A.J. Bender starts his third year will the Mercyhurst men's basketball staff and will continue as the lead assistant for Head Coach Gary Manchel.
After winning 17 games and making the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) playoffs in his first year, the Lakers exceeded all expectations in 2014-15. Not only did the team have its second 20-win season in the last five years, going 20-7, it also advanced advanced to its first National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Tournament in school history. The Lakers' have now recorded ten straight winning seasons.
The Lakers finished second in the PSAC Western Division, a division that saw four teams make the NCAA Tournament. The second place finish marked the second time ever placing that high in the conference (2nd in 2010-11). The Lakers have now outperformed their predicted preseason finish for the sixth straight time. Mercyhurst defeated national runner-up Indiana (Pa.) twice during the regular season, once at the Kovalchick Center when the Crimson Hawks were ranked fifth in the country. Mercyhurst is the only team in the country to beat IUP in each of the last five seasons.
Bender played basketball at Mount Aloysius College in Cresson, Pennsylvania. He graduated in 2007 with a degree in business administration. Bender earned his Master’s at California (Pa.) in 2012.
From 2009 to 2013, he served as the assistant coach at Mount Aloysius. In the 2012-13 campaign, MAC had its most successful season in program history, winning 16 games. With the Mounties, Bender had a hand in scouting, strategy, and personal workouts. He also worked as a camp counselor at a number of schools, including Clemson University.
As a player at MAC, the native of Oakland, Maryland, set the school’s career steals record and led the conference in takeaways as a senior.
