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Cairn University Athletics

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Jason O'Connell

Jason O’Connell is in his eleventh season as Cairn University's Head Men’s Basketball coach in 2024-25 and has led Cairn to its most successful run in program history over the past six seasons. 

O'Connell and the Highlanders reached the Quarterfinal Round of the United East Championship in 2024-25, their sixth-straight postseason appearance with four players named to All-Conference teams (Josiah Hardy - First Team, Jaylon Simpson - Second Team, Ashton West & Isaiah Coleman - Third Team). On November 23, 2024, He reached the second most wins in program history, passing Richard Beach (119 wins) and after the 2024-25 campaign, sits at 131 career wins, 34 wins behind the all-time program record (Don Martindell - 165). Ahead of the season, O'Connell was selected to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division III Congress, serving a four-year term representing Division III Men's Basketball coaches on key issues and topics surrounding Division III Basketball. 
 
Over the course of the last decade, O’Connell has transformed the men’s basketball program from three wins during his first year in 2014-2015 to 18 wins and a Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) Championship in 2019-2020, which also included Cairn's first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division III Tournament. Coach O’Connell was also named the conference Coach of the Year in the 2018-19 campaign (second time in his career - 2018-29) when his team captured the CSAC Regular Season Championship and finished as the conference Runner-Up. Altogether, O'Connell has led the Highlanders to four-straight appearances in the CSAC Championship game, a feat only two coaches at Cairn have accomplished (Kevin Jackson - Women's Tennis). In 2023-24, O'Connell became the third winningest coach in Cairn Men's Basketball history with a 14-13 record and United East postseason appearance. Seniors Aytor Alberto and Derian Bradford (1,000-point scorer) were named First Team All-Conference. 

In 2019, O’Connell recognized by the NABC to the Under Armour 30-Under-30 Team, representing 30 of the most outstanding men’s college basketball coaches under the age of 30. For two-straight summers, O'Connell has been invited to coach at the NCAA College Basketball Academy in Rock Hill, SC. 
 
O’Connell’s teams have continued to succeed on both the court and in the classroom. On the court, his teams were awarded the CSAC 3-D Award (Discover, Develop, Dedicate) for three consecutive seasons from 2016-2019. During the 2019-2020 season, his team ranked in the top 25 in the nation in several statistical categories including rebounding margin (#4 in Division III), offensive rebounds (#6 in Division III), defensive rebounds (#15 in Division III), and points per game (#15 in Division III).  In the classroom, the men’s basketball program has had an overall team GPA of 3.0+ since 2015 under O’Connell.  
 
O’Connell’s recruits have included the CSAC Defensive Player of the Year, CSAC Player of the Year, and CSAC Rookie of the Year. Thirteen student-athletes have been selected All-Conference (18 total selections) and he has coached six 1,000-point scorers at Cairn.
 
Prior to coming to Cairn, O'Connell worked at Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) editing film, assisting with scouting reports, film exchange and coordinating travel plans for the athletic department.  Prior to EKU, he served as an assistant men's basketball coach at Penn State-Harrisburg during the 2012-2013 season while helping the Lions' reach the North East Athletic Conference semifinals. O'Connell's duties included film exchange, creating scouting reports, on-floor coaching, while being the head of recruiting.
 
O'Connell is a 2012 Lancaster Bible College graduate and has earned Master's degrees from California University of Pennsylvania in Exercise Science and Health Promotion: Sport Psychology and at Eastern Kentucky University in Recreation and Park Administration.
 
Jason and his wife Kristina currently reside in Langhorne, PA with their son Elijah.  

The O'Connell File
Year Record Notes
2024-25 13-14 United East Quarterfinal Appearance
2023-24 14-13 United East Divisional First Round Appearance
2022-23 17-9 CSAC Runner-Up, CSAC Coach of the Year, 100th Career Win
2021-22 16-11 CSAC Runner-Up
2020-21 7-3 COVID-Shortened Season
2019-20 18-10 CSAC Champions, NCAA Division III Tournament
2018-19        18-9 CSAC Runner-Up, CSAC Coach of the Year
2017-18 8-17
2016-17 7-18
2015-16 10-15
2014-15 3-22
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