Seneca Valley grad hired as Edinboro men's basketball coach

Seneca Valley grad Justin Jennings will be the 12th head coach of the Edinboro men’s basketball program, the school announced Tuesday.

“I am honored and excited to have the opportunity to lead the men’s basketball program at Edinboro,” Jennings said in a press release. “This is a dream come true for my family and I and we cannot wait to get started.”

Jennings spent the last seven seasons on the staff at Drexel, where he served as the offensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator, helping the Dragons to the NCAA Tournament in 2021 for the first time in 25 years.

Jennings is coming into Edinboro with the same kind of expectations.

“We are going to bring an up-tempo style of basketball where we focus on playing with pace and space,” said Jennings. “Our fans can expect a high-energy, team-oriented style of play and a program that is committed to chasing excellence both on and off the floor.”

Prior to his time at Drexel, Jennings spent two years as an assistant at the U.S. Military Academy. During his short time in West Point, the Black Knights finished with a 34-27 record, including a 19-13 mark in 2015-16. Those 19 wins were the most for the Black Knights since 1977-78.

Jennings played his college ball for Penn State Behrend, which posted an 81-28 record during his four years at the school. When he graduated, Jennings ranked third in career assists.

“I could not be more excited to get back to Western Pennsylvania,” Jennings said. “My connections to the area and Edinboro are deeply rooted. The opportunity to build a family-based program in such a unique environment is one I could not pass up.”

After graduating, Jennings joined the staff at his alma mater, helping the Lions to an appearance in the ECAC finals in 2006-07 and the NCAA Division III tournament second round after claiming the AMCC regular season and tournament titles.

Jennings spent the next three seasons as an assistant coach at Carnegie Mellon, helping the Tartans to the first NCAA Tournament victory in program history and a top 12 ranking in the country in 2008-09.