DeSales University Men's Basketball Camps

Head Coach | Scott Coval

Scott Coval’s philosophy of developing the total person – academically, athletically and socially – has helped establish DeSales University as a top level NCAA Division III men’s basketball program.  Entering his 30th year with the Bulldogs, Coval’s career record of 525-252 (.676) makes him the all-time winningest men’s basketball coach in DeSales history.

Coach Coval has been named MAC Freedom Coach of the Year nine times – 2003, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2014, 2016, 2021, and 2022.  In 2009, the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) honored Coval as the Mid-Atlantic Regional Coach of the Year.

He enters the 2022-23 season ranked T-31st among all active NCAA Division III coaches in winning percentage (.676) and T-8th in victories (525).  Coval is T-44th all-time in NCAA Division III in total wins and T-60th in winning percentage.

Since taking over as head coach, Coval has lead DeSales to the postseason in 27 of his 29 years.  The Bulldogs have won four MAC Freedom Tournament championships (2009, 2010, 2014, 2019) and have won or shared the MAC Freedom Regular Season championship 11 times (2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2019, 2022).

Coval’s teams have advanced to six NCAA tournaments (1996, 2009, 2010, 2014, 2019, 2022).  They also won the ECAC South postseason tournament championship in 2007.

In 2009, the Bulldogs won three NCAA Tournament games, advancing to the NCAA “Elite 8”, finishing the season with a 25-6 overall record and ranked #15 in the final D3hoops.com national poll.  The 2010 DeSales team won two NCAA Tournament games, advanced to the NCAA “Sweet 16”, finishing with a 24-6 overall record and ranked #24 nationally.  In 2014, Coval’s Bulldogs advanced to the round of 32 in the NCAA tournament with a 76-70 road win over host Randolph-Macon College.

In 29 years with the Bulldogs, Coval’s teams have posted a .500 record or better 28 times.  Over the last 20 years, DSU has played in 13 MAC Freedom title games, been to 11 ECAC postseason tournaments and participated in five NCAA tournaments.  DSU has compiled a 395-152 (.722) overall record during this span which includes 13, 20+ win seasons and have been ranked as high as #7 in the national poll.

Relying on an up-tempo offense that emphasizes sharing the ball, players under Coval’s guidance have thrived individually with 21 of his players scoring 1,000 points and seven graduating with over 300 career assists.  During Coach Coval’s tenure at DeSales, 37 players have earned All-Conference honors and 11 times a Bulldog player was named Conference Player of the Year.  For the past 20 years, at least one DSU player has been named First-Team All-Conference every year.

Coval has mentored six National All-Americans including two-time First-Team All-American Darnell Braswell.  In addition, 12 players became All Region performers and two times a DeSales player earned Mid-Atlantic regional Player of the Year honors under Coval’s direction.

The Bulldogs also achieve in the classroom with 71 DeSales players being named to the MAC Academic Honor Roll during Coach Coval’s time at DeSales and one player, Mark Watermasysk, was named Academic All American in 2000.

Prior to arriving in Center Valley, Coval spent seven years as a Division I assistant coach.  His Division I experience included coaching stints at William & Mary, Penn State and Lafayette.  As a high school player, Coval lead Whitehall High (PA) to the 1982 state championship.   After scoring over 1,800 points and being named 1st-Team All-State in Pennsylvania, Coval accepted a scholarship to play Division I basketball at the College of William & Mary.  During his time at W&M, Coval had the opportunity to compete against some of the best teams in the country including Duke, Virginia, Wake Forest, Maryland, Notre Dame, West Virginia and Georgia.  In 1983, W&M played Virginia Tech in the NIT.

At William & Mary, Coval was named captain and team MVP as a senior.  He still holds W&M career records for most assists in a game (15), most assists in a season (168), most assists in a career (409), highest FT percentage for a career (89.9) and highest FT percentage for a season (91.7).  After his senior year, Coval was selected to participate in the Portsmouth Invitational NBA pre-draft camp.  Coval graduated from William and Mary in 1986 with a degree in Business Management.

Coach Coval is one of three athletes at Whitehall High School to have his numbered retired.  A member of the Lehigh Basketball Hall of Fame and the Whitehall HS Hall of Fame, Coval is the director of the DeSales University Bulldog basketball camp and the Scott Coval Shooting camp and clinics. He is also a guest lecturer at many camps throughout Eastern Pennsylvania.

Coval, who is also the Director of Athletics at DeSales, resides in Orefield, PA with his wife Kaye and their three children, Keeley (22), Mia (20) and Nicholas (17).