2008 CBI COACHES

Kevin Bille
Notre Dame College of Ohio (South Euclid, Ohio)
http://www.notredamecollege.edu

Kevin Bille- Head Coach
5th Season (2007-08)

Kevin Bille is in his fifth season as a Notre Dame Head Basketball Coach. Prior to joining the Falcons, Bille compiled an extensive list of coaching and playing credentials, which include coaching at Walsh University after playing four years in its basketball program.

As a player at Walsh, Bille compiled an overall career record of 101-35. During that time, the Cavaliers were league champions, ranked second in the nation and went to the Final Four in the National Tournament in 1995. In 1997, the team was ranked first in the nation, which was also a first in school history. They also made an appearance in the National Tournament that year.

For his career, Bille was a two-time All-league selection as a point guard. He became the college's eighteenth all-time leading scorer after recording 1135 points. He was second all-time in three-pointers made with 196, third in assists with 383, and third in free throw percentage with 85 percent. He also set the Walsh record for most consecutive free throws made with 32.

Following his career at Walsh, Bille played professionally in Iserlohn, Germany. In his one year with the Kangaroos, he averaged 20 points and five assists per game. With the conclusion of the season, he returned to Walsh as a graduate assistant for two seasons in which time, the team won the American Mideast Conference (AMC) and participated in the National Tournament in 2002.

The following year, Bille became an assistant for Tiffin University's men's basketball program and the head coach of the women's golf team. As a golf coach, he was named AMC Coach of the Year after his team earned AMC and Regional championships and placed 20th in the NAIA National Championships.

A Brewster, Ohio native, Bille earned a Bachelor's Degree in Communications and a Master's Degree in Education from Walsh. Kevin and his wife Erin have one child - Camden, who was born in 2007. They live in Stow.

Bille is also the Head Coach of the NDC Men's Golf team.

Dale Faber
Friends University (Wichita, Kan.)
www.friendsathletics.com

Dale Faber is in his fifth season as the Head Coach for the Friends University Men’s Basketball Team. His philosophy for building a quality basketball team is simple: find good student athletes with strong values who are dedicated, hard-working, loyal and committed to representing Friends University in a positive light in all aspects. Known for his quick humor, Coach Faber strives to be supportive and involved in all aspects of his players’ lives: school, work and family. In addition to strong academics, he stresses accountability and complete preparation, which are evident in the details of the program and the strong work ethic displayed by the staff during their recruiting efforts. Coach Faber is proud to be supported by his wife, Stacey, and his daughters, Kelsey, a sophomore at Newman University, and Lia, a junior at Bishop Carroll High School.

Team Accomplishments (2006-2007)
13 out of 15 returning players on Athletic Director’s Honor Roll
Single game points allowed record: 45 vs. Bethany and St Mary's
2nd place finish in KCAC League (15-3)
2nd NAIA National Tournament berth in school history

Jeff Hironaka
Seattle Pacific University (Seattle)
www.spu.edu

For so many years he was the man behind the scenes. Now, Jeff Hironaka is the front man for Seattle Pacific University basketball and, if his first four seasons at the helm is any indication, the Falcons figure to be one of the top NCAA Division II programs for years and years to come.

Hironaka, who was instrumental in establishing SPU as a regional and national force, pushed his first team into the NCAA tournament faster than any of his predecessors. Last season, in his fourth as head coach, Hironaka’s Falcons won 26 games and the Great Northwest Athletic Conference championship, and matched the best NCAA tournament advancement, reaching the semifinal round of the Elite Eight.

Hironaka was voted both the GNAC coach of the year and the West Region coach of the year by the NABC.

It came as no surprise that Hironaka restored the program to prominence. His 16-11 record in 2002-03 was the second-best debut season in the program’s modern history. In his third year, SPU made the NCAA tournament. Going into the 2006-07 season, his teams have won 76 of 115 games.

Hironaka was promoted to head coach Apr. 30, 2002, replacing Ken Bone, who resigned after 12 years to accept a position at the University of Washington. Hironaka had been Bone’s top assistant for 11 years.

During his tenure at Seattle Pacific, Hironaka has proven vital in the Falcons’ rise to national prominence. With him on the bench , they have gone312-126, earned six outright or shared conference championships and have qualified for NCAA Division II tournament berths 10 of the last 13 years. In 2000, the Falcons reached the Final Four for the first time.

“SPU could not find a more knowledgeable or dedicated person to take the reins of our program,” said athletic director Tom Box, whose coaching search started and finished with Hironaka. “Jeff is the type of person who gives everything he has to his work. For 11 years he was loyal, tireless and intelligent in how he supported Coach Bone, the players and the men’s basketball program. He’s also a Christian coach who strives to present a positive role model to his athletes. That’s important to SPU.”

“When I first discussed the opportunity with him, I could see the fire in his eyes and it was obvious he felt ready. We all believe Jeff will light a fire in this program as it begins a new era.”

“This is my first choice of where I’d like to be head coach,” said Hironaka, who had coordinated the team’s defensive strategies and recruiting under Bone. “I’ve invested a great deal of time and effort in helping to build this program and I‘d like to continue the job and finish it by bringing home a national championship at some point in time.”

Hironaka is believed to be only the active Japanese-American head coach of a four-year program. Of the last seven head coaches hired by Seattle Pacific, six (including Hironaka) had previously served as assistants at the school. His 11-year run as Bone’s chief aide was the longest of any assistant in program history.

Hironaka has over 20 years of bench experience and an extensive network of contacts in the college game. He has coordinated the team defensive strategies, along with the program’s recruiting, travel and correspondence with opponents. Hironaka joined Bone’s staff in 1991 and became the associate head coach in 1996.

Before coming to SPU, Hironaka had three years of experience at the Division I level. He served on the staff at Idaho State from 1987-90, and later was an assistant and assistant athletic director at The Master’s College in Newhall, California. While at Idaho State he completed his master’s in sports administration.

A native of Weiser, Idaho, Hironaka began his coaching career in earnest in the prep ranks, beginning at his old high school as coach of the junior varsity and varsity assistant in 1980. In 1986 he became head coach at Idaho’s Ririe High School, and moved to Blackfoot High the following year.

Hironaka was also an accomplished player, lettering three seasons at Eastern Oregon, where he obtained his degree in secondary education in 1980. He was a member of the team’s coaching staff in 1979-80. In high school, he was an all-Snake River Conference selection at guard at Weiser. An avid runner, he is single and resides in Seattle’s Queen Anne neighborhood.

Alfred Johnson
Holy Family University (Philadelphia)
http://extra.holyfamily.edu

Head coach Alfred Johnson is in his fifth season as the head coach of the Tigers men's basketball program. Johnson has an overall record of 90-58 at Holy Family. Under the direction of Johnson and his staff, 11 Tigers have earned All-CACC honors and five players scored over 1,000 career points. In the 2004-05 season, Johnson earned the CACC Coach of the Year and the Philadelphia Small College Coach of the Year awards.

Johnson came to Holy Family after spending four seasons at St. Mary's College in Maryland. While at St. Mary's, Johnson led the team to one of its best season's ever with an 18--8 record in the 2000-01 season. He also produced several All-Capital Athletic Conference (CAC) players, a Division III All-American, a CAC Player of the Year and three of the top-10 scorers in the program's history.

Johnson is a member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches and the Black Coaches Association.
Coach Johnson resides in North Brunswick, NJ with his wife Meredith, and has two sons, Timothy and Tyreek.

Joe Lombardi
Indiana University of Pennsylvania (Indiana, Pa.)
www.iup.edu

Joe Lombardi is in his first season as IUP head coach after being hired in April.  He is the ninth head coach in the modern era of IUP basketball which begins with the 1927-28 campaign.

This is Lombardi’s first head coaching position after more than 20 years as an assistant, including the past three at the University of Pittsburgh.  He has 24 years of experience, 21 of which have come on the NCAA Division I level.

Lombardi comes to IUP  already with strong western Pennsylvania and Indiana connections.  He also boasts a wealth of East Coast ties that he has built over a successful career.  

He grew up in Sharon, Pa., graduated from Kennedy Christian (now Kennedy Catholic) High School in 1977, and his wife, Janet, is a native of Indiana.  Lombardi served on Tom Beck’s staff at IUP from 1984-87.

Lombardi helped Pitt post a record of 76-22 (.776) during his three years on Jamie Dixon’s staff.  The Panthers advanced to the championship game of the Big East tournament in 2003-04 and 2004-05 and earned berths in the NCAA tournament each season, including a third consecutive trip to the Sweet Sixteen in 2003-04.  That season, Pitt set a school record by going 31-5 and won the Big East regular season title.

With the Panthers, Lombardi focused his attention on recruiting, scouting opponents, on-floor coaching and player development.

Before arriving at Pittsburgh, Lombardi gained a reputation for helping to build overachieving basketball programs.  Lombardi served a two-year stint as an assistant at LaSalle from 2001-03. There, he worked closely with Rasual Butler, an All-NBA Rookie Team honorable mention selection with the Miami Heat and currently a member of the New Orleans Hornet.  He helped build the foundation of a program that has been labeled as an up-and-coming team in the Atlantic 10.

Prior to LaSalle, Lombardi spent nine seasons at St. Bonaventure where he was an assistant coach from 1992-96 and an associate head coach from 1996-01.  Lombardi helped the Bonnies go 21-10, reach the Atlantic 10 title game and play in the NCAA tournament in 1999-00. 

St. Bonaventure also made three appearances in the NIT in 1995, 1998 and 2001.  Lombardi was instrumental in recruiting J.R. Bremer, an All-NBA Rookie Team honorable mention with the Cleveland Cavaliers, to play for the Bonnies.

After leaving IUP, Lombardi coached at St. Francis from 1987-92 and was the assistant head coach his final three seasons with the Red Flash.  During his tenure, St. Francis registered its best seasons in 20 years, including records of 17-10 in 1989-90 and 24-8 the next year when it won the Northeast Conference title and played in the NCAA tournament.

Lombardi tutored Mike Iuzzolino, an NBA draft pick by the Dallas Mavericks, during his time at St. Francis.

His first stops were as a graduate assistant at Ohio University (1981-82) and one year at his alma mater, Youngstown State, in 1982-83.  Lombardi came to IUP in 1984 and helped the team turn a 12-15 record the previous year into a 17-10 slate in 1984-85. 

Lombardi was a four-year letterwinner at Youngstown State from 1977-81, serving as team captain in his junior and senior seasons.  He graduated with honors with a degree in education from in 1981 and then embarked on a coaching career that has brought him back to IUP.

Lombardi has international coaching experience as a member of the 1992 Pan American National Team coaching staff which participated in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament of the Americas against the United States’ “Dream Team.”

Joe and Janet Lombardi have three children: son Dominic (17), daughter Alyssa (15) and son Dante (10).

Scott McMillin
Lynn University (Boca Raton, Fla.)
www.lynn.edu

Entering his fifth season at the helm of the Lynn University men's basketball team, head coach Scott McMillin has made the program synonymous with success at the Division II level. McMillin continued the Fighting Knights ascent to national stardom by guiding the 2004-05 team to the program's second national semifinal appearance, losing to eventual national champion Virginia Union. His hard work and dedication is a testament to the programs success.

The 2006-07 Blue and White squad posted 14 wins and continued the Lynn tradition of never having had a losing season. As a team, the Knights showed their usual tenacity on the boards and ability to put up numbers on the offensive side of the ball. McMillin's squad ranked 11th in NCAA D-II play with a 6.8 rebounding margin while the Blue and White tied a school record by grabbing 57 rebounds in a game against Puerto Rico-Cayey.

Lynn's 115 outburst against Wilmington (Del.) College was just the second time a McMillin Knights team had eclipsed the century mark and was the fifth-most points scored in LU history. Always dangerous with the ball in their hands, the Knights also tied a school record with 13 three-pointers made against rival Barry University.

In just his third year with the Fighting Knights in 2005-06, McMillin posted the first back-to-back 20-win seasons at Lynn since the 1997-99 campaigns. He also became the school's all-time leader in league play, boasting a 33-13 Sunshine State Conference record and an impressive .717 winning percentage. The Blue and White went 20-9, including an 11-5 SSC record, the first time Lynn had earned consecutive conference double-figure win totals since 97-99.

McMillin's 2005-06 squad led the SSC in 10 statistical categories, including scoring offense (75.7 point per game) and scoring margin (+10.9). Not only did his team excel at scoring production, but the Knights also dominated in efficiency. The Blue and White led the conference in free throw (.736) and three-point (.408) percentages, 8th best in NCAA Division II play, while ranking second in field goals (.463). McMillin's Knights distributed the ball as well as they shot it, topping the SSC in assists per game with 18.2, good enough to rank 12th nationally.

Nobody can accuse McMillin's program from being a one-trick-pony either, as his teams also do extremely well on the defensive end. The 05-06 Knights dominated the SSC in rebounding, pulling down 40 boards a game and outrebounding their opponents by a margin of 9.2 a game, 4th best in the nation. Lynn also saw the fruits of McMillin's high-pressure defensive schemes, leading the SSC in steals per game at 9.59 a clip to rank 28th in D-II.

Among the youngest coaches in the NCAA Division II men's game, McMillin became the program's first coach to win Sunshine State Conference and South Region Coach of the Year honors. The 2004-05 season saw the Fighting Knights post a record of 29-6 overall, the most wins in program history, and win its first SSC regular season and tournament title.

David McLaughlin
Stonehill College (Easton, Mass.)
www.stonehill.edu

David McLaughlin has earned many things in his life, from his standout high school career at Boston College High School to his solid career collegiately at Colby College. His tenure as an assistant coach at three different institutions earned him many other accolades, but none were as important as credibility and respect, and those two facets have prepared him well as he enters his third season as Head Men's Basketball Coach at Stonehill College.

A native of Brockton, Mass., McLaughlin becomes the 12th individual to serve in the position as Head Men's Basketball Coach in the College's 56-year history of the sport, as he guided Stonehill to five Northeast-10 Conference victories (the team's highest league win total in three years) during his 17-game tenure as the interim coach. Of those 17 games under McLaughlin's watch, 13 were decided by eight points or less, as the Skyhawks narrowly missed qualifying for the conference tournament and in the process knocked off a nationally-ranked opponent (Saint Rose) for the first time in five years. During the 04-'05 season, McLaughlin coached a 20-win squad, an 11-win improvement from the previous year. 2005 graduate Dezmond Morgan became the first 1,000-point player under McLaughlin as a head coach. McLaughlin assumed these head coaching duties after serving as an assistant coach at Stonehill for three-and-a-half seasons, as he had helped coordinate all facets of the Skyhawk program, including recruiting, game and practice preparations and various internal and external duties.

"It was my intention to conduct an open search for the next head men's basketball coach, but David's qualities, both as a person and as a coach, are exactly what I was looking for in filling this important position in the department," Stonehill Director of Athletics Paula J. Sullivan says of McLaughlin. "He demonstrated over the last two months in the interim position that he was extremely capable of leading this program. I am very confident that David's knowledge and passion for the game will serve our student-athletes well during his tenure."

Prior to his arrival in Easton in 2000, McLaughlin served as an assistant coach at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn. for two seasons, where he coordinated all areas of recruiting for the Cardinals while assisting in scouting and implementing a highly successful strength and conditioning program. Prior to his tenure at Wesleyan, David served as an assistant coach at Suffolk University in Boston, where he assisted Head Coach Jim Nelson's Rams with recruiting, game and practice preparation as well as strength and conditioning. He also served as the head coach of the Northeast entry of the 1999 Bay State Games, guiding that squad to an undefeated mark and the gold medal in the event.

McLaughlin was a standout for legendary Head Coach Dick Whittemore during his playing days at Colby College in Waterville, Maine, as he shined for the White Mules in the highly competitive New England Small College Athletic Conference. McLaughlin earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Colby in May 1997, and the former local star at Boston College High School earned a Master of Education degree in Secondary Education from Suffolk in 1999. In May 2000, David earned partial certification from the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

A member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches and the National Strength and Conditioning Association, David and his wife, Jenna, reside in South Easton.

Jim Tribbett
Chowan University (Murfreesboro, N.C.)
www.gocuhawks.com

Head Coach Jim Tribbett will hit the hard court in October for his sixth season at the helm of the Hawks basketball program. The squad is coming off an 11-15 overall record in 2006-07 which featured a 3rd place NCCAA South Region finish. In 2005-06 the team experienced one of the most successful seasons in four-year men’s basketball history after finishing 19-11. After finishing the first semester of play at 4-8 overall, Tribbett rallied the team and guided them to twelve straight wins, including perfect 9-0 record in the month of January. The Hawks went on to win the 2005-06 NCCAA South Region Tournament and finish 3rd at the NCCAA Nationals in his home state of Indiana.

Tribbett’s coaching endeavors on the court in the 2005-06 season did not go unnoticed as he was named NCCAA South Region and National Coach of the Year.

Tribbett has an extensive and diverse basketball background that includes stints on the high school, college, and professional levels. After growing up playing basketball in the most well documented basketball state in the country, the native of Crawfordsville, Indiana played Junior College basketball in Florida where he was a stand out player. He went on to continue his career at Florida State where he earned his four-year degree.

Tribbett’s coaching career started in his home state at Wabash College. Although he left Wabash in 1982, he helped to recruit players that helped Wabash win the 1982 Division III National Championship. After leaving Wabash Tribbett spent two years as an assistant coach at Tiffin University (OH). In his two seasons with the Dragons he helped guide the team in back-to-back twenty-win seasons. In 1983 Tribbett made his way from Ohio to the East Coast where he was hired as an assistant coach for UNC-Wilmington. He spent three seasons with UNCW before accepting his first head coaching job at Greensboro College. From 1986-1990 he compiled a 51-55 overall record and a 22-28 Dixie Conference record. In his first stint at Chowan, Tribbett was hired by former Head Coach Bob Burke’ as an assistant in the early 1990’s. From 1990-1992 he helped to guide the Braves to a 47-16 record and a top 20 NJCAA National Ranking. In the 1991-1992 season the Braves advanced to the NCJAA Final Four in Hutchinson, Kansas.

After two seasons with Chowan he left North Carolina for Tennessee where he stayed until 2001. In Tennessee he stayed in basketball, coaching at East Robertson High School in Nashville and working for a professional scouting service.

He joined the professional basketball ranks in 2001 as the Director of Player Personnel for the Brevard Blue Ducks, a member of the USBL. During his one-year tenure with the Blue Ducks, Tribbett was named the USBL’s “Executive of the Year” for his commitment to the program, the league, and his players.

Along with his stateside experience, Tribbett also has international coaching stints on his resume. He has taken college all-star teams to compete in Barbados, Amsterdam, and France.

Tribbett is now in his sixth season at Chowan after arriving in 2002. He has made marked improvements in the four-year program. After winning 8 games in his first season, his commitment to recruiting and player retention has helped him turn in back-to-back winning seasons in 2004-05 and 2005-06.

Tribbett has a four-year degree from Florida State University and a MS from Depauw University in Indiana. He has over 29 years of basketball experience under his belt and is poised to defend his 2006 NCCAA South Region Title. He and his wife, Sally Francis Tribbett, have one son, Johnny who is 12 years old. They reside in Murfreesboro and are both natives of Indiana.