In just two seasons as head coach Easton Bazzoli has etched his name among the elite of Gannon coaches. In fact in his second season at the helm Bazzoli accomplished something no other mentor of the Golden Knights had been able to do – win a national championship!
Bazzoli was named the 21st head coach in the long history of the Gannon men's basketball program on April 2, 2024. He joined the Golden Knights a year earlier as an assistant coach under previous Gannon head coach Jordan Fee. He was instrumental in leading the Golden Knights to a 32-3 overall record and a spot in the NCAA Division II Elite Eight. The program captured the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division regular-season, PSAC Tournament, and NCAA Division II Atlantic Region championships.
In his initial season at the helm Bazzoli guided the Golden Knights to a 27-7 finish, reaching the championship game of the Atlantic Regional before falling at West Liberty.
After a mid-season mini-slump the Golden Knights ran off 11 straight wins, in the process winning a second straight PSAC Championship with an impressive 74-58 win at Shepherd. Gannon entered the Atlantic Regional as the number two seed and opened with lopsided wins over East Stroudsburg (99-74) and Virginia State (92-66). Gannon ended the 2024-25 campaign ranked 22nd in the final NABC Division II Top 25.
The Golden Knights entered the 2025-26 season ranked 22nd in the preseason poll but Bazzoli supplemented a roster that showcased sophomore sensation Pace Prosser with a host of impressive newcomers. Most notable were the Australian twins duo of Lucas and Mackenzie Morgan, transfers from Division II programs, plus Division I transfer Precious Idiaru.
Gannon ran off wins in 13 of its first 14 games before PSAC West rival California (Pa.) handed the Golden Knights a 99-88 setback. Bazzoli’s squad responded with 15 straight wins including a 79-61 triumph over a Daemen squad that came in ranked second nationally. They also avenged the loss to Cal with a 115-87 thrashing at the Highmark Events Center.
Consecutive wins 14 and 15 came in the PSAC Tournament, hosted by Gannon. The Golden Knights posted a 104-73 win over East Stroudsburg in the quarterfinals and reached the PSAC Championship game for the third
straight year with a 99-85 win over Indiana (Pa.).
The Vulcans of Cal spoiled Gannon’s bid for a third straight conference with an 80-79 decision, but the two would meet one more time with much more on the line.
Gannon earned the right to host the Atlantic Regional and began a historic run to the Division II title with an 83-58 victory over Charleston (WV). In the semifinals squared off against nemesis Cal. With a spot in the Sweet 16 at
stake the Golden Knights rode a 30-point effort from Prosser to an 89-74 win.
The Golden Knights earned their second trip to the Elite Eight in three years with a hard-earned 81-74 win over IUP. It marked the fourth win over the Crimson Hawks in 2025-26 and the tenth straight overall.
Gannon entered the Elite Eight as the third seed. Over the next two weeks the Golden Knights left little doubt as to the best team in Division II. Playing just two hours away at Duquesne’s UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse in Pittsburgh, just miles from Bazzoli's hometown, Gannon handled sixth-seeded Michigan Tech 75-49 and No. 7 Oklahoma Baptist 98-80.
Just one hurdle remained, a meeting with No. 5 Lander nine days later in Indianapolis. The Bearcats knocked off top-seeded Nova Southeastern in the Final Four but proved to be no match for the Golden Knights on Easter Sunday.
Playing in the national championship game for just the second time and the first since 1987, Gannon took the lead for good midway through the first half thanks to a 15-0 run and led 37-21 at the half. Lander never pulled closer than
14 points over the final twenty minutes. Gannon’s lead grew to as many as 26 points. Final score: Gannon 84, Lander 61. National Champions!
"We talked so early in the season that we could have a year like this,” related Bazzoli afterwards. “From being able to host the regional, have success there, win two games in Pittsburgh, and now taking home the title here shows how
committed they were to the process of winning and dedicating their lives to winning a title. Our players bought in.
"We have an amazing family here at Gannon. I'm shaking hands and hugging people after the game that are tearing up for what it means to Gannon and to Erie. We have the most passionate fan base in the country and I'm beyond
thrilled that we could win this both for our basketball family and family back at home."
Bazzoli enters his third season in charge of the Golden Knights with a 61-10 record after leading Gannon to a 34-3 finish in 2025-26. The 34 wins are a school record. He was named the PSAC West Coach of the Year and reached
50 career wins faster than any previous Gannon coach.
A native of western Pennsylvania and Cranberry Township, Pa., Bazzoli arrived at Gannon in April 2023 after spending the previous six seasons as an assistant coach at NCAA Division II Union (Tenn.) University.
Fee had high regards for Bazzoli when he joined the Golden Knights’ staff. "Having competed against him for years in the South Region during his tenure at Union University, it was obvious Coach Bazzoli is one of the top young coaches in college basketball, at any level,” said Fee upon Bazzoli’s arrival on the Gannon campus. “He is a relentless recruiter, relationship builder, and phenomenal basketball mind. Easton is a first-class human being and will be an integral part in restoring the tradition of Gannon Basketball."
The comment proved to be on point as it’s safe to say Bazzoli has been an integral part in the rebirth of Gannon men’s basketball.
Bazzoli helped Union to a 96-71 record during his six seasons at the school. The Bulldogs qualified for the Gulf South Conference (GSC) tournament during each of his final five seasons. Fee and Bazzoli crossed paths at the 2022 NCAA Tournament. Nova Southeastern, with Fee serving as an assistant coach, and Union met in the NCAA South Region semifinals. Nova Southeastern would edge the Bulldogs 81-80 to end their season at 24-9. The 24 wins were the most for a Union team since the 2010-11 season.
His ties to Western Pennsylvania include a highly acclaimed athletic career at Seneca Valley High School in Harmony, Pa., where he averaged 15.5 points and four assists as a senior. In addition to being named the Butler County Player of the Year, Bazzoli was selected to the Pittsburgh Post Gazette AAAA Fab Five and Pittsburgh Tribune Review North Fab Five squads. He was also accorded All-Section 3 first-team honors. Bazzoli played in the 2013 Roundball Classic All-Star Game and the Hoops for a Cure All-Star Game. He was ranked fifth in the Western Pennsylvania Class of 2013 by the Pittsburgh Basketball Report.
Bazzoli continued his playing career at NCAA Division II Cedarville (Ohio) University from 2013-17. The 6-foot 5-inch guard was a four-year starter for the Yellow Jackets, appearing in 114 games with 95 starts. He finished his collegiate career with 973 points and 526 rebounds, along with 201 assists and 112 steals.
A two-time team captain, Bazzoli ranked third on the team in scoring (10.8 ppg), rebounding (5.3 rpg), and assists (2.2 apg) as a junior while starting 28 of 29 games. As a sophomore, he averaged 8.4 points and 4.1 rebounds. Bazzoli concluded his playing days with 8.6 points per game and 5.2 rebounds per game as a senior in 2016-17. Between his sophomore and junior seasons, Bazzoli went on a tour with Athletes in Action to New Zealand.
Bazzoli received his bachelor’s degree in business management from Cedarville in 2017, before earning his master’s degree in business administration in 2020. He and his wife, Katrina, have two young children, a daughter, Kaiya, and a son, Ezekiel.
Updated July 2026
