Coach McCloskey remembered Jack McCloskey, head men’s basketball coach at Alvernia from 1991-2004, passed away in April after a five-year battle with cancer. McCloskey remains the Alvernia career leader in wins for men’s basketball with 227. His .671 career winning percentage (227-111) ranks in the top 50 among Division III coaches. For his accomplishments on the court and his contributions to the university, he was recognized as a member of the inaugural class of the Alvernia Athletics Hall of Fame in 2008. In 2004, the same year he retired, McCloskey was honored as an inductee into the Berks County Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame. During his 12 years as head coach at Alvernia, he coached the Crusaders to an ECAC Title (1995) and two PAC Titles (2000, 2003). He guided the team to four NCAA appearances (1997, 2000, 2002 and 2003) and was named the 1997 PAC Coach of the Year. In 1992 McCloskey led Alvernia basketball into its membership in the NCAA and the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference (PAC). He helped put the school and the city of Reading on the map in 1997, when his team advanced to the NCAA Division III Final Four. He coached teams to six 20-win seasons, including the ‘97 team. “A true family man, Jack had a great capacity for friendships, many of them with former players and coaching colleagues. We are so fortunate that Jack considered Alvernia his second family,” said Alvernia President Tom Flynn. “His passion for his beloved Alvernia was matched by his passion for basketball. He was a Hall of Famer, both on and off the court.”
Zach Lutz ’08 takes a swing as a New York Met
Major league legacy Alvernia’s baseball program has been highly successful on several fronts, but none more so than serving as an effective training ground for the major leagues. Anthony Recker ‘05 is a catcher for the Oakland A’s this season, while Zach Lutz ’08 was briefly called up from the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons this spring to play for the New York Mets. At the time, the two were part of just
top: Doug Pensinger/Getty Images
10 Division III athletes in major league baseball. The newest addition to Alvernia’s coaching squad, Wade Miller, sports a big league legacy himself. The former Alvernia pitcher just rejoined the team as a coach following a nine-year career in the majors with the Houston Astros, Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs. The team’s leader for the past 26 seasons, Coach Yogi Lutz was named the 10th King of Baseballtown this spring by the Reading Phillies organization. Coach Lutz has earned six Coach of the Year Awards and received the Louisville Slugger Coaches Award twice. Alvernia University Magazine
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