Cabrini names new coaches

Marcus Kahn, who spent the last six seasons as head men's basketball coach at Pitt-Greensburg, has been named head men's basketball coach at Cabrini, and Bernadette Laukaitis, longtime assistant coach at Holy Family, has been named head women's coach.

Joe Giunta, Cabrini's director of athletics and recreation, announced the appointments recently.

"We are thrilled to welcome Marcus Kahn to Cabrini College as the head coach of our men's basketball program," Giunta said. "Marcus' emphasis on the complete student-athlete -- in the classroom, on the court and in the community -- is consistent with Cabrini's mission. Additionally, he brings a great deal of head coaching success at the Division III level.

Laukaitis inherits a Cavaliers team that captured the 2008 Pennsylvania Athletic Conference tournament title and returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1999.

"We are very excited to have Bernadette join the Cabrini family," said Giunta. "She has an unmatched energy level and her passionate drive to become a head coach was evident. Bernadette experienced a great deal of success at Holy Family as a student-athlete and coach, playing an integral role in building one of the top Division II programs in the country. We are looking forward to watching her sustain the winning tradition at Cabrini."

At the helm of the Bobcats, Kahn became the program's all-time leader in career victories (77), recruited two Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Newcomers of the Year (2005-06, 2007-08) and guided Pitt-Greensburg to its first postseason appearance since the 1999-2000 season en route to a 77-83 overall record. He becomes the fifth men's basketball head coach in Cabrini's 34-year program history, the third since 483-game winner John Dzik was forced out at the end of the 2004-05 season and the third in three years. Matt Macciocca and Greg Herenda combined to go 28-48 the past three seasons.

"Cabrini embodies everything that I am looking for in a coaching position," said Kahn. "With a strong athletic and academic reputation, as well as a great facility in the Dixon Center and a passionate athletic department staff, I know the Cabrini men's basketball program can be taken to the next level."

Kahn mentored Pitt-Greensburg to two AMCC championship games (2005-07) and claimed the conference's regular season crown in 2004-05, the first in program history. In his first season in 2002-03, he led the Bobcats to a 14-12 overall record and trip to the conference tournament. Kahn inherited a team that had won just 10 games combined during the 2000-01 and 2001-02 campaigns.

Kahn earned a bachelor of arts degree in education from Redlands in 1997 and a master's degree in education from Wesley in 2000.

During Laukaitis' tenure at Holy Family, the Tigers advanced to eight national postseason tournaments, including five NCAA Tournaments and three NAIA Tournaments. Holy Family captured five Central Athletic Collegiate Conference Tournament championships and eight regular season crowns. In 2007-08, the Tigers recorded a 32-1 overall record, finished the season ranked No. 4 nationally and advanced to the NCAA Northeast Region final as the top seed.

Laukaitis helped orchestrate eight 25-win teams, including five squads that eclipsed the 30-win plateau. The Tigers boasted a 234-27 overall mark with Laukaitis on the sideline, winning 64 consecutive games in CACC play. In conference play, Holy Family became the first program in CACC history to record three consecutive undefeated seasons from 2005-08.

"I am extremely excited to be joining Cabrini as head women's basketball coach," Laukaitis said. "This has been something I have dreamed of my whole life and I could not think of any other place I would like to take the next journey of my career than at Cabrini."

Laukaitis received a bachelor of arts degree in elementary education from Holy Family in 2000.