Coaching in the same conference as your alma mater is a hard thing to do, but the experience of playing a few “home games” at the school beforehand makes the adjustment just a bit simpler. Prior to winning an AMCC Championship, current Mount Aloysius College men’s basketball coach, Marcus Thomas, went through that experience.

In 2015-16, Thomas’ senior year, Pitt-Greensburg played their final four home games away from Chambers Hall, including their opening round playoff game against Medaille College. Two of them were played at Mount Aloysius’ Athletic Convocation and Wellness Center, both victories. The Bobcats went on to win the AMCC tournament and play in the NCAA Tournament with the conference’s automatic bid.

In addition to winning the AMCC Championship, Thomas was a three-year starter at UPG. He was an AMCC third team all-conference selection in 2015-16 and finished his career with over 1,000 points. He was the fourth member of his graduating class to accomplish that feat.

After winning a championship at Pitt-Greensburg, he got his Masters’ Degree from Robert Morris University, while working as a Graduate Assistant with their Men’s Basketball program. He then went on to help the Chatham men’s basketball team make an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2018-19, in his first year as an assistant coach.

Following the year at Chatham, Thomas went on to be named the Head Basketball Coach at Penn State Fayette. In his first season, he guided the Nittany Lions to double-digit victories. He also helped them to make major strides in the classroom as he coached the first back-to-back USCAA Student-Athlete of the Year in school history.

And now, Thomas is back in the AMCC, at a place he has already gotten to call home. This time though, he won’t be taking any shots or grabbing any rebounds. The familiarity in the AMCC already made the transition a little bit easier, but having played home games in the same gym as a player, smooths the adjustment even more.

“I truly believe it is a special opportunity to be able to return to the same conference, that I was fortunate enough to spend my last three collegiate years playing in. I was very lucky to be able to call Pitt-Greensburg my home and become part of the AMCC. This conference has provided me with teammates that have become brothers, countless memories on and off the floor, and has helped shape who I am today. I’ve even had the chance to call Mount Aloysius home as a player a few times, due to unique circumstances, including Senior Night. As cliché as it sounds, it truly has come full circle for me. I’m excited to continue to represent this great conference the best way that I possibly can.”

The Then & Now Series is part of the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference’s 25th anniversary, where the conference will be recognizing current AMCC coaches and/or athletic administrators who are former AMCC student-athletes. The Then & Now Series will run every Tuesday throughout the academic year.