A New Standard

A letter from the coach's desk with the latest news and information about the LMU Men's Basketball program straight from Head Coach Stan Johnson. Follow Coach Stan's first year on the bluff here and on social media - @lmulionsmbb & @LMUStanJohnson.

Here we are, in the last week of the regular season of WCC play. It’s hard for me to imagine how much time has gone by so quickly. This season has been like no other that I’ve experienced in my many years in this profession for so many reasons, but the very obvious being Covid-19.

I’m beyond thankful to so many people behind the scenes here at our university and in our Athletic Department that have worked tirelessly to keep our team safe and to ensure that we were able to have a season. Without them, none of what our team, and all of the many sports teams, are doing would be possible. To all of you, from the bottom of my heart, I say thank you.

It’s been a crazy ride for us: Two different Covid-pauses, injuries that have been devastating like the loss of Dameane Douglas and Quentin Jackson, Jr. for the season as well as Kodye Pugh battling to stay healthy and on the court all season for us, and playing a game like we did against the University of San Francisco last week with only six available players (due to injuries) and our point guard Jalin Anderson fouling out, leaving us with five players to finish the game, has been incredible. In all those situations, this team has made no excuses, and has found a way to win.

The game against San Francisco was as great a victory as I’ve ever experienced in my career. With all the odds against us, our team responded. It’s who they are and what we’re building here at LMU. As I write you, we sit at 6-4 in the league, and tied for 3rd place with Pepperdine heading into our matchup in Malibu on Thursday. I’m thrilled for our players that in the last week of the regular season, they are playing for something bigger, and are in the thick of things in one of the best conferences in the country. This is what I want our program to be about now, and forever.

More than anything, we are at this point because this team has bought into the type of “culture” we want to uphold as a program. It’s my belief that if you get the culture right, the other stuff like winning, or building a brand that people want to be associated with, or empowering passionate people around you will happen on its own. We have a lot of work to do, but we are on our way. The best part of our story has not been told yet. Let’s get ready for a crazy March Madness!!

Yours in Basketball, 
Coach Stan
 

The last time I wrote to you, our team was in the middle of a quarantine during Christmas break and our nonconference schedule was over. I’m happy to let you know everyone in the program is healthy and we are back on the court doing what we all love most, which is competing. 

When I took this job, I made a promise to myself that we would fight every day to establish the kind of culture that would produce long-term success even if that meant taking some short-term losses. At the end of the season the most important question I need an answer to is do we have a selfless, connected, and relentless program. I can tell you in the last month I’ve seen signs of our program truly growing in those areas.

After getting off quarantine, our team had a day and a half to get ready to play against a well-coached, and talented San Francisco team. To go in and not only play well, but win the game demonstrates that our culture is growing in the positive manner. We understand in this program that no championship is ever won on Plan A and that the harder it gets, the better it is for us. To me, that means we have to always be ready to adapt to the fluidity that Covid provides every day in every way, but also the adversity that the season itself generates.

Prior to our Santa Clara game last week, we found out that two of our starters, Dameane Douglas and Joe Quintana would be out of the lineup. Winning is hard enough, but winning without two talented players like that is extremely difficult. That’s a night we will look back on years from now and as a staff say “that’s the moment our culture shifted”. Although the scoreboard did not have LMU with more points than our opponent, we did get better and we had guys really step up to give us an opportunity to win that game. Kodye Pugh is one of those guys who stepped up, playing 36 minutes in the game after his season-high was 6 minutes. Here’s a young man who has had to fight for over a year with a knee injury just to be able to play. It’s high character actions like that which allow me to believe we are on the right track. 

On Monday, with a shortened roster again, our guys went on the road versus Portland and came away with the program’s largest victory in the West Coast Conference since 1990-91. Adversity does not build character, it reveals it. I’m very impressed by what is being revealed from our players, coaches, support staff, and administrators. The next three games are all on the road. Starting with San Diego on Saturday, we get an opportunity to find out a little more about ourselves.
 

Yours in Basketball, 
Coach Stan

It’s my hope that all of you had a Merry Christmas. It’s been a month since the last time I wrote to you and boy has a lot happened for our program during the span. We won our first game at the buzzer versus Southern Utah University, which is my alma mater, and we’ve battled our way through the next seven games against some tremendous programs. At the break, we sit here with an overall record of 5-3. A bounce here, and a bounce there, and we may have found ourselves with at least one fewer loss. 

I’m proud of the fight and togetherness our team has showed in these unprecedented times. Every day brings something new and another adverse situation to overcome. This Christmas, we had two positive tests in our program. I’m glad to report that we all are doing well. But with those positives, that means we are on pause for at least ten days. Our games versus USC and first league game against Santa Clara are now canceled and postponed. We’ve gone back to the motto we established in the summer, “Win The Wait.” While we wait to get back on the court, we are using zoom to stay connected by evaluating the areas of strength and weakness with our program, we want to be a better team after we are cleared to play. Every day we meet on zoom and break down our offense, defense, and culture in order to grow stronger.

Our guys have had a great approach and have handled this with tremendous enthusiasm. This we know will be a part of an amazing story when we get to the finish line. Everything I’ve asked this team to do, they’ve tried, and bought in to. Academically, they have excelled. This semester our program is over a 3.0 cumulative grade point average. That is tremendous. To perform in the classroom when they are dealing with so much in terms of the change COVID has made in their daily lives by not being able to see their families and friends, and being the only ones on campus for most of the year tells you all you need to know about these guys. I’m proud to be their coach, and I’m confident in who we are going to be. Because when you’re faithful in the little things like our team has been, the big things will follow. Hope you have the best New Year in 2021. It’s my prayer that this time next year we will be together rallying around Loyola Marymount University Basketball.

Happy New Year,
Coach Stan

Today is a big day for our program. Why? Because it’s our next game. We must be a next game, next play program. The season is a marathon and in order for us to be at our best, we must stay present and be in the moment. Given the current state of our world as we deal with COVID, nothing is more important than staying present and taking it one day at a time, one game at a time. As you look around the country at the amount of games being canceled, and the amount of teams being impacted by this virus, it’s important for our program to understand each opportunity (game) we get is a gift because nothing on our schedule is guaranteed to happen.

That will be our approach from today, until the end of this journey. I’m excited to see who we are today. I’m excited to get to know my team at a deeper level. I’m excited to see who we are when the lights are on, and when the bullets are flying. Nothing strengthens you and pushes you to your limit more than competition. The program we face tonight is well coached, talented, and tough. We have tremendous respect for who they are and what they are building. This game will require our best and will expose the areas we need to improve in order to become who we want. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but… It’s Game Day for your Lions.

P.S.

 Because of the attention the season requires, I will be pushing this blog to once every month until the season is over, at that point, I will return to once every two weeks. Thank you for all your support and allowing me into Lion Nation.

Two weeks from today, the ball will be in the air as we begin our journey into the 2020-21 season. It’s hard for me to believe how fast time has gone from March 20th, the day I was hired, until today as I sit here writing this blog. Ready or not, the season is upon us and it stops for no one.

For our program we must use the next 14 days and embrace truth. We must be a team that believes that truth helps rather than truth hurts. These next weeks are important in being honest with one another as we examine the things we must stop, start, and continue in order for us to grow both individually and collectively. With the nonconference schedule we are putting together, we will find out very quickly who we are and what we need to work on in order to get ready for WCC play. The thing I respect most about the battle field, it always reveals the truth. We have spent a lot of time over our last 22 practices adding a lot to our offensive, defensive, and special teams system. The next two weeks will be more about refining what we have in place and getting better at the execution part, than it will be putting in something new. 

We are excited to play someone other than ourselves, there’s no doubt about that. With so much uncertainty that surrounds the season with COVID issues, it puts a microscope on the importance of each game on the schedule. Every game that we are allowed to play must be treated like gold. It cannot be taken for granted, because you never know how many of those opportunities we may get. With that being said, we will treat each game as the biggest game on our schedule. Why? Because it’s the next game. That is my hope. That we will be a next game, next possession, next stop, next play program. The next game for us is Wednesday Nov 25thvs. Southern Utah, hope you will tune in. 
 

Yours in Basketball, 
Coach Stan

We are 29 days from tip-off and it feels as if time is moving faster than a speeding bullet. With so few days left between now and our first game, we have a lot of getting better to do. One of the great challenges of this season, for every team across the country, will be rolling right into November 25th with no scrimmages and exhibition games as a way to prepare for the beginning of non-conference action. With that being the case, we can’t have any wasted practices and our attention to detail has to be at an all-time high. Our staff is pushing every day to raise the urgency level within our team and to put as much pressure on them as possible to simulate some of the adverse situations that a game creates. My hope is within the next few weeks the ones who create the most urgency within our program will be our players. When we get to a point where we are a player led program, the things we hope to become will have a greater chance of becoming a reality.

Starting this week, Saturdays will be treated like a game. We will not only scrimmage, but also go through how we walk through our opponent’s system, how we warm up, sit on the bench during timeouts, what our huddles should look like on stop actions, how we sub into games, and how we handle officiating. My hope is to use Saturdays as a way to create all that a game day requires, so when our first game comes around, we are as prepared and equipped to handle everything that goes with it. We understand that the season is a journey, and we have to be a program that gets better as time goes by. We certainly want to be playing our best basketball at the end of the year, but we also must become a team that starts fast. I can’t wait to share with you in a couple of weeks how we’ve progressed. Hope all of you are safe. See you soon.
 

Yours in Basketball, 
Coach Stan

We are nineteen workouts in as a team headed into today, which marks the start of official practices for college basketball teams throughout the country. Although today is our official start date, Wednesdays are typically off days here. This week, we used our Monday and Tuesday workouts with our allotted CARA hours (which is 8 hours a week out the of the season) to demonstrate what an actual practice looks like and feels like in our program. This also allowed us to keep our week consistent, which means we are off today from any physical activity, and when we get back Thursday, we will be under the new twenty hour a week restriction for official practices.

I must tell you; our players are truly excited about coming to work every day, and they are trying to buy into what our staff is asking of them. We’ve asked them to not only be a team that works hard but to also become a group that competes in everything we do. Working hard gets you a ticket in the door, but competing on every play, drill, and rep builds the basketball character needed to be a winner. I’ve been pleased with the new faces we’ve added to the program and how quickly they are picking up our culture. I’ve also have been equally impressed by our returning players’ willingness to adapt to the newness of everything we are asking them to do from how we eat, communicate, and play the game. There’s no doubt in my mind that we have a group that’s eager to experience success.

These next five weeks are critical for our team as we try and expedite the process of becoming a unit without skipping the necessary steps. The biggest and most important step is our culture. We have the right bricks (people), but we MUST make sure our mortar (culture) is strong enough to endure the adversity that is ahead. That mortar is our behavior, beliefs, actions, mindset, and competitiveness. I’m excited to see who we become. I hope you are as well.

Yours in Basketball, 
Coach Stan

The last couple of weeks have produced some great news for our program. We have finally been allowed back into Gersten to begin our team workouts and we’ve been given a start date to the 2020-21 season that begins November 25th, which is fifteen days later than the regular start date of college basketball. 

Now that we have a start date to our season, we are currently working tirelessly to address the completion of our game schedule and hope to have that finalized within the next few weeks. As you can imagine with the push back of the start date, programs all across the country are working to figure out how their schedules have been impacted by such change. Scheduling has always been one of the most difficult parts of a program, and with our current landscape, it hasn’t gotten any easier.

Our team is in full blown implementation mode. We are allowed twelve hours a week right now. Four of those hours are only for time with our sports performance coach and eight hours are dedicated to basketball activities. We are working out on the floor Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday as we begin the process of implementing our offensive, defensive, and transition game philosophy. It is my hope that by the time we get to the start of the official practice, which is October 14th, our team will have a solid base and understanding of how we want to play in those areas. 

Once official practice begins, the NCAA allows us twenty hours of practice time per week, which we are really looking forward to. Change is hard, but I want you to know our guys are showing up every day with their hearts and minds in the right place. If we continue to approach each day with that kind of enthusiasm, we will have a chance to become what we all hope for. It’s my prayer today that each and every one of you are well. It’s exciting to say, College Basketball is back!

Yours in Basketball, 
Coach Stan

My thoughts and prayers go out to all those impacted by the fires in California and all over the west coast. I’m incredibly appreciative of all the brave men and women who are putting their lives on the line each and every day in order for our communities to be safe. These moments are constant reminders that the battles we face are minimal compared to so many. 

Our team just got a recent shot in the arm with the arrival of Keli Leaupepe joining us after returning from his home country of Australia. After going through his 14-day quarantine, Keli will take part in his first workout with our team tomorrow. Keli is a huge part of what we want to become as a program, so his presence will have a tremendous impact on our practices and culture.

I continue to be really proud of the approach our guys have had in an ever-changing situation. What we’ve asked them to do in terms of their unusual training (outside) mixed with how I expect them to connect and communicate with each other has been met with enthusiasm and an eagerness to learn and improve. Each week we’ve taken steps in the right direction and yes, some days have been better than others. But like I tell the guys every day: Progress is not a straight line, it’s a windy road. As long as we continue to show up with the right attitude and mindset, we will give ourselves a chance to get better.

Our team is still not in the gym because of Covid and with the recent fires we’ve had to cancel some outdoor workouts. I continue to preach that we must be ready to pivot at any moment while keeping our relentless approach as we face the unknowns. The harder things get, the better it is for us, has to be our mentality. I love who we are and what we’re becoming. I’m excited to hear at some point today when our season will officially start and what that will look like as we lead up to that start date. Know this, regardless of when we tip off and what that looks like, our program will continue to work every day to get better. Hope all of you are safe and healthy.

Yours in Basketball, 
Coach Stan

The last two weeks have been tremendous for our program. It’s been great to finally spend time with this group of guys on the court as we begin the process of improving both individually and collectively. I’ve been very impressed by the work capacity of this group and their willingness to push through adverse conditions.

As many of you know, all gyms in LA County are officially closed until further notice. For us that means our team cannot workout in the weight room or in Gersten Pavilion. Good programs find ways to get better and make zero excuses. Our approach to getting better has been setting up weights outside where each member of our team works in their individual pod, socially distancing from the next person, while wearing gloves and a mask. I must tell you, our team has attacked these sessions as if it was the norm. We’ve also put two portable baskets up on our tennis courts where we do individual workouts with each member of our team. The focus of these workouts has primarily been on fundamentals as it pertains to passing, catching, footwork, and lots of shooting.

I’m proud of the improvements we’ve made in these areas in such a short time. If this is who we are as a team over the course of the season, we will give ourselves a chance to accomplish some fun things along the way. I’ve put a lot of pressure on each of our players to become strong leaders. So, over the course of the next six weeks we will be focusing on the six C’s of Leadership in our program. Those C’s are: connection, communication, character, consistency, competence, and courage. Teams that win at a high level don’t only have people that work hard. They also have a group that understand and embody leadership at a high level. We have a long way to go as we strive to grow this program, but I’m excited about what I’ve seen over the last nine days of workouts.

Yours in Basketball, 
Coach Stan

It’s been 153 days since I took the job here at LMU. Those numbers also reflect how many days have gone by without me meeting several members of our team. Today, I’m glad to say we are back!

As much as I appreciate how much zoom and the telephone has done for our program over the last few months, nothing can replace the feeling you get by being in the presence of your team. We also understand that none of this is possible without the amazing team of people at our university, and within our athletic department that have put fourth countless hours developing a plan for such a return to campus by creating proper protocols to ensure both the safety of our team, and the entire LMU community. I want everyone involved in this process to know that our program appreciates your efforts and we are thankful for all you’ve done to make this happen.

I’ve told my team over the course of the last 153 days, “We must win the wait.” I’m proud of the fact that they have responded to that message in the classroom. Our team finished the summer with a 3.57 cumulative GPA. I’m a believer that winning starts before we take a shot or grab a rebound. It starts with the total person. Our academic achievements in challenging times tell me that we have winning people. 

I know at the end of the day I was hired to coach this team, and I understand I’ll be judged for what’s in the win or loss column. So, to be able to finally take our first step together physically, as we begin to re-imagine what success looks and feels like for our program excites me. I’ve always said success in my eyes is only success when everyone feels the win. I hope as we begin this journey together all of you will feel the win and the role you played in it. 

Time to get to work.

Yours in Basketball, 
Coach Stan

How great is it to have basketball back on T.V.?

The sight of these NBA games gives me great hope for what the next few months will bring as we anticipate the start of college basketball. Two weeks ago, I shared with you that we had pushed the arrival date back for our players’ return to campus. Our current plan is to have our entire team return on August 17th, which gives us two weeks to begin adjusting to our new normal in regards to training and living prior to the official start date of school which is August 31st.

I’m extremely proud of my team and the way they have attacked this off season which has produced tremendous adversity not only for us, but the entire country. They have found ways to get better as players, and they all have been incredible in the classroom. I love that they have taken pride in controlling the two things they can impact daily which is their attitude and their effort.

Over the past two weeks our staff has spent a lot of time together talking about our offense, defense, and special teams that fit the strengths of our players. I believe the way we want to play will be exciting to both our players and our fans. Although we have spent a lot of time getting to know our guys over zoom and through phone calls, nothing beats being in person which is why August 17th can’t get here quick enough. It’s my belief that when we get in person our energy and connectiveness will multiply. Hope everyone is healthy and safe. I’m believing in better days ahead for us all!

Yours in Basketball, 
Coach Stan

I hope as you read this, all of you and your families remain healthy as we continue the daily fight against this pandemic. I wanted to update you on what’s been going on inside of our program the last few weeks. One thing this pandemic has taught us all in our basketball program is that we must be flexible, and ready to pivot to the next right thing as quickly as possible without losing enthusiasm. It was our staff’s plan to bring our team back to campus on July 6th for the start of the second session of summer school, and also to begin our team’s offseason workout program. As we continued to get more information on what the current restrictions would be on our team and as it pertained to team and individual workouts, our staff decided to postpone the arrival date because we felt that our players were better of being at home using their access to gyms and weights in order to continue to grow and get better. We always want to put our players in the best position to get better while being safe. Our hope is that we will be able to have our team back at the beginning of next month, but we remain flexible, understanding how quickly things can change. Although we don’t have our entire team back, I’m excited to have my staff finally with me in person for the first time. The more time I spend with them, the more excited I get due to the energy, intelligence, and commitment they bring to the job. Finally, I’m happy to announce that we are making great progress in our facility fundraising plan. We have 5 areas we wanted to address when I took the job. As of today, due to the generosity of some incredible individuals our locker-room and recruiting war-room have been funded and work will begin in those areas shortly. I’m proud of the leadership our university and athletic department is showing through some difficult times. There’s no doubt we are finding ways to “win the wait” collectively. Stay safe and stay encouraged, we will get through this together.

Yours in Basketball, 
Coach Stan

Dear Neighbor,

Over the course of my first four months on the job, there’s been one constant theme in all my messaging “COMMUNITY.”  I’m a true believer in nothing great can be accomplished alone. There’s no doubt when communities align in a common goal, great things become possible. One of my biggest goals for our Westchester Community is to build incredible support and pride for LMU basketball. I love that in such an enormous city like Los Angeles, Loyola Marymount University is tucked away in a community that gives it the ultimate college feel. I want to use that to our advantage, while growing a program that Westchester can be proud of and that’s easy to cheer for. Although we may remain apart due to COVID, I am ecstatic to be part of this community with you and I’m honored to represent Westchester and LMU on a daily basis.  I can’t wait for the day I get to meet each and everyone of you in person.

I want LMU Basketball to be Westchester’s team. My hope is to help create the greatest connection between a team and community that exists in college basketball. I cannot wait to have our Westchester community come together to show pride in the area and at Gersten Pavilion on game nights. Each and every one of you is a part of LMU and our basketball program. This is your team and together we have an opportunity to create an experience that will not only transform Loyola Marymount University, but also add tremendous value to the greater Westchester Community. I want to create this a long side you.

There are several ways we wish to engage with our community when the time is right with a YMCA Back- to-School event, an LMU Westchester Block party and continuing our Annual Community Night at a basketball game. If I have to go door-to-door and personally recruit each and every one of you, I’m also committed to that as well. We want to be engrained into the day to day with Westchester.  Another way we would love to have you be part of the basketball program is by becoming a season ticket holder. I promise you, if you purchase season tickets, you will fall in love with our program because of the quality of people who wear the jersey and with the manner in which they compete. Kyle Knickerbocker with the LMU ticket office can be reached by calling or texting 310.338.5466. 

I am constantly looking for ways to improve. So, if there is ever anything you need or ideas you have on how we can make this experience better please contact me through my Director of Operations Ricky Muench: Richard.Muench@lmu.edu. 

Yours in Basketball, 
Coach Stan

State of the Program

Join me on June 26th during Coffee with the Coach.

I’ll be giving my First 100 Day State of the Program Address at 9 AM.

Reserve your seat today!

Yours in Basketball, 
Coach Stan

Over the course of the last two weeks I’ve had the honor to meet with many of our former players through zoom. My message has been simply this, “I appreciate all the blood, sweat, and tears you’ve poured into Loyola Marymount University Basketball. Because of you, our program is in a position to be successful moving forward. Your work is valued by me.” It’s important for me that I understand our past so that we can shape the future of LMU Basketball. The best programs I’ve been a part of understand the importance of connecting the past, present, and future in order to truly create a special place.

For all of you who’ve worn the jersey, we stand on your shoulders as we advance this program into a new era. From our first team in 1906 when we were known as St. Vincent College to the 1930s when two greats Pete Newell and Phil Woolpert suited up for the Lions, to the late ‘60s with players like Rick Adelman and onto the mid ‘80s – early ‘90s with Kimble and Gathers and every player after that, we salute you and we respect all you’ve done and who you are. It’s my hope that Loyola Marymount will always be home, but more importantly I hope it feels like home when you come back and are around us. I want you to be proud of your team. I also need you to be a part of it.

One of the first traditions I’d like to establish is the connection between all our former players to our current guys. It’s important for our guys to understand who they represent every time they put on that jersey. We represent you. I hope as you watch us play, you’ll see a team that fights for the name across their chest because they understand that it represents all the names that came through this program. I don’t want to do this alone. Who could be better in helping us than the guys who have worn the jersey. I hope you will come back and help us create #ANewSTANdard within our program, university, and community. We love you, we respect you, and we honor you! Thank you for all you’ve done for Loyola Marymount University Basketball and our great university. 

Yours in Basketball, 
Coach Stan

There’s no doubt in my mind that “A little progress each day adds up to big results.” After being on the job for about 70 days I’m extremely excited about the small wins and daily progress our program has made in these specific areas.

• Academics – Through adversity (coaching change/pandemic) our team proceeded to respond by earning over a 3.0 GPA as a program, which is the third time men’s basketball has had a 3.0 and the second highest GPA in program history. I’m extremely proud of our guys and the work Morgan Hilby (our Academic Coordinator) put in to accomplish this W.I.N!

• Recruiting – This always starts with the most important recruits in the program (our own players). I’m proud that our staff was able to keep the core of our team together. That was a huge W.I.N for us. I’m also pumped about the three incoming guys we’ve signed in the 2020 class. In a short time, we have made it known that California and more importantly Los Angeles is the priority. I love what the future has in store for us in L.A.

• Community Engagement (Campus/Local/State/National) – One of my favorite initiatives our program has established is “Coffee with the Coach” which has taken place every Friday since I’ve been hired. In eight different Coffee with the Coach sessions, I’ve spoken to 110 people (Donors, basketball alums, season ticket holders, etc.) I’ve also had separate meetings with the President’s Cabinet, Student Affairs Management Team, our Deans, Greek Life, Cage Student Section Group, and ASLMU class president, Jack Palen, who is extremely impressive. I’ve spoken to the LMU Alumni Board, LMU Lion’s Den (fan message board), and have participated in a Principles of Marketing class. I look forward to many more engagements with these groups and every other group that will listen to me and that we can help.

• Media – one of the coolest things we’ve done is the work on social media. I love our Friday videos that go out on Twitter and Instagram promoting our program, university, and city. My man Will Hamner, who is a current student at LMU, is a star and the brains behind these videos. The feedback we get from recruits are off the charts. I’m also proud of the people I’ve been able to sell our program to on both a national and local level. I’ve been on stations, reports, and podcasts such as Jeff Goodman’s “Good N’ Plenty” Podcast, Andy Katz’s “Katz Chats”, Jeff Faraudo – WCC Network, Mark Whicker – Southern Cal News Group, Jim Hill – CBSLA/KCAL, LA Loyolan, LMU Magazine, and Doug Gottlieb’s “All Ball Podcast”.

None of this happens alone. I’m thankful for the team behind the team that work tirelessly in order for our program to be in a position to have great success. 

• Timothy Law Snyder – LMU President
• Craig Pintens - Athletic Director
• Ashley Armstrong - Deputy Athletic Director
• Brian Luft - Director of Development for Athletics
• Michael Harris - Associate Athletics Director of Marketing and Management
• Nicklos Bristol - Director of Marketing
• Matthew Lerman - Director of Communications
• Dan Smith - Sr. Associate Athletics Director of Internal Operations
• Maria Behm - Sr. Associate Athletics Director of Business Affairs
• Lacee Diamond - Director of Business Affairs
• Thad Satre - Associate Athletics Director of Compliance
• Kyle Knickerbocker - Director of Tickets
• Shane Howell - Director of Athletic Facilities
• Keith Ellison - Associate Athletic Director of Sports Medicine
• Jordan Alcantar - Assistant Sports Performance Coordinator
• Chris Graham - Physical Therapist
• Matt Casana – Assistant Athletic Director – Athletic Academic Advising
• Morgan Hilby – Athletic Academic Advising Services
• Will Hanmer – Social Media Content

These individuals have been outstanding to work with and I know without a doubt will play major roles in helping us shape the future of Loyola Marymount Basketball. 

Although we have lots to do, still, I’m excited about the small victories we’ve had thus far and I know it will lead to larger wins as we build #ANewSTANdard within our program. 

Yours in Basketball, 
Coach Stan

P.S. I’m officially a Californian. My family and I arrived here this past Sunday. I consider that a small W.I.N. Like my daughter Brooklynn said, “It doesn’t feel like a dream anymore. It’s actually real.”

Epictetus once said, “The greater the difficulty the more glory in surmounting it. Skillful pilots gain their reputation from storms and tempests”. As we celebrate our graduating class of 2020 here at LMU during one of the most difficult times our nation has faced, I have tremendous hope for the future because of you. I know as you dreamed about your college graduation, this is not what you imagined. Truth is, none of us did. It’s been my own life experience to know that through adversity, great leaders and outstanding people emerge. That’s exactly what you are. You are leaders and people of great character. Your life will have a tremendous impact on our world because you will undoubtably surmount this storm and come out better. I encourage you in moments of despair to stay busy and to put all your worries, fear, and doubt into something positive. I know this is what I’ve chosen to do. Congratulations on an outstanding accomplishment. You have made us all proud. I’m extremely proud of our lone senior in our program Erik Johansson, who graduated with a degree in psychology. I believe in him so much, that I’ve hired him as a graduate assistant on our staff. As we build this program, my goal is that when you see us play on T.V. or in person you would be filled with enormous pride because of the way we represent you with our fight and determination to be a winner! I wish each and every one of you all the blessings of this life. Our world needs leaders like you more than ever. Go be great.

Yours in Basketball, 
Coach Stan

It’s hard to believe I’ve been on the job for 41 days. Every day that passes by, things become clearer to me in regards to who we are as a program and what I want us to be moving forward. I thought in this week’s blog, I’d share with you my mission, vision, and core principles for LMU Basketball.

W.I.N. = “What’s Important Now”

I believe all the goals mentioned above, although hard, can be accomplished. In order for that to happen, we must truly understand “What’s Important Now”. For me, that’s eliminating the “wait and see” approach by jumping in with our program, in order for us to not only W.I.N now, but for years to come.

I hope this gives you a better understanding of who I know we can be as we build this program. I certainly hope you will attack this challenge with me!

I pray that all of you are healthy as we continue to fight this virus together.

Yours in Basketball,

Coach Stan

I hope as you read this blog you find yourself, your family and all your loved ones doing well in our continuous time of uncertainty. As I write you this letter, I sit in my living room in Mequon, Wisconsin. Who would have thought the Loyola Marymount University Basketball offices would be located in the Midwest?

Even though I have not been able to be on campus, I’m extremely proud of what the last two weeks have produced for our program. After weeks of talking to many high-level coaches around the country about being a part of our staff, I’m proud of who we selected. David Carter (former Head Coach of University of Nevada, Reno, and most recently at University of San Diego) returns back home. Coach Carter was a great player at Crenshaw High School in LA. Allen Edwards (former Head Coach of University of Wyoming), Greg Youncofski (former Director of Operations at UCLA), Ricky Muench (former assistant video coordinator and player development with the Milwaukee Bucks) complete our staff. All four of these guys are high level teachers, communicators, connectors and workers, and they will elevate our program no doubt about it.

My biggest priority after accepting this job was keeping in our program Mattias. I felt like he was the biggest recruit we could land, both figuratively and literally. I’m proud to say we were able to accomplish that task. That’s as great of a phone call as I’ve gotten in my 17 years of coaching. His decision to stay at LMU signifies all the things we can be as a program now and in the future. I’m also extremely proud to announce all the newcomers to our 2020 class: Mayoum Mayoum a 6’4” Guard from Jacksonville, Florida, Kodye Pugh a 6’8” Forward from Baltimore, Maryland, and Quentin Jackson a 6’2” Guard from Cary, North Carolina. All three guys represent who we want to be on and off the court. They are high character student-athletes, that value education, and are relentless competitors on the floor who improve our athleticism and versatility. With one scholarship left, we are in the market for a Point Guard that complements our roster and elevates our position as a program.

As we finish this 2020 class, I look forward to building a great 2021 recruiting class and making our mark in Los Angeles and throughout the great state of California.

Hope you are as excited as I am with what we’ve been able to get done in a short period of time. There’s so much more to do, and my hope is that you will roll up your sleeves and get to work alongside us. Stay safe and let’s continue to fight against this virus. Please know, I’m praying for each and every one of you.

Yours in Basketball, 
Coach Stan

What an incredible 12 days this has been for me. No one has ever written a book on how to become a head coach during a pandemic. But like all of you, I’m fighting through as best as I possibly can. I do hope this letter finds all of you healthy and safe. 

I’ve tried to make the best of this time by laying the foundation of a bright future by connecting with our current players and future players (even if it’s only by electronics). Our guys are home all over the world right now. All of them are safe and in good health. The rest of my time has been spent hiring a staff that will help elevate our program. I’m beyond humbled by the amount of interest we’ve had from outstanding coaches throughout the country. I really believe you are going to love the staff we put together. 

Boy, we have a lot to sell here at Loyola Marymount University, I can’t believe it. Recruits have been extremely receptive at the thought of wearing the LMU jersey. This will only grow as we hit the ground in Los Angeles. 

I’m pumped to be your coach. I hope you are excited about establishing a new STAN-dard with me. Please stay safe and let’s fight against this virus together. 

Yours in Basketball, 
Coach Stan