GREENVILLE, Pa. (March 21) -- Thiel College Men's Basketball alumnus Dave Pilipovich '86, Assistant Coach at the University of New Mexico, is set to coach in tonight's NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament First Round contest against Marquette University at 7:25 on TBS.

Pilipovich served as Special Assistant to the Head Coach with the Lobos in 2020-21 before departing for an assistant coach role with the Austin Spurs of the NBA G-League for one season. Pilipovich returned to New Mexico in May 2022 and served as Special Assistant to the Head Coach for two seasons before becoming an assistant coach for the 2024-25 season.

Last season, Pilipovich helped guide the Lobos to a 26-10 record, a Mountain West Conference Tournament Championship and the programs first March Madness appearance since 2014.

He received the 2024 Thiel College Athletic Alumni Commendation Award this past August and served as a guest speaker at the Department of Athletics' annual summer retreat. 

Pilipovich earned four varsity basketball letters and served as team captain during his senior season as a Tomcat. Pilipovich graduated from Thiel in 1986 with a degree in business administration and went on to earn his master's degree from California (Pa.) in 1988 in geography and regional planning.

Off the court, Pilipovich is deeply committed to community engagement and charitable causes. He has been an active advocate for initiatives such as Coaches vs. Cancer, working to raise awareness and funds for cancer research. His involvement in these efforts underscores his belief that athletes can use their platform to bring about positive change in society.
 

*Portions Contributed by the Thiel College Office of Marketing and Communications*