CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Marcel Pettway has been named the next head coach of the Lesley University Women's Basketball program, as announced earlier today by Athletic Director Dan Campagna.
"We are thrilled to welcome Marcel to Lesley as our next Head Women's Basketball Coach," said Campagna. "Learning about his player-centric philosophy centered on a well-rounded student-athlete experience, paired with his innovative approach to player development set him apart among a talented pool of candidates. Coach Pettway has a deep respect for the program that he's inheriting and is committed to honoring that legacy while leading the Lynx into their next chapter. We are very excited about the future of the program under his leadership."
Pettway joins the Lynx after previously serving as the Assistant Coach for the Men's Basketball team and Recruiting Coordinator at St. Thomas Aquinas College. Pettway was with the for Spartans for three years (Sept. 2022-May 2025) and during his tenure, St. Thomas was 76-21 which included a 25-10 mark last year where his Spartans made it all the way to the Third Round of the NCAA Division II East Regional. This past season's appearance in the NCAA Tournament marked the third straight Pettway and St. Thomas made it to the tournament. Pettway and St. Thomas were also two-time East Coast Conference (ECC) regular season and postseason conference champions as well. His coaching duties also included organizing and directing practices while also assessing student-athletes skills and monitored their growth and success during their time at the university.
As a Recruiting Coordinator, he helped recruit an impressive 24 student-athletes to St. Thomas. He helped manage the recruiting program by creating transcripts, athletic resume reviews, phone calls with prospective student-athletes families, coaches, mentors, along with scheduling visits too. Pettway also assisted with conducting official and unofficial visits for prospective student-athletes to campus. He also visited numerous grassroot programs, summer program tournaments, and monthly local showcases.
"As a New Englander from Rhode Island, this region means everything to me," said Pettway. "It's where I grew up around basketball, family, and lifelong friends. Lesley's commitment to diversity, growth, and community deeply aligns with my values. What stood out most is how their programs go beyond undergrad, preparing students to impact the world in a variety of ways. Being in the heart of Cambridge, five miles from city of champions, we're ready to build something special here."
Prior to St. Thomas, Pettway was a Jr. Celtics Associate for the summer of 2022 (June-August) while also being the Men's Basketball Graduate Assistant Coach at his alma matter Angelo State University (Sept. 2021-March 2022). With the Jr. Celtics, Pettway helped teach fundamental basketball skills to a group of 500-plus kids ranging from ages 5-14. He also helped officiate basketball games and recorded score and stats of them too. While at Angleo State, Pettway assisted the head coach with instructing student-athletes in the rules, regulations, equipment, and techniques at Angelo State. He also helped organize and direct individual and small group practices and team meetings.
During his collegiate career, Pettway played at both Bryant University from 2015-2017 before finishing his career at Angelo State from 2018-2020. With the Bulldogs, he led the team in rebounds (6.5 rpg) and shooting percentage (58.1) during his sophomore season where he averaged 10.3 points per game. In his first year at Bryant, Pettway was named the Northeast Conference (NEC) Rookie of the Year (second in program history) after posting 11.4 ppg and 7.0 rpg while shooting 59.7 percent from the floor. He scored a career-high 26 points on January 6, 2016 at Fairleigh Dickinson.
In his first year with the Rams, he appeared in 28 games, while averaging 4.4 points and 4.2 rebounds and posted a season high of 10 points and 8 rebounds against Tarleton State (Dec. 1, 2018). In his final year at Angelo State, he was named a team-captain and finished the year averaging 4.8 ppg and brought down 4.9 rpg with his best game coming against Texas A&M International where he finished with a double-double (12 points/12 rebounds) on February 22, 2020. He was also named to the All-South Central Region Team too.
Pettway graduated from Angelo State with a Bachelors in Business Management and looks to complete his MBA with Angelo State in May 2026.
About Lesley University
Lesley University is a proud member of the North Atlantic Conference (NAC) and proudly graduates more mental health professionals and specialized education teachers than any other college or university in New England.
Located just outside Boston and spanning from Porter Square to Harvard Square in the vibrant city of Cambridge, Massachusetts, Lesley extends the NAC into one of the most dynamic learning environments in the country.
Lesley is renowned for its unique portfolio of programs focused on Education, Mental Health and Well-Being, and Art and Design. The university also offers Business and Liberal Arts programs that support these key disciplines and a special program, the Threshold Program, for neurodiverse individuals to learn on-campus or be supported in independent living and working. More than half of Lesley's student population of 4,500 are graduate students.
Celebrating over 25 years of excellence, the North Atlantic Conference was founded in 1997 as the North Atlantic Women's Conference (NAWC) to provide opportunities for female student athletes to compete in postseason tournaments. The NAWC added men's sports and was renamed the North Atlantic Conference in 1999. The NAC currently sponsors 18 men's and women's championships as members of NCAA Division III, including baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, men's golf, men's and women's lacrosse, men's and women's soccer, softball, men's and women's swimming & diving, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's outdoor track & field, and women's volleyball.