The most successful and longest tenured head coach in John Carroll men's basketball history returns for his 25th season in University Heights.
Mike Moran has accumulated a 459-228 record as of Feb. 11, 2017. He took over as the head of the program on May 29, 1992. He is just the third coach in OAC history to reach the 450 win plateau.
In 24 years of basketball under Moran, the Blue Streaks have won ten Ohio Athletic Conference regular season championships (1994, 1996, 1998, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012), four OAC Tournament championships (2003, 2004, 2009 and 2016) and have appeared in the NCAA Division III playoffs on 12 occasions (1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2015 and 2016). In 11 different years, his teams have posted at least 20 wins.
Moran guided his 2015-16 squad to 21 consecutive wins before earning a second consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The 2014-15 team earned the program's first berth since 2010.
The 2009 squad won 21 straight games, on their way to an OAC regular season and tournament championship. The Blue Streaks, who finished 25-5 (16-2 OAC), hosted two rounds of NCAA Tournament play and reached the Sweet 16.
In 2007, the Blue Streaks earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament, and won two games to compete in the Sweet 16 in Rochester, NY.
From 2003-05, John Carroll became just the fourth team since the 1978-79 season to win three consecutive OAC regular season titles, joining Otterbein (1985-87 and 1990-92) and Ohio Northern (1999-2001) in the elite company.
Moran's 2003-04 edition of the Blue Streaks finished third in the nation, reaching the NCAA Division III Final Four for the first time in school history. JCU was 27-6 overall and 14-4 in league play to win the OAC title outright for the fourth time.
It was also just the second time in the history of the school that any varsity team reached the national semifinals of an NCAA Division III postseason tournament. Only the 2002 Blue Streak football team had achieved that rare feat prior to the men's basketball team's Final Four appearance.
Among his collegiate honors are being named OAC Coach of the Year in 1994, 1998, 2003, 2009, and 2010, and Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year in 1998 and 1999. Dozens of his players have earned All-Ohio Athletic Conference honors and six (J. J. Richardson, Mark Heidorf, David Gibbons, Brandon Mimes, Rudy Kirbus, and Corey Shontz) have earned All-Region accolades. Moran has also had more than 20 players selected to the Academic All-OAC team, and one of his charges -- Mark Heidorf in 1999 -- earned Academic All-America honors. Corey Shontz also earned All-American honors in 2012.
He is one of just 16 coaches in the 100-year history of the league to win at least 200 games at an OAC institution, and his winning percentage places among the top 15 all-time in that category as well.
In addition to his basketball duties, Moran has served as the men's golf coach at John Carroll for 22 years. In men's golf, Moran has guided the Blue Streaks to a berth in the NCAA Division III Championships five times (placing third twice and fourth once). His teams have captured three OAC titles, earning him Conference Coach of the Year accolades three times. Ten of his former JCU golfers have received All-American honors. He has also coached over 35 JCU golfers to earn All-OAC honors.
On Sept. 24, 2010, Mike Moran was inducted into the John Carroll University Athletic Hallf of Fame.
Moran came to John Carroll in 1992 with some very impressive credentials. In 11 seasons at Cleveland Villa Angela-St.Joseph High School, he fashioned a record of 224-53 as the head boys' basketball coach. In those 11 years, his teams captured nine district championships, four regional championships, and two state championships.
For his coaching successes, Moran was named Northeastern Ohio Coach of the Year, Greater Cleveland Coach of the Year (twice), Cleveland Plain Dealer Coach of the Year (twice), and Lake County News-Herald Coach of the Year (three times) in his high school career.
Following his graduation from Xavier University in 1973, Moran began his coaching career as a freshman coach at Elder High School in Cincinnati. After three seasons, he moved back to his hometown of Cleveland to take the reins of the freshman squad at his alma mater then known as St. Joseph High School. He was elevated to junior varsity in 1981, then to varsity in 1982.
In 2003-04, Moran had the rare treat of being able to coach two of his four sons, Pete and Matt, on the same NCAA Final Four team.
Moran and his wife, JoAnn, have six children and are also blessed with 14 grandchildren. They reside in Russell Township. Moran's son Pete serves as an assistant coach with the Blue Streaks.
