Monks Basketball Camps
HEAD COACH TYLER ACKLEY
It was announced in mid-September 2021 that Tyler Ackley was named as the fifth head coach in the history of the Monks Men's Basketball program. In his four seasons as the Monks' head coach, Ackley has guided the Monks to a 66-45 (.595) overall record with a 40-19 (.678) against GNAC opponents. In 2025, Ackley led the program to its second GNAC Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance and was selected as the GNAC Coach of the Year for the first time. During his tenure, Ackley has built a positive culture in the program and developed multiple athletes to All-Academic and All-Conference awards.
It was announced in mid-September 2021 that Tyler Ackley was named as the fifth head coach in the history of the Monks Men's Basketball program. In his four seasons as the Monks' head coach, Ackley has guided the Monks to a 66-45 (.595) overall record with a 40-19 (.678) against GNAC opponents. In 2025, Ackley led the program to its second GNAC Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance and was selected as the GNAC Coach of the Year for the first time. During his tenure, Ackley has built a positive culture in the program and developed multiple athletes to All-Academic and All-Conference awards. Recently:
2024-2025: Coach Ackley led the Monks to a 24-5 overall record with a 13-1 mark in the conference to earn the top seed in the GNAC Tournament. The Monks defeated the #9 seed Mitchell College (115-85) in the GNAC Quarterfinals and the #4 seed Albertus Magnus College (85-71) in the GNAC Semifinals to secure a place in the GNAC Championship game for the second straight season. In front of a sold-out crowd at the Alfond Center, Ackley led the Monks to the program's second GNAC Championship with a victory over the #2 seed Lasell University with a final score of 79-72. In its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2009, Saint Joseph's lost a close game to the University of Redlands (79-89) in the first round.
After the season concluded, the Monks picked up numerous awards, led by sophomore forward Remijo Wani (Portland, Maine) being named the GNAC Player of the Year as well as earning a place on the First Team for both the DIII NABC All-District District I Team, D3hoops.com All-Region I team and the GNAC All-Conference First Team. Junior forward Wani Donato (Portland, Maine) earned the GNAC Defensive Player of the Year, while freshman guard Silvano Ismail (Portland, Maine) was named the GNAC Rookie of the Year. Ismail and junior guard John Paul Frazier (York, Maine) earned a spot on the All-Conference Third Team. Ackley was named the GNAC Coach of the Year.
Prior Seasons:
2023-24: The Monks tallied an overall record of 18-10 and a conference record of 12-2 to secure the #3 seed in the GNAC Tournament. Ackley led the Monks to their first GNAC Championship game since 2014 after nail-biting victories against the #6 seed Emmanuel College (74-73) in the GNAC Quarterfinals and the #2 seed Albertus College (88-87) in the GNAC Semifinals. The Monks came up short in the GNAC Championship against the top seeded University of Saint Joseph (Conn.), with a final score of 59-78. Sophomore guard John Paul Frazier (York, Maine) was named to the All-Conference First Team.
2022-23: Coach Ackley helped the Monks to a 15-12 overall record with a 9-7 record in GNAC play to secure the #2N seed in the GNAC Tournament. Saint Joseph's came out victorious in the GNAC Quarterfinals against the #3N seed Regis College (79-63). The Monks' season came to an end three days later in the GNAC Semifinals against the top seeded University of Saint Joseph (Conn.). After the season came to a close, freshman guard John Paul Frazier (York, Maine) was awarded the GNAC Rookie of the Year. Graduate guard Griffin Foley (Portland, Maine) was selected to the All-Conference Third Team for the second straight season.
2021-22: In his first season as head coach, the Monks posted an overall record of 9-18 with a conference record of 6-9 to claim the #9 seed in the GNAC Tournament. In the first round of the GNAC tournament, the Monks defeated the #8 seed Johnson & Wales University (89-81) before falling short to the eventual champion University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) in the GNAC Quarterfinals. After the season concluded, senior guard Griffin Foley (Portland, Maine) was selected to the All-Conference Third Team.
Previously:
Ackley comes to Saint Joseph's from Colby College, where he served as The John "Swisher" Mitchell Assistant Coach for four years and, in 2020, helped lead the Mules to their first-ever NESCAC Championship game appearance, as well as their first NCAA Tournament berth in 23 years.
"I am extremely excited and grateful for the opportunity to join the Saint Joseph's College community," adds Coach Ackley. "I can't thank Bob Chaddock, Dr. James Dlugos, Mike McDevitt, and Laura Carr enough for believing in my ability to lead this program."
"I would also like to thank Coach Wellman, Coach Strahorn, and the players at Nebraska Wesleyan and Colby for being instrumental in my development as a coach and person," Ackley continues. "This is a dream come true and I am excited to get to campus and start building relationships with the guys and to work hard toward continuing the winning tradition that has been built."
Ackley fills the men's basketball position vacated by Rob Sanicola '99, who served as the program's head coach for 18 years with a 275-190 (.591) overall record and 14 winning seasons. Sanicola stepped down earlier this month to become the head coach at University of Southern Maine.
In 52 years, the Monks have seen just four different head coaches, as Sanicola (2004-21) was preceded by Rick Simonds (1980-92, 94-03), John Scheinman (1993), and Chris Kiernan (1970-79). One of the most storied programs in NCAA DIII Men's Basketball history, the Monks rank 18th all-time in winning percentage with a .640 (836-470) clip.
Colby posted a 24-4 (.857) overall record with an 8-2 (.800) mark in NESCAC play during the 2019-20 campaign and scored at least 100 points in eight different games. The Mules, ranked nationally for the majority of the season, were listed as high as fifth in the D3Hoops.com top-25 poll.
At the completion of the 2019-20 season, Colby ranked among the nation's leaders in numerous statistical categories, including three-point field goals per game (13.3, 3rd), three-pointers made (373, 3rd), assists (550, 4th), assist-turnover ratio (1.63, 6th), three-point defense (29.2%, 7th), and scoring offense (87.8%, 14th).
Prior to his time at Colby, Coach Ackley was a three-year assistant coach at Nebraska Wesleyan University, where he recruited and coached seven players who combined to earn 14 all-conference honors, including a Jostens Award winner, three D3hoops.com All-Americans and the Conference's Most Valuable Player and NCAA Division III Final Four MVP.
During his three seasons in Lincoln, the Prairie Wolves featured a wide-open offensive philosophy that saw Nebraska-Wesleyan lead NAIA DII in scoring average and three-point shots in 2015 and 2016.
Though he left following the 2016-17 season, Ackley's recruiting efforts helped Nebraska Wesleyan win the 2018 NCAA DIII National Championship with a 30-3 record.
A graduate of Castleton University, Ackley received his bachelor's degree in Sports Administration in May of 2014 and went on to earn a master's degree in Coaching and Athletic Administration from Concordia University-Irvine in 2019.
A four-year letter winner and two-year starting point guard for the Spartans, Ackley registered 519 points, 395 assists, 175 rebounds, and 150 steals in 112 career contests. The two-year team captain helped lead Castleton to its first-ever North Atlantic Conference (NAC) title and an appearance in the NCAA tournament in 2012 and remains among the program's all-time leaders in games, steals and assists.
Ackley hails from Scotia, N.Y. where he was an All-Conference player at Scotia-Glenville High School.