the conference, frequently topping the triple digit plateau.  Since adopting an up-tempo style of play, the crowds and enthusiasm at Mounties games have grown significantly. Loya was instrumental in the development of the Mountie Maniac student cheering section.

Though innovative in his coaching techniques, Loya's philosophies are still deeply grounded in a strict adherence to discipline and good sportsmanship.  His efforts to instill these values in the Mounties men's basketball program were recognized in 2007 by the Collegiate Basketball Officials Association (CBOA), as he was presented with the Schoenfeld Award for sportsmanship, character, and ethics. 

Loya is committed to community and charity involvement.  Each year, his team's participate in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic and he also organizes the Coaches vs. Cancer coaching clinic.  Loya has additionally become a popular guest speaker at area civic functions and school banquets. 

As a player, the former Garrett Community College and University of South Carolina-Upstate point guard garnered a reputation for being a "coach" on the court and true student of the game, earning Academic All-American honors in 1998.  However, Loya's transition from player to coach has seen some unconventional twists.

Before taking over the Mount Aloysius reins, Loya served for two years as the head boys varsity basketball coach at Berlin Brothersvalley High School.  But prior to that, he made use of his enthusiastic personality as a morning show disc jockey for Power 99.1 radio's "Morning Zoo."

Coach Loya's unparalleled love for the game of basketball has literally spanned the globe.  Having spent time overseas, he has worked diligently to develop a close relationship with several European basketball organizations, and is committed to helping the game of basketball grow in worldwide popularity.

Loya holds a bachelors degree in Theatre, and a masters degree in Sports Management. He and his wife Rachel reside in nearby Johnstown, PA, along with their daughter Laken. 

Contact Coach Loya
(814) 886-6314