Arcadia University has named Justin Scott as the new head coach for men’s basketball.

Scott was assistant coach of the Arcadia Knights for two seasons and led a commitment to academic excellence as the department’s academic coordinator.

“I am extremely honored, excited and humbled that Athletic Director Brian Granata, President (Carl) Tobey Oxholm (III) and Arcadia University have given me the opportunity to lead the Knights men’s basketball team,” Scott said. “With the growth, energy and vision of the University and the athletic department, I believe that this program is poised to reach new heights, and I am excited to lead the men’s basketball program into the future. I will strive to build character, achieve academic excellence, and provide my players with an experience that will lead to success in their professional careers and lives after Arcadia.”

This was the first appointment made by Granata, who joined Arcadia last month.

“I am really excited to be able to make this appointment, because Justin is the right man in the right place at the right time for us,” Granata said. “We were a very young team last year, and we took the best teams in the conference to their limits. Justin’s personal drive and desire — and his commitment to excellence both on and off the court — were key to motivating them last year. Now, he will be able to bring it all together.”

The men’s basketball team had two players recognized for superior play last season. Sophomore starting point guard Travis Saltus was named MAC Commonwealth Conference Rookie of the Year and Arcadia 2012 Male Athlete of the Year. Senior captain Colin McCarthy was named to the Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Team and was named Arcadia Male Senior Athlete of the Year at a reception with the Arcadia Athletics Alumni Association.

“Justin is the perfect embodiment of what Division III means,” said Oxholm. “He is as intense as anyone would ever want in a coach. And he is similarly demanding of his men off the court when it comes to academic performance, community service, and professional conduct. I know I speak for our whole community when I say that we are thrilled with this appointment.”

The whole team excelled off the court, with the team’s GPA the highest it’s been in the past nine years.

“I am glad to have served under coach Pat Dorney because he taught me a lot. I know our team and the new players who will be joining us this fall. I know our potential, and I am confident that the program will continue to grow to the point where we are consistently competing at a high level within the Conference,” Scott said. “We all feel it.  Men’s Basketball and Athletics at Arcadia is on the rise.”

Dorney resigned to accept the head coaching job at Collingswood High School, where he teaches.

“Coach Scott receiving this position means a lot to me and the team because we have such a strong relationship,” Saltus said. “He has been more than a coach. He truly cares about us as people first. I also know that he is going to have us working really hard every day to give us the best opportunity to win.”

Scott has served as the academic coordinator for Arcadia’s Department of Athletics and Recreation and is widely credited with driving the athletic program’s academic success.

“As a team, we are very excited to have Coach Scott as our new head coach,” adds McCarthy, who will compete this year as a graduate student in Arcadia’s Master of Education program. “He has a great work ethic and passion for winning. Without a doubt, Coach Scott will take this program in the right direction.”

Under Scott’s leadership, Arcadia student-athletes in all sports are represented heavily on the seasonal MAC Academic Honor Roll and on Arcadia’s dean’s list. Last fall, Arcadia’s student-athletes combined to record the highest team GPAs in a decade. This spring, 154 Arcadia student-athletes — nearly 75 percent — earned a 3.2 or higher GPA, and 24 earned perfect 4.0 GPAs during the academic year.

“Coach Scott has made a big impact in my life in the short amount of time we’ve had together,” notes returning senior Khalief Trawick. “We can’t wait until the season starts so we can get rolling and compete for a MAC Championship.”

A native of Philadelphia, Scott was a member of the All-Public League team at George Washington Carver Engineering & Science High School. Scott has close educational and athletic ties to Philadelphia and remains actively involved in community service, both personally and along with his team.

Scott’s mother, Anna Lee (Gonsalves) Scott is an alumna of Arcadia (then known as Beaver College) and was a member of the women’s basketball team in 1978–79. While attending Arcadia, she met her husband and Justin’s father, Harry Scott.

Scott is also an active board member of the Daniel E. Rumph II Foundation, a non-profit organization founded after the sudden passing of close friend Daniel Rumph due to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The foundation raises awareness concerning sudden cardiac arrest, provides free screenings for hypertrophy cardiomyopathy, and provides automated external defibrillators and CPR training to tri-state area recreation centers. Under Scott’s leadership, the men’s basketball program will be helping the foundation to raise money and awareness for the cause.

Scott graduated from East Stroudsburg University with a bachelor’s degree in sport management in 2007. He started 27 games at guard for ESU as a senior captain in 2006–07 and was third on the team with 64 assists and fourth with 29 steals. He played in all 28 games for the Warriors as a junior after transferring from Bloomsburg University, where he played his first two seasons. Scott earned a master’s degree in Management and Leadership with a concentration in Sport Management from East Stroudsburg in 2008.

Scott joined coach Dorney after three successful seasons at his alma mater East Stroudsburg University assisting head coach Jeff Wilson and the Warriors from 2007 to 2010. While at East Stroudsburg, Scott also served as the Coordinator for Special Projects, Diversity and Social Justice Education in the Athletic Department. In this role, Scott aided the ESU coaching staff in recruiting and retaining diverse student-athletes and coaches, implementing social justice education programs and assisting in athletic operations.

“Over the course of his two years at Arcadia, Justin has demonstrated a remarkable dedication to the men’s basketball program. He has proved to be a talented recruiter and has excelled in his role as the Academic Coordinator for the department,” Granata said. “Justin’s personal drive and desire to help our team be successful is admirable. He really is a great role model for all our student-athletes. I am confident that he will excel as the head coach of the Knights and look forward to working with him over the coming years.”

The Knights have their home opener at Kuch Center Alumni Gym on Nov. 20, against Drew University.