DeSales University Men's Basketball

Scott Coval’s philosophy of developing the total person – academically, athletically and socially – has helped establish DeSales University as a top level NCAA Division III men’s basketball program.  Entering his 33rd year with the Bulldogs, Coval’s career record of 583-274 (.680) makes him the all-time winningest men’s basketball coach in DeSales history.   Coach Coval has been named MAC Freedom Coach of the Year 11 times – 2003, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2014, 2016, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024.  In 2009, the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) honored Coval as the Mid-Atlantic Regional Coach of the Year and in 2024 he was named the Region IV Coach of the Year by the NABC.   He enters the 2025-26 season ranked third in victories with 583 among all active NCAA Division III coaches. Coval is 40th all-time in NCAA Division III in total wins.   Since taking over as head coach, Coval has led DeSales to the postseason in 29 of his 32 years.  The Bulldogs have won four MAC Freedom Tournament championships (2009, 2010, 2014, 2019) and have won or shared the MAC Freedom Regular Season championship 13 times (2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024).   Coval’s teams have advanced to seven NCAA tournaments (1996, 2009, 2010, 2014, 2019, 2022, 2024).  They also won the ECAC South postseason tournament championship in 2007.   In 2009, the Bulldogs won three NCAA Tournament games, advancing to the NCAA “Elite 8”, finishing the season with a 25-6 overall record and ranked #15 in the final D3hoops.com national poll.  The 2010 DeSales team won two NCAA Tournament games, advanced to the NCAA “Sweet 16”, finishing with a 24-6 overall record and ranked #24 nationally.  In 2014, Coval’s Bulldogs advanced to the round of 32 in the NCAA tournament with a 76-70 road win over host Randolph-Macon College.   In 31 years with the Bulldogs, Coval’s teams have posted a .500 record or better 30 times.  Over the last 22 years, DSU has played in 15 MAC Freedom title games, been to 11 ECAC postseason tournaments and participated in six NCAA tournaments.  DSU has compiled a 440-162 (.731) overall record during this span which includes 15, 20+ win seasons and have been ranked as high as #7 in the national poll.   Relying on an up-tempo offense that emphasizes sharing the ball, players under Coval’s guidance have thrived individually with 21 of his players scoring 1,000 points and eight graduating with over 300 career assists.  During Coach Coval’s tenure at DeSales, 44 players have earned All-Conference honors and 11 times a Bulldog player was named Conference Player of the Year.  For the past 22 years, at least one DSU player has been named First-Team All-Conference every year.   Coval has mentored six National All-Americans including two-time First-Team All-American Darnell Braswell.  In addition, 15 players became All Region performers and two times a DeSales player earned Mid-Atlantic regional Player of the Year honors under Coval’s direction.   The Bulldogs also achieve in the classroom with 85 DeSales players being named to the MAC Academic Honor Roll during Coach Coval’s time at DeSales and one player, Mark Watermasysk, was named Academic All American in 2000.   Prior to arriving in Center Valley, Coval spent seven years as a Division I assistant coach.  His Division I experience included coaching stints at William & Mary, Penn State and Lafayette.  As a high school player, Coval lead Whitehall High (PA) to the 1982 state championship.   After scoring over 1,800 points and being named 1st-Team All-State in Pennsylvania, Coval accepted a scholarship to play Division I basketball at the College of William & Mary.  During his time at W&M, Coval had the opportunity to compete against some of the best teams in the country including Duke, Virginia, Wake Forest, Maryland, Notre Dame, West Virginia and Georgia.  In 1983, W&M played Virginia Tech in the NIT.   At William & Mary, Coval was named captain and team MVP as a senior.  He still holds W&M career records for most assists in a game (15), most assists in a season (168), most assists in a career (409), highest FT percentage for a career (89.9) and highest FT percentage for a season (91.7).  After his senior year, Coval was selected to participate in the Portsmouth Invitational NBA pre-draft camp.  Coval graduated from William and Mary in 1986 with a degree in Business Management.   Coach Coval is one of three athletes at Whitehall High School to have his numbered retired.  A member of the Lehigh Basketball Hall of Fame and the Whitehall HS Hall of Fame, Coval is the director of the DeSales University Bulldog basketball camp and the Scott Coval Shooting camp and clinics. He is also a guest lecturer at many camps throughout Eastern Pennsylvania.   Coval, who is also the Director of Athletics at DeSales, resides in Orefield, PA with his wife Kaye and their three children, Keeley (25), Mia (23) and Nicholas (20), a red-shirt freshman at Davidson College.  

Stephen Griffin joined Coach Coval's men's basketball staff in July, 2023 after serving as an assistant coach with Gannon University for the last four years. During his time w/Gannon, Griffin helped the Golden Knights qualify for the PSAC Tournament twice. Gannon was ranked as high as #21 in the NABC Top 25 Poll in 2021-22. It was the first time Gannon was ranked in the top 25 since the 2012-13 season.   In his first season with Gannon, Griffin helped the Golden Knights to a fifth-place finish in the PSAC West with a 14-13 overall record and 13-9 in the PSAC. Gannon capped the season making its ninth appearance in the PSAC Tournament. The Golden Knights leaned on a defense that finished fourth in the PSAC and held their opponents to 60 points or less in eight games. Gannon proved to be one of the best rebounding teams in the PSAC finishing the season second in rebounding margin. The Golden Knights also ranked third in both free throw percentage and steals in the PSAC in 2019-20.   Griffin helped develop two All-PSAC West selections in 2019-20. DeAnte Cisero and Frank Webb Jr. were both named to the All-PSAC Second Team for the first time in their careers. In 2021-22, Lance-Amir Paul was a second team selection, as well.   Griffin came to Gannon after spending two seasons as a graduate manager with the Penn State men’s basketball team. That role in State College saw him performing a number of various duties, including assisting with on-court development, maintaining players’ class and study hall schedules, and preparing video and opponent scouting. He also managed the annual Growing the Game youth summer basketball league, which saw as many as 170 players each year. He was part of a Nittany Lions program that finished 26-13 and won the NIT championship in 2017-18 with an 82-66 win over Utah.   During 2016-17, Griffin was a member of the player development and video support staff with the Dallas Mavericks, where he assisted in editing practice and scouting film, as well as pre-draft prospect scouting videos and workouts.   Griffin was an assistant coach with Mid-Atlantic Select AAU 16U/17U between 2013-16, working on-court development with guards and assisting in fundraising and travel expenses. Also during that time, he spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Division III Widener in Chester, Pennsylvania, working with all facets of the program and leading the recruiting for two future first-team all-conference performers.   He spent the 2013-14 season as an assistant coach at Germantown Friends School in the Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association, helping the team to a postseason tournament berth.   Griffin earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Philadelphia University in 2014, playing two seasons for coach Herb Magee. He earned his master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Penn State in 2019.