Gary Manchel, the eighth head coach in the history of the men's program, and enters his sixth season at the head of the program. In just a short time, Machel has revitalized the Laker program and continued to build on his impressive resume that includes 207 career wins.

After building the Lakers into one of the most consistent programs in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC), Manchel will lead the Lakers into a new era as they join the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) in 2008-09.

In his five seasons at Mercyhurst, the Lakers have compiled 76 victories, including 39 in conference play, reached the GLIAC Tournament four times and has four winning seasons. He ranks third among all-time Mercyhurst coaches in terms of winning percentage (.543) and fourth in wins (76).

His last three Laker squads have chalked up 52 total wins and have earned nine GLIAC wins per season, becoming the first team in the 13-year conference affiliation to have three-straight winning records in conference play. Also, for the first time, the Lakers have made three-straight GLIAC appearances.

Upon being hired in 2003, Machel took over a team that finished the prior season 12-15 overall and 4-13 in the GLIAC the previous season, while the program had just three winning seasons in the previous 10 seasons. Manchel's 2003-04 squad posted a 16-12 overall record and a 10-7 conference mark and reached the GLIAC playoffs for the first time since 2000.

From 2005-06 through 2006-07, Manchel and the Lakers produced the 37 victories (19 in 2005-06 and 18 in 2006-07), marking the most successful two-year stretch at Mercyhurst since 1977-79.

In 2005-06, Mercyhurst finished with a record of 19-9 overall and 9-8 in the GLIAC. The team spent much of the season ranked in the top 10 in the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Region and advanced to the quarterfinals of the GLIAC tournament. The team also turned in the second-best defensive season in school history, allowing just 62.0 ppg.

The Laker program reached a number of milestones in 2006-07. The squad went 18-11 and placed second in the GLIAC South Division, earning a home playoff game for the first time since joining the conference in 1995-96. The Lakers defeated Wayne State 59-54 for their first post-season victory in 29 years, earning the team a trip to the GLIAC semifinals for the first time.

Despite losing four starters and a pair of All-GLIAC honorees, the 2007-08 Lakers posted a 15-13 overall record and a 9-8 mark in the conference, reaching the tournament for the third year in a row. Manchel used a different formula for success in 2007-08. He often employed a four-guard lineup that sank a school-record 230 3-pointers. At one point, the team dipped to 8-10 and 2-6 in the conference, but Manchel rallied the team to win six in a row from Jan. 24 to Feb. 9 and finish the regular season winning seven of their last nine.

Manchel reached a career milestone in 2007-08. On Jan. 10, 2008, Manchel guided the Lakers to an 81-75 overtime win over Ashland, giving him 200 career victories in his 14th year as a head coach. He enters the 2008-09 season with a career record of 207-189.

Manchel has made the Mercyhurst Athletic Center a tough place for visiting teams. The Lakers are 34-10 over the past three seasons at the MAC, including a 13-2 mark in 2006-07. Manchel also has a knack for leading Mercyhurst to wins over crosstown rival Gannon, coaching the squad to a season sweep of the Golden Knights 2006-07, marking just the second time that has happened in program history.

Under Manchel, the Lakers have developed into one of the top defensive squads in the GLIAC. The team has held opponents to no more than 66.5 points per game each year, and in 2003-04, the Lakers led the GLIAC and set a school record for scoring defense by limiting opponents to 59.1 points per game.

During his five-year tenure, seven Lakers have earned All-GLIAC honors, four have been named to All-GLIAC South Division First Team and four players have landed a spot on the All-Defensive Team.

Prior to Mercyhurst, Manchel worked for two years on the Ohio University coaching staff under Tim O'Shea. Manchel was a member of O'Shea's first coaching staff in 2001-02. That first season, the Bobcats posted a 17-11 record and followed that with a 14-16 mark in 2002-03.

Manchel also spent nine years as head coach at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, compiling a 131-125 record during his stay. He enjoyed three 20-win seasons over his last five years, including a 45-17 mark during the 1999-2000 and 2000-01 seasons combined.

Manchel was named Northeast-10 Coach of the Year after leading the 2000-01 River Hawks to a 24-7 record that included an appearance in the league's championship game and a berth to the NCAA Division II Tournament where the squad advanced into the second round.

Two times during his stay at UMass Lowell his squads reached the finals of the ECAC Division II Championships. His 1999-00 team posted a 21-10 record and finished as the runner-up, and in 1996-97, he led UMass Lowell to a 20-10 mark and an ECAC Division II Championship.

Before UMass Lowell, Manchel served as an assistant coach at Yale from 1987-92. During that span, the Bulldogs recorded their best four-year record in school history. He began his coaching career at Slippery Rock, where he served as a graduate assistant for two seasons.

A native of Burlington, Vt., Manchel is a 1985 graduate of the University of Vermont, where he lettered three years for the Catamounts.

Manchel holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Vermont and a master's degree in education (sports administration) from Slippery Rock.

Manchel's Career Record

UMass Lowell	Overall					Postseason
Year	W	L
1992-93	13	15
1993-94	10	18
1994-95	16	11
1995-96	9	17
1996-97	20	10				ECAC Division II Champions
1997-98	6	21
1998-99	12	16
1999-00	21	10				ECAC Division II Finals
2000-01	24	7				NE-10 Finals, NCAA 2nd Round
Total	131	125
Mercyhurst	Overall			GLIAC		Postseason
Year	W	L		W	L
2003-04	16	12		10	7	GLIAC Quarterfinals
2004-05	8	19		2	15
2005-06	19	9		9	8	GLIAC Quarterfinals
2006-07	18	11		9	8	GLIAC Semifinals
2007-08	15	13		9	8	GLIAC Quarterfinals
Total	76	64		39	46
Career	207	189