Cleveland State University Men's Basketball

Danny Karliak enters his fourth season on the Cleveland State staff and his third as Director of Basketball Operations. Karliak has played a vital role in the success of the program, helping to lead the Vikings to a three straight seasons of 20 or more victories in his three years with the program. Karliak served as Assistant Director of Basketball Operations in his first season on the Cleveland State staff before being elevated to Director of Basketball Operations prior to the 2023-24 season. Prior to Cleveland State he served in a variety of operations and coaching roles at IMG Academy and the International Sports Academy among others. In his role as Director of Basketball Operations, he will work hand-in-hand with the coaching staff to oversee all aspects of the program. Some of those areas include team travel, academics, budget management, and the day-to-day schedule. Karliak also serves as the liaison from the program to athletic administration and campus groups. Karliak is a 2018 graduate of Ohio State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree as a Sport Management Major.

Kaleb John-Lewis is the newest member of the Cleveland State Athletics staff as he officially begins his role as Director of Basketball Sports Performance. John-Lewis brings diverse experience with three college and professional sports organizations to his role in Cleveland.   “Kaleb is a young coach with the kind of energy and insight that’s hard to find,” said head coach Rob Summers. “He brings a fresh perspective, a tireless work ethic, and a real ability to connect with our guys in the weight room—building not just stronger athletes, but stronger competitors. His addition helps ensure our winning culture not only continues—but evolves. We’re fired up to have him on board.”   In his position John-Lewis will work directly with Coach Summers and the men’s basketball coaching staff to develop and execute a comprehensive strength and conditioning program for Cleveland State student-athletes. Prior to his arrival in Cleveland, John-Lewis served in a similar role at Utah Valley University as the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for UVU’s men’s basketball team. John-Lewis spent two seasons at Utah Valley and most recently helped the Wolverines secure a Western Athletic Conference regular season championship in 2025 along with mentoring the WAC Player of the Year in junior guard Dominick Nelson.   “Kaleb John-Lewis is a rising star in this profession,” said one of his mentors, Mike Chatman who currently serves as the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the LSU men’s basketball team. “He brings a rare combination of skills—developing players physically, elevating their performance on the court, and mentoring them into strong, accountable men off it. He’s a culture-builder who creates champions in every sense of the word. This is a home run hire.”     Prior to his time at Utah Valley, John-Lewis served as a Sports Performance Fellow working with the men’s basketball and men’s golf teams at Stanford University from July 2022 to March 2023. John-Lewis managed, distributed and analyzed data from team workouts to help drive decision making in both practice and weight training settings. He assisted the strength coach and dietitian in setting workout and nutritional plans for student-athletes on both teams.     John-Lewis also served as Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at the Seattle Sports Institute from January 2022 to June 2023. In that role, John-Lewis implemented specific techniques and procedures for workout and recovery plans for various professional athletes. He also served as a consultant, organizing and presenting information to various athletes.     John-Lewis joins a full-time staff of three sports performance coaches at Cleveland State and begins his role immediately as the Vikings begin their eight-week summer workout program ahead of the 2025-26 season.