Whitman College Athletics

John Lamanna was hired as the Whitman men's basketball coach in the summer of 2020. In his first full season, the 2021-22 season, Lamanna guided the Blues to a runner-up finish in the NWC Tournament, knocking off top-seeded Linfield in the semifinals.  In his second full season, Lamanna guided the Blues to a regular season conference championship, recording the college’s 16th overall conference championship in school history.  The 2022-23 season concluded with a 22-5 overall record (14-2 conference record).  The 2023-24 season saw the program win back-to-back conference championships, earning the college its 17th men’s basketball conference championship in school history.  The 2023-24 season included another 20 win season going 20-7 overall (13-3 conference record).  

Lamanna has twice been selected NWC Coach of the Year in his short tenure which came in back-to-back seasons (2022-23, 2023-24)

Over the course Lamanna’s tenure, the Blues have experienced exceptional success.
 

• Back-to-Back NWC Regular Season Champions (2022-23 & 2023-24)
• Back-to-Back NWC Coach of the Year (2022-23 & 2023-24)
• Last 2 Season’s Combined Overall Record 42-12 (2022-23 & 2023-24)
• Last 2 Season’s Combined Conference Record 27-5 (2022-23 & 2023-24)
• Last 2 Season’s Combined Road Record 19-2 (2022-23 & 2023-24)
• 3 All Region Players (2021-22, 2022-23 & 2023-24)
• 7 All Conference Players (2021-22, 2022-23 &2023-24)
• 1 Player of the Year (2022-23)
• 1 Defensive Player of the Year (2023-24)
• 3 Straight NWC Championship Game Appearances (2021-22, 2022-23 &2023-24)
• 2023-24 Nationally Ranked 4th in Effective Field Goal %
• 2023-24 Nationally Ranked 4th in True Field Goal %
• 2023-24 Nationally Ranked 11th in Free Throw %
• 2023-24 Nationally Ranked 17th in 3Pt Field Goal %
• 2023-24 Nationally Ranked 47th in Scoring Offense
• 2023-24 Conference Ranked 1st in Assists
• 2023-24 Conference Ranked 1st in Effective Field Goal %
• 2023-24 Conference Ranked 1st in Offense Field Goal %
• 2023-24 Conference Ranked 1st in 3Pt Field Goal %
• 2022-23 Nationally Ranked 12th in Offense Field Goal %
• 2022-23 Nationally Ranked 12th in Scoring Margin
• 2022-23 Nationally Ranked 16th in Rebound Margin 
• 2022-23 Nationally Ranked 20th in Team Asist/Turnover Ratio
• 2022-23 Nationally Ranked 24th in Win %
• 2022-23 Nationally Ranked 24th in Assists
• 2022-23 Nationally Ranked 42nd in 3Pt Defensive Field Goal %
• 2022-23 Nationally Ranked 42nd in Scoring Offense
• 2022-23 Nationally Ranked 50th in 3Pt Field Goal % 
• 2022-23 Conference Ranked 1st in Scoring Defense
• 2022-23 Conference Ranked 1st in Scoring Margin
• 2022-23 Conference Ranked 1st in Offense Field Goal %
• 2022-23 Conference Ranked 1st in Defense Field Goal %
• 2022-23 Conference Ranked 1st in 3Pt Defense Field Goal %
• 2022-23 Conference Ranked 1st in Opponent Rebounds
• 2022-23 Conference Ranked 1st in Rebounding Margin
• 2022-23 Conference Ranked 1st in Assist/Turnover Ratio
• 2021-22 Conference Ranked 1st in 3Pt Field Goals Made
• 2021-22 Conference Ranked 1st in Free Throw %

Lamanna brought with him a track record of successful recruiting at the national level as well as the international level with student-athletes from Serbia, Spain, Brazil, The Bahamas, Indiana, Florida, Idaho, and Michigan. His strong national and international ties, as well as his commitment to recruiting quality student-athletes, which has played a key role for the Blues. In addition to his dedicated recruiting efforts, Lamanna has directed successful youth camps and served as the director of an AAU Tournament hosting 150 of the top AAU teams in the country. 

Lamanna joined the Blues after five years heading up the men's basketball program at Ave Maria University, the previous four also as the school's director of athletics. Lamanna turned the program into one of the premier teams in the Sun Conference. Over his last two seasons with AMU, the Gyrenes won 30 games against conference opponents, including four conference tournament wins. The 2019-20 Gyrenes won 20 games for the second straight season, a first in program history. The team rose as high as 11th in the NAIA Coaches' Poll, best in school history.

Lamanna also oversaw the development of the program's first-ever two-time All-American The AMU basketball record book is littered with players from Lamanna's tenure as coach, including numerous of the program's top scorers and rebounders. The program's efforts also extended beyond the court, as nine Gyrenes earned Academic All-Sun Conference honors during his tenure.

During the 2018-2019 season, his fourth on campus, Lamanna guided the Gyrenes to their first ever conference championship, as well as a berth in the NAIA Division National Tournament. Ave Maria won the 2019 Sun Conference Tournament to earn the automatic berth in the national tournament, capping off a 23-9 season. For his efforts, Lamanna was named the Sun Conference Coach of the Year.

Lamanna's diverse coaching background also includes stints at NCAA Division III Franciscan University and Division I UC Davis where he helped transition the program from Division II to Division I competition. The program at Franciscan experienced many successes during Lamanna's tenure. Franciscan was honored by the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference with the 2011-2012 Team Peak Performer Award, which is presented to the program with the highest team grade point average in its specific sport. Additionally, he recruited the league's newcomer of the year who would finish the 2012-2013 season ranked fifth in the nation in blocked shots.

Prior to his time at Franciscan, Lamanna was the Assistant Men's Basketball Coach at UC Davis during which time the team experienced tremendous success. During his tenure, the Aggies finished as high as third in the Big West Conference and participated in postseason play in three of his five seasons.  Lamanna recruited and coached four All-Big West Conference student-athletes and one All-Academic Big West Conference student-athlete. Additionally, Scouthoops.com ranked UC Davis with the best Big West recruiting class in 2007, and ESPN.com ranked UC Davis with the eighth-best mid major recruiting class in the country.

Through the course of Lamanna's career, he had two stints with USA Basketball. First in the summer of 2002, Lamanna was selected to assist at the tryouts and training camp for the Youth Festival, where he worked with the top high school basketball players in the nation, who competed later that summer against other youth national teams at the World Youth Festival. The following summer (2003) USA Basketball invited Lamanna back for a second stint at the Olympic Training Center to assist with the tryouts and training camp for the Junior National Team and Pan American Team, which saw the nation's top collegiate basketball players compete against other nations in the World Games and Good Will Games later that summer.  During Lamanna's two stints with USA Basketball, he had the opportunity to work with members of the Basketball Hall of Fame and top college coaches in the country.

Since 2005, Lamanna has been the Director of the Reese's NCAA Division I College Basketball All-Star Game held at the Final Four site the Friday before the Final Four. Lamanna has worked as an assistant coach each year under Hall of Fame coaches along with current top Division I coaches.

Outside of coaching, Lamanna is a published author with an article published by Scholastic Coach and Athletic Director Magazine entitled "How to Establish an Academic Philosophy as a Coach" and an article published by Winning Hoops Magazine which was a comparative analysis of two different man-to-man defenses.  Additionally, Lamanna was featured in American Basketball Quarterly Magazine in an article about how scouting and technology can lead to success.

A Spokane, Wash., native, Lamanna graduated with a bachelor's degree in Kinesiology from Washington State University and a master's degree in Counseling from Loyola Marymount University.  John Lamanna is married to Sara Lamanna and they have three children, Gabi (13), Tony (10), and Louie (8).