First it began as one of the biggest turnarounds in Division III men's basketball history. Now, with four Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom championship game appearances, three MAC Freedom championships and three NCAA playoff berths in the last six years, Casey Stitzel has turned Delaware Valley into a perennial conference and regional contender.
Stitzel, who added the title and duties of assistant athletic director prior to the 2013-14 campaign, has recently completed his eighth season as head coach of the Aggies and is already the program's all-time leader in victories with 116. In fact, with a 116-96 record (.547), he is the only Delaware Valley men's basketball coach since 1961 to boast a career winning mark. The Aggies needed 20 years prior to Stitzel's arrival to notch 116 victories.
In 2008-09, Stitzel took over a program that went the 3-22 overall and 0-14 in the MAC Freedom the season before. He overturned the roster with a large recruiting class and the result was a 10-game overall improvement as the '08-09 edition went 13-13 overall (13-12 in the regular season) and 8-8 in the conference. It was the first winning record in the regular season for the program since 1986-87 and resulted in the first postseason berth since the 1968-69 campaign. They held the lead for most of their first-round contest before falling by four on the road to Wilkes.
The following year, the Aggies went 12-13 overall and were in contention for a second straight playoff spot heading into the final week of the campaign.
Then came the magical 2010-11 season. Stitzel and his squad were picked to finish fifth in the MAC Freedom preseason coaches' poll. Instead, the Aggies used many dramatic moments to not only qualify for the conference playoffs, but also top the standings and earn the right to host postseason games for the first time in program history.
Stitzel and the Aggies picked up the first-ever men's basketball playoff win against Wilkes in the semifinals and then hosted two-time defending MAC Freedom champion DeSales in the title contest. Before a capacity crowd, Delaware Valley pulled away to a 79-58 rout for the title. The win advanced the Aggies to the NCAA playoffs where they suffered a loss to 10th-ranked Virginia Wesleyan and ended the dream year with a 17-11 record.
Stitzel was selected by his peers as the MAC Freedom Coach of the Year while senior guard James Jones took home the Player of the Year Award. Jones was then selected as an All-American, the first in program history.
After a year out of the postseason, the Aggies notched the best season in program as the 2012-13 team set a school record with 19 wins (19-9), including a record nine-game winning streak near the end of the regular-season. They were the number two seed in the MAC Freedom tournament and knocked off Misericordia for a spot in the title game. The Aggies went on the road to top-seeded DeSales and notched a 77-72 triumph to cut the nets down on one of their foe's home court. Delaware Valley dropped a decision to perennial national power Virginia Wesleyan in the first round of the NCAA Division III playoffs.
Stitzel was named the MAC Freedom Coach of the Year for the second time in three years while the Aggies swept the rest of the league awards with the Player of the Year (Jeremy Beckett) and the Rookie of the Year (Zach Sly). Beckett was later named an All-American.
In 2014-15, Stitzel and his squad won 16 games and returned to the conference tournament where it dominated DeSales at home in the semifinals for yet another championship game berth. The squad fell at top-ranked Misericordia in the title contest.
Despite graduating eight players and 53 points per game from 2014-15 conference runner-up squad, Stitzel led the recent 2015-16 edition to the greatest season in program history. They won 20 games (20-8) for the first time in school history, including a record 10-game winning streak, and were ranked regionally for the first time in program history. They were the third seed for the MAC Freedom tournament and pulled out a last second win at defending champion Misericordia in the semifinals. Delaware Valley then hosted Wilkes in the title game and cut down the nets after a 75-72 triumph. In the NCAAs, the team rallied from a 14-point, second-half deficit (with its best player on the bench with an injury) to force overtime before falling to SUNY Oswego.
After the season, senior Chris Moran was named the MAC Freedom Player of the Year and also earned All-America accolades from DIII News.Â
Prior to coming to Delaware Valley, Stitzel had a similar turnaround as a rookie head coach at Perkiomen Valley High School in 2007-08. He took over a team that won just seven games the year before and led them to a 17-9 record and a District One Class AAAA playoff berth. They defeated West Chester Henderson High School in the opening round for the first playoff triumph in school history.
Stitzel's coaching career began under the tutelage of legendary Philadelphia University head coach Herb Magee, who has accumulated a NCAA Division II record 880 victories in his 43-plus seasons on the bench. The Rams went 41-20 in Stitzel's two years with the program, including a NCAA tournament berth in the 2005-06 campaign. During his tenure, he helped coach the back-to-back Division II Players of the Year in Tayron Thomas (2005-06)Â and Christian Burns (2006-07).
After a standout playing career at nearby Lansdale Catholic High School, including one year under current University of Richmond head coach Chris Mooney, Stitzel went to play for former Delaware Valley head coach and current St. Joseph's University assistant Dave Duda at Widener University from 2001 to 2005.
Stitzel graduated as the Pride's 14th all-time leading scorer (now 16th) with 1,189 points and he is also second in program history in 3-pointers with 207. A three-year team captain, Stitzel was the team Most Valuable Player and an all-Commonwealth Conference second team honoree as in 2002-03 as he hit 79 treys and averaged 17.7 points per game.
Stitzel earned a bachelor of science degree in business management/sports management from Widener in 2005.
