Rob Clune - Head Coach
Contact: robert.clune@allegheny.edu
814-332-2819
In September of 2002, Rob Clune had some pretty big shoes to fill when he replaced Allegheny’s all-time wins leader Phil Ness, who resigned as the Gator head coach to become a major gifts officer in the College’s Office of Development. It was Ness, the program’s all-time leader in coaching victories, who hired Clune as a Gator assistant in October 1989.
The new head coach wasted no time in getting familiar with his surroundings, leading the Gators to a 16-12 overall record, a third-place finish during the conference regular season, and the NCAC Tournament title game. Allegheny knocked off nationally ranked Wittenberg University twice during the season, including a 73-72 decision in the semifinals of the league tourney, before succumbing to The College of Wooster, a national semifinalist, in the title game.
More recently, Allegheny posted a mark of 12-15 during the 2007-08 season, including a 6-10 record in the NCAC. The Gators were the sixth seed in the conference tournament and won their first game, 64-63, at Wittenberg. However, Allegheny fell to eventual conference champ Ohio Wesleyan, 79-63, in the semifinals.
In his five years at the helm, Clune has posted a 70-86 overall record and a 44-53 mark in the NCAC. Moreover, the Gator coach has turned the offense into one of the best in the conference, finishing among the top four in four of the last five seasons.. Allegheny led the NCAC in scoring during Clune's first season, netting an average of 81.8 points per game, while the following year, forward Matt Magnusen became the first Allegheny player ever to lead the league in scoring, notching 547 points for a 21.0 scoring average.
Prior to his appointment at Allegheny, Clune was the head coach at Bethany College (W.Va.), where he turned a struggling program into an NCAA Tournament team. In his seven seasons as the Bison mentor, his teams won two Presidents’ Athletic Conference championships and made two postseason appearances, while he was twice named PAC Coach of the Year. Clune’s best campaign came in 2001-02, when Bethany went 21-7 and won its first NCAA Tournament game since 1978.
During his time at Bethany, Clune’s teams were usually near the top of Division III in several offensive categories. During his final season with the Bison, his team was ranked in the top 21 nationally in scoring offense, three-pointers per game, and three-point percentage and he had players ranked in the top 10 in scoring, assists, and three-pointers per contest.
As an assistant coach under Ness, Clune spent six seasons at Allegheny, helping recruit a core of players that went on to win the NCAC Championship and earn an NCAA Tournament bid. He also served as an assistant coach at Plattsburgh State for one year before his arrival at Allegheny.
As a player, Clune helped guide Albany State to three NCAA Tournament appearances and earned First Team All-SUNYAC honors as a senior. He was inducted into the school’s athletic Hall of Fame in 1999.
Clune continued his playing career overseas following his graduation from Albany State. He played from 1981-83 for Club Polisen in Stockholm, Sweden, and led his team to a playoff spot in the Swedish First Division.
After graduating from Albany State in 1981 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, Clune earned his master’s in athletic coaching education from West Virginia University.
Clune and his wife Linda reside in Meadville and have two sons, Trevor (12) and Jason (10).
Years at Allegheny: Six
Record at Allegheny: 70-86
NCAC Record: 44-53
Overall Record: 139-197 (13 seasons)
Born: 8/17/59
Hometown: Oneonta, N.Y.
Alma Mater: Albany State, 1981
Degrees: B.A., Business Administration; M.Ed., Athletic Coaching Education
Collegiate Coaching Experience
Allegheny College, Meadville, Pa.
Head Coach (2002-), Named September 2002
Bethany College, Bethany, W.Va.
Head Coach (1995-2002)
Allegheny College, Meadville, Pa.
Assistant Coach (1989-95)
Plattsburgh State, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
Assistant Coach (1988-89)
 Scott Cooper - Assistant Coach
Contact: scott.cooper@allegheny.edu
814-332-2810
Gator alum Scott Cooper has returned to Allegheny College as the men’s assistant basketball coach. A 2002 graduate, Cooper spent the past six years as an assistant with Alfred University (N.Y.).
In 2004-05, he helped guide the second-best turnaround in NCAA Division III as Alfred improved from 3-22 (2003-04) to 13-12. The improvement was the best in the East Region.
The Saxons were ranked among the top 30 in offensive efficiency for three of Cooper’s years. Cooper was also the head men’s and women’s tennis coach for one season. With him at the helm, the men’s team set a school record for wins in a season while the women recorded their second-best mark and appeared in postseason play.
As a player, Cooper appeared in the Gators’ starting lineup as a junior before suffering a knee injury. He lettered three times, earned the Rink Kofford Memorial Award (highest GPA on team) and was a member of Allegheny’s last NCAA Tournament team (1998-99). Cooper was also a member of the Allegheny track and field team, participating in the discus and high jump.
Cooper has been a coach and lecturer for several camps/clinics and has worked for professional organizations including the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Cleveland Rockers; and collegiate organizations such as Ohio State, Florida, Central Michigan, Southern Polytechnic State, Slippery Rock, Ohio Northern and Allegheny.
Cooper graduated from Allegheny with a Bachelor’s degree in math. He minored in psychology. At Alfred, he added a Master’s degree in Education to his resume in May 2004.
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