Rob Clune will enter his eleventh season at the helm of Thiel’s women's basketball team in 2022-23.
During his time at Thiel, Clune has had four players score their 1,000th career points, including Jess Vormelker, who accomplished the feat on Jan. 27, 2018, as well as Jaclyn Watkins, Kelly Barzak and Kelly Muffley.
Vormelker went on to become one of the most decorated players in program history. She was the first player in school history to be named to a D3hoops.com All-America Team in 2019. She was also a two-time D3hoops.com Great Lakes All-Region Team honoree, including Second Team accolades in 2019.
Vormelker was a two-time finalist for the Jostens Trophy (2019, 2018). A national award sponsored by Jostens and the Rotary Club of Salem, Va., to honor the most outstanding men’s and women’s NCAA Division III basketball players of the year, the Jostens Trophy takes into account three vital parts: basketball ability, academic prowess and community service.
In February of 2019, Vormelker became the first women’s basketball player in Thiel history to be named the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) Player of the Year. A four-time All-PAC selection, including First Team honors as a senior, at the time of her graduation, Vormelker ranked among the best in program history in multiple statistical categories, including: career three-pointers (1st, 248), blocks (2nd, 125), points (3rd, 1,681), field goals (4th, 567), made free throws (4th, 299), assists (5th, 237) and rebounds (5th, 790).
In addition to Vormelker, freshman forward Destiny Johnson was named the PAC Freshman of the Year in February of 2019. Johnson led the team with 304 rebounds in 2018-19 and finished second on the team with 329 points.
Led by Vormelker and Johnson, the 2018-19 Tomcats, who became known as the “Cinderella Tomcats”, were the first team in PAC history to reach the semifinals of the conference championship tournament as an eighth seed. Led by freshman guard Rachel Breckenridge, who drained six three-pointers and netted a game-best 22 points, the Tomcats defeated the Bethany Bison 68-55 in opening round of the tournament. Thiel went on to beat the Chatham Cougars 75-70 in the tournament quarterfinals, led by Johnson who notched a double-double with 15 rebounds and 14 points. The magic ended when the Tomcats fell to the Saint Vincent Bearcats 76-69 in the tournament semifinals. Senior guard Alivia Sidley paced the Tomcats with a game-high 25 points while Vormelker and Johnson both tallied double-doubles.
Clune is very familiar with the Presidents’ Athletics Conference having served as the head men’s basketball coach at Bethany College from 1995-02. During his tenure at Bethany, Clune successfully built the foundation for a championship basketball program. Bethany won back-to-back PAC titles in 2000-01 and 2001-02 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division III Tournament. Clune also recruited and coached four of the top six scorers in Bethany program history, including its first two Division III All-American selections. For his efforts, Clune earned PAC Coach of the Year honors in consecutive seasons.
Clune also brings championship-caliber coaching experience on the women’s side. He served as Bethany’s head women’s soccer coach from 1995-02. His 1999 team won the conference title, and he coached the two top-ranked scorers in Bethany women’s soccer history.
Clune served as the head men’s basketball coach at Allegheny College from 2002-10 where his teams qualified for every conference tournament during his tenure. His teams were regularly among the conference leaders in many statistical categories. His 2009-10 team finished third in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) and led the league in scoring. Clune recruited and coached the third player in Allegheny program history to be voted to the NCAC First Team in consecutive seasons.
In 2017, Clune was inducted to the Upstate New York Basketball Hall of Fame for both his playing and coaching career.
A graduate of the University at Albany, Clune scored 1,019 career points. A team captain his senior year, Clune is also a member of the University at Albany Hall of Fame.
During his time at Albany, Clune’s teams had three straight 20-win seasons and participated in the NCAA tournament each of those three years. Clune was recognized as Albany’s 1981 Male Athlete of the Year.
After graduating, Clune played professionally in Stockholm, Sweden before beginning his coaching career.
