Observe: An introductory press meeting with John Griffin will be held on Wednesday, March 29 at 4:30 p.m. in the Elaine Langone Middle on the Bucknell campus. A welcome reception for Coach Griffin will be held at 5 p.m. in the Terrace Space, with remarks at 5:30 p.m. The reception is open up to the community.
LEWISBURG, Pa. – One of the catalysts of some of Bucknell’s all-time biggest men’s basketball groups is returning household. John Griffin III, a 2008 Bucknell graduate, has been chosen as the 22nd head mentor of the Bison men’s basketball program, director of athletics and recreation Jermaine Truax declared nowadays.
Griffin, who has used the previous four seasons as associate head mentor at Saint Joseph’s University, was a crucial section of some of Bucknell’s very ideal teams in his two prior stints in Lewisburg, comprising 4 many years as a scholar-athlete and 4 far more as an assistant mentor. In individuals eight seasons, Bucknell compiled a 174-87 (.667) total document and a 102-26 (.797) mark in Patriot League online games. Griffin assisted direct Bucknell to four NCAA Match appearances, two as a player (2005, 2006) and two as an assistant mentor (2017, 2018).
Griffin will come from a deep-rooted basketball spouse and children. He is now a second-generation head coach pursuing in the footsteps of his father, John Griffin II, who was head coach at Siena from 1982-86 and at Saint Joseph’s from 1990-95. Griffin’s young brother, Matt, played basketball at Rider and Boston University and is now an assistant coach at Florida Gulf Coastline.
“John Griffin is a increasing star in the college or university basketball coaching ranks, and I am immensely energized to welcome him again to Bucknell as our future head coach,” claimed Truax. “As the son of a coach, John has usually experienced a shiny head for the recreation of basketball, which was on comprehensive display all through his playing days at Bucknell and now as a coach. John’s electricity and passion and his engaging identity has translated to success the two as a recruiter and as a chief of superior-degree college student-athletes on and off the court docket.”
“I am honored and thrilled for the opportunity to lead the men’s basketball system at Bucknell University,” stated Griffin. “As an alum, the achievements of Bucknell Athletics resonates with me on a deep stage, and I glance forward to bringing the Patriot League championship back to Sojka Pavilion. I am humbled to signify the Bucknell campus and Lewisburg local community with a competitive spirit of pleasure and passion. I specifically would like to thank President John Bravman, athletic director Jermaine Truax, and deputy athletic director Tim Pavlechko for entrusting me with this possibility.”
Griffin scored 1,084 factors throughout an remarkable four-calendar year actively playing profession at Bucknell. As a senior, he captained the staff and gained First Team All-Patriot League honors soon after averaging 13.1 points for each activity. Griffin ranks 3rd on Bucknell’s occupation listing for 3-issue subject aims with 220, and his 127 online games performed was a school record at the time.
All through his first two seasons, he was a crucial reserve on Bison squads that defeated Kansas and Arkansas in the 1st round of the 2005 and 2006 NCAA Tournaments. The Kansas earn was momentous, as it was the to start with NCAA Tournament victory in Bucknell and Patriot League history. The 2005-06 squad is thought of to be the greatest-ever at Bucknell, as the Bison concluded 27-5 in general (14- in the Patriot League), earned a major-25 national rating for the very first time, and gained a No. 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
For the duration of his 4-calendar year taking part in profession, Bucknell compiled an in general record of 85-42 (.669) and a Patriot League report of 44-12 (.786).
Soon after graduating from Bucknell with a degree in economics in 2008, Griffin played professionally in Germany, Slovakia, England, and Italy. He was the Participant of the Yr in the German Professional B division with Crailsheim in 2008-09, but his vocation was eventually established back again by a torn ACL.
In 2010-11, Griffin worked with the Indiana Pacers as a online video coordinator. In addition to his video responsibilities, he participated in team practices and pregame warmups and done statistical assessment to assist the coaching workers get ready scouting stories.
Immediately after playing his ultimate pro period in Italy in 2011-12, Griffin was employed as the director of basketball operations at Rider in June 2012. He was promoted to assistant mentor in 2013 and had been in that situation for two seasons ahead of returning to Bucknell. In his ultimate season at Rider, the Broncs finished 21-12 overall, 15-5 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Meeting, and performed in the CBI postseason event.
Griffin came again to his alma mater in April 2015, and in four seasons as an assistant mentor he served the Bison to 4 Patriot League common-year titles, two Patriot League Event titles, two NCAA Event appearances, and 1 NIT bid.
Griffin, who led Saint Joseph’s Prep to a Philadelphia Catholic League championship and graduated as the school’s all-time main scorer all through his higher college times, was named associate head mentor at Saint Joseph’s College, his father’s alma mater, in April 2019.
Functioning under head mentor Billy Lange, the Hawks improved each yr all through Griffin’s tenure. In a few whole seasons (not counting the COVID-abbreviated 2020-21 marketing campaign), Saint Joseph’s enhanced its acquire overall from 6 to 11 to 16. The 2022-23 group went 8-10 in the competitive Atlantic 10 and won two games in the A10 Event in advance of bowing out in a close contest to second-seeded Dayton.
“I was very joyful with the substantial-top quality pool of candidates in this research, which is a significant indicator that Bucknell men’s basketball is even now incredibly a lot seen as one particular of the top mid-important packages in the nation, and John is uniquely positioned to provide Bucknell again to prominence,” claimed Truax.
Griffin is married to the previous Brianna Gauthier, who was a women’s basketball pupil-athlete at Mount St. Mary’s and later served as an assistant mentor at Manhattan. The Griffins have a few youthful sons, John Joseph IV, Charles, and Landon.
