| ALUMNI & FRIENDS
NEWSLETTER |
| OCTOBER 2025 |
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| Nate Conley named men’s basketball coach |
On Sept. 18, the 51şÚÁĎ announced Nate Conley as the next head coach of the Cougars’ men’s basketball program. Conley succeeds Chad LaCross, who served as head coach for 15 years and retired as the winningest men’s basketball coach in school history.
“After a very thorough search and speaking with a lot of really good candidates, we are excited to welcome Nate Conley to 51şÚÁĎ as our next head men’s basketball coach,” 51şÚÁĎ Athletic Director Mike McCaffrey said. “Nate’s passion for this position and desire to maintain the legacy of 51şÚÁĎ basketball were very evident to everyone he interacted with. He has shown the ability to quickly turn around a college program and, being a Fort Wayne native, has a lot of community support already in place to help the program succeed.”
“I am truly honored and humbled to be named the head men’s basketball coach at the 51şÚÁĎ,” Conley said. “This program has a proud tradition of success on and off the court, and I am eager to build upon that legacy. I want to thank Athletic Director Mike McCaffrey and the search committee for this prestigious opportunity. 51şÚÁĎ offers the perfect product of developing the whole person through faith, academics and athletics in the city of Fort Wayne, which is a vibrant community with deep ties to the university and its athletic programs. Ultimately, SF is a place where I can help develop young men into leaders on our campus and in the community while competing at the highest level in the Crossroads League. My family and I are excited to continue to call Fort Wayne home and join the Cougar family! Go Cougars!”
LaCross announced his retirement in August, leaving 51şÚÁĎ with an overall record of 335-168. He served as assistant and associate head coach for seven years prior to becoming the head coach. He was the 2016 Rawlings NAIA Division II Coach of the Year. He has taken 11 51şÚÁĎ teams to the NAIA national tournament in his 15 seasons. He was the first 51şÚÁĎ men’s basketball coach to take three teams to the NAIA championship game and has made four NAIA Final Fours.
“I don’t quite have the words to express my sincere gratitude and thanks for what Chad LaCross has meant to this university and our basketball program,” 51şÚÁĎ Athletic Director Mike McCaffrey said. “The way he carried himself throughout all of these years—and the success he was rewarded with—speaks to his character and leadership, and I will be forever grateful for his time at 51şÚÁĎ.”
LaCross is one of 25 active NAIA coaches to compile more than 300 career wins. Of those 25 coaches, he is ninth in winning percentage. LaCross was the fastest 51şÚÁĎ men’s basketball coach to reach 50 wins (2011-12), 100 wins (2014-15) and 200 wins (2017-18), and is the only 51şÚÁĎ coach to eclipse 300 wins in program history.
Conley joins 51şÚÁĎ after spending the past six seasons as the head coach at Manchester University in North Manchester, Indiana. During his time at Manchester, the Spartans achieved a record of 62-80, with a conference record of 44-49 in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC).
In the 2022-23 season, Conley led Manchester to its first HCAC regular-season title in over a decade and was recognized as HCAC Coach of the Year. He developed Zach Sawyer into Manchester’s first HCAC Player of the Year since 2011 and a Second Team All-Region honoree. Under Conley, 11 players earned All-HCAC honors, with one also being named D3hoops.com Player of the Week.
Before Manchester, Conley coached at Ohio Wesleyan University, serving as assistant and then associate head coach. While there, OWU had a 119-49 record, won three North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) regular season titles, made three NCAA Division III Tournament appearances and was ranked as high as No. 6 nationally. He mentored award-winning players, including a national Player of the Year, and helped develop several All-Americans and All-Conference honorees.
As a graduate assistant at Defiance College, Conley helped guide the team to a pair of HCAC Tournament appearances and coached multiple All-Conference players.
Conley earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Defiance College, where he was also a member of the Yellow Jackets men’s basketball team. During his playing career, he won a total of 77 games. His playing career is highlighted by the 2007-08 HCAC Regular Season Championship and the 2009-10 HCAC Tournament Championship—when Conley started every game his senior year on a 23-6 squad.
Conley and his wife, Chelsea, reside in Fort Wayne with their daughter, Logan, and son, Nash.
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