Aquinas College Men's Basketball

Ryan Bertoia joined the Aquinas Athletic Department in his current role as the head coach of the AQ men's basketball program prior to the 2016-17 season. Bertoia is the 16th head coach in the history of the AQ men's basketball program.  Over his eight seasons as the Aquinas head coach, Bertoia has accumulated a career record of 99-128 with a WHAC record of 71-86. "Coach B" has led his players to a considerable amount of success over the years with four First Team All-WHAC selections, seven Second Team All-WHAC, one WHAC All-Defense, and three WHAC All-Freshman athletes.  In the classroom, Bertoia has led 32 men to be named to WHAC All-Academic teams. The past two years have seen substancially more academic success as 16 of those athletes were named All-Academic in just the past two years.  During his first year at the helm of the program in 2016-17, he guided AQ to a berth at the NAIA National Tournament, where the Saints fell to top-ranked Union (Ky.) to cap off a 19-win season. The 2017-18 Saints won 17 games in his second season. He has also coached a pair of NABC Third Team All-Americans (Jake Bullock in 2016-17, Arsenio Arrington in 2017-18). Before being named the head coach of Aquinas basketball, Bertoia worked as an assistant at Aquinas College where he directed all aspects of the programs film exchange, editing, and breakdown. He also helped manage all aspects of recruiting and fundraising and prepared and organized the team’s travel arrangements. On the court, Bertoia worked with opponent preparation and Aquinas’ offensive and defensive breakdowns. A majority of his time was spent working with post players and developing red-shirts. He also designed, implemented, and oversaw the strength and conditioning program for the basketball team. During his time at Aquinas, Bertoia also helped develop two-time All-American Jake Bullock. Prior to Aquinas, Coach Bertoia spent five years as an assistant coach at Olivet College, where he worked with Mike McClary, Olivet’s all-time leading scorer and shot blocker. McClary was also an NCAA Division III First Team All-American, the two-time MIAA Player of the Year, and was the runner-up for the NCAA Division III National Player of the Year.  Bertoia also spent two seasons as an assistant at Muskegon Community College. As a student, Ryan played on the Aquinas baseball team from 2004-2006 before receiving his Bachelor's from AQ in Business Administration and Sports Management.  Ryan currently lives in Coopersville with his wife Melissa and their daughter Gabriella.

Joel Ledvina joined the Aquinas College men’s basketball staff ahead of the 2025-26 season, bringing with him a strong foundation in junior college coaching and player development. Ledvina spent the previous three seasons at Olney Central College, where he served as an assistant coach from 2022 to 2025. In 2024, he was elevated to interim head coach, gaining valuable leadership experience while continuing to grow the program’s competitiveness within the NJCAA. He holds a Master’s degree and is passionate about helping student-athletes reach their potential both on and off the court. Ledvina is known for his basketball IQ, attention to detail, and ability to build strong relationships within a program. His decision to come to Aquinas was rooted in a longstanding seven-year connection with Head Coach Ryan Bertoia — a professional relationship that evolved into a shared vision for the future of Saints basketball. Originally from the Midwest, Ledvina enjoys spending his free time on the golf course. He is the son of Joni Ledvina.

Carl Gibbons joined the Aquinas College men’s basketball program as an assistant coach in 2024, bringing with him a wealth of collegiate coaching experience and a strong track record of success at multiple levels of the game. In his first season with the Saints, Gibbons helped the program achieve its highest win total and win percentage since 2021-22, along with the team’s first WHAC Tournament victory since the 2016-17 campaign. Prior to arriving at Aquinas, Gibbons served two seasons as an assistant coach at Calvin University (2022–2024), where he helped guide the Knights to back-to-back MIAA regular season championships and a 2024 NCAA Division III Elite Eight appearance. Over his tenure, the Knights posted 25 wins in 2023–24—Calvin’s most in over a decade—and Gibbons coached multiple award-winning players, including two All-Americans, the 2023 MIAA Defensive Player of the Year, and the 2x MIAA Player of the Year. Gibbons began his coaching journey at his alma mater, Northern Michigan University, where he served as a student assistant from 2018–2021 before being promoted to assistant coach in 2021–22. While with the Wildcats, he helped the team to an 18-win season—its highest since 2006–07—and a GLIAC Tournament runner-up finish. He worked closely with numerous standout players, including four 1,000-point scorers and the league’s top two scorers in 2018–19. Originally from Houghton Lake, MI in the Northern Lower Peninsula, Gibbons earned his bachelor’s degree in Physical Education/Coaching from Northern Michigan University. He currently resides in Grand Rapids with his wife, Amanda, and their daughter, Isla. Outside of basketball, Gibbons enjoys golfing, traveling, and spending time on the lake—boating, swimming, jet skiing, and fishing. He chose Aquinas because of the opportunity to grow as a coach at the collegiate level while living in the vibrant and welcoming Grand Rapids community.