2015 Coaches
Jerry Lin – 17U Head Coach
Coaching Experience:
- 11 year high school coach
- 9 years at Marshall HS
- 2 years as Varsity Assistant at Freedom South Riding HS
- NOVA Cavaliers AAU Head Coach (14u–17u from ‘05–’08, 15u–17u from ’09–’11)
- George Mason University graduate
- Current Intervention Support Specialist, Marshall High School
- Current Varsity Assistant, Marshall High School
Brian Doyle – 17U Assistant Coach
Coaching Experience:
- 32 year high school coach
- 13 years as a head coach
- 10 years at Langley HS— 4 District Championships (’97, ’99, ’01, and ’03)
- 3 years as Head Coach at Centreville HS
- Senior writer, www.collegeinsider.com
- Current Assistant Principal, Centreville High School
- Current Varsity Assistant, Centreville High School
Shawheen Dashti – 17U Assistant Coach
Background:
Current master student at Georgetown University, Coach Dashti graduated from George Mason University with a degree in sports management and minor in business. Coach Dashti also works for a software company in McLean and is on the staff at Langley High School. Coach Dashti just completed his second season as the boys’ freshmen basketball head coach at Langley High School after previously serving as the freshmen assistant.
Coaching Experience:
- 4 year high school coach
- 4 year NOVA Cavaliers AAU Coach
- Great Falls Select 11U Division 1 Co-Coach
- 5 years McLean House league
- George Mason University graduate
- Current Freshmen Head Coach, Langley High School
Chris Knoche – 17U Head Coach
Coaching Experience:
- Former Division I Basketball Player
- 7 years Head Coach at American University
- 8 years Assistant Coach at American University
- 3 year NOVA Cavaliers AAU Coach
- Over 20 years of Division I College Basketball coaching experience
- Current Maryland Terrapin Men’s Basketball Broadcast- color analyst
Tip O’Donnell – 17U Head Coach
Coaching Experience:
- 2 year high school coach
- 3 year NOVA Cavaliers AAU Coach
- Former Loudoun Valley high school basketball player
- University of Virginia graduate
- 1 year Varsity Assistant at Marshall High School
Doug Sawitzky – 16U Head Coach
Background:
Coach Sawitzky believes athletics are a fantastic learning venue for teaching many life lessons such as: teamwork, goals, communication, handling adversity, and the value of hard work.
Player skill and basketball IQ development are Coach Sawitzky’s top goals for his players. Between the 4 months of basketball and 40 or so games, players have a tremendous opportunity to learn each week at practices and in games against high level competition. These 4 months and the work put in during the season tie back into the life lesson that there is no substitute for hard work. While there are a number of ways to improve, an AAU season in the right environment will expedite player growth and translate into being a better player at the high school level and beyond.
Coach Sawitzky is a five year varsity assistant with the Marshall Statesmen. Before coming to Marshall he was an assistant coach for a championship Chantilly travel basketball team. Prior to that, he started coaching in the Chantilly Youth Association where he won multiple league championships. Outside of the gym, Doug resides in Chantilly where he is nearing completion in the school counseling masters’ program at George Mason University and works as a substitute teacher for FCPS.
Coaching Experience:
- 5 year high school coach
- 4 year NOVA Cavaliers AAU Coach
- George Mason University graduate
- Current Varsity Assistant Coach, Marshall High School
Dale Howell – 16U Assistant Coach
Coaching Experience:
- Current Varsity Assistant Coach, Oakton High School
- Current Business Teacher, Oakton High School
- Over 15 years of travel and house head coaching experience with the Chantilly Youth Association
- Head coach of over 50 squads, with 10+ titles over that span
- Emphasis on skill development and fast-paced style of play
Joe Corish – 16U Head Coach
Background:
Joe grew up on Arlington, Virginia, having attended and played varsity basketball for Bishop O’Connell High School. He began coaching both girls and boys travel and AAU basketball teams in 2001 including Vienna and Chantilly travel teams at all ages. In 2002 he formed two boys AAU teams and has coached them in local and national tournaments throughout the past decade. Since 2013 he has been the head coach of the boys varsity high school team at Trinity Christian High School in Fairfax, Virginia. Joe practices law for Bean, Kinney & Korman, P.C. in Arlington, Virginia, focusing on commercial lending, real estate and corporate matters by day. His primary goals during the AAU season are to teach players how to play together as a team, continue to develop their individual skills, and stretch them to play beyond their comfort zone so they get the most improvement as possible out of the season. He wants players to learn to compete to their best ability and with their best effort at all times, and love doing so.
Todd Lanier – 16U Assistant Coach
Background:
W. Todd Lanier is a fully trained and certified Positive Coaching Alliance or dual-goal coach. Todd is one of the founders of a year-round basketball program. He is a graduate from James Madison University and a former adjunct professor for Johns Hopkins University. His broad coaching themes are to play hard, have fun, trust your teammates, emphasize strengths, and follow the coaching.
Dan Gillick – 16U Assistant Coach
Background:
- 1 year Assistant JV and Assistant Varsity Coach, Trinity Christian School, Fairfax, VA
- 2 years Chantilly Youth House League
- 6 years CYO youth basketball
- George Mason University School of Law graduate
- University of Richmond graduate
Mark Gray-Mendes – 15U Head Coach
Background:
“Coach Mark” is thrilled to begin his third season as an AAU coach with the Nova Cavaliers, having just completed his seventh year as a high school coach and his fifth year as the Head Coach at Thomas Jefferson HSST. He has been active in coaching high school players since 2002 and is firmly dedicated to the core values of hard work, discipline, leadership and teamwork that have guided him throughout his coaching career. He enjoys teaching players to “think the game” and to develop a high basketball IQ while building relationships that will last a lifetime.
Coaching Experience:
- 7 year high school coach
- 5 years as a head coach
- 3 year NOVA Cavs Coach
- University of Virginia graduate
- Current Head Coach, Thomas Jefferson High School
Allison Agee – 15U Assistant Coach
Background:
Coach Allison is thrilled to be a part of the NOVA Cavs organization! She has managed at the high school and Division I collegiate levels and holds a B.S. in Sports Management from George Mason University. Coach Allison enjoys taking care of all the details from logistics to statistics to help the Cavs be a successful program and watching the players develop.
Ryan Frate – 14U Head Coach
Background:
Ryan Frate is wrapping up his bachelor’s degree in management at George Mason University. He has served as both a coach and commissioner for the Southwestern Youth Association and Chantilly Youth Association. Coach Frate has also worked with youth league players in the Centreville area to prepare them for their respective high school teams.
Coaching Experience:
- 2 year high school coach
- 3rd year NOVA Cavaliers AAU Coach
- Current Freshman Head Coach, Thomas Jefferson High School
Kevin Weeren – 13U Head Coach
Coaching Experience:
- 24 year high school coach – 10 years as a head coach
- 8 years at Marshall HS- 2006 Northern Region Runner-Up & State Semifinalist
- Northern Region Coach of the Year 2002 and VHSL Coach of the Year 2006.
- 2 years as Head Coach at Freedom South Riding high school
- Current School Counselor, Mercer Middle School
Clair Volker – 13U Assistant Coach
Coaching Experience:
- Former DII Basketball Player, Fairmont State University (WV)
- 4 year NOVA Cavaliers AAU Coach
- 4 year Coach at Western Loudoun Basketball League (WLBL)
- Blue Ride Middle School 7th Grade Head Coach
Joe Sullender – 11U Head Coach
Coaching Experience:
20+ teams SYA, Matrix, PSPA, Hoop Magic
Joe Sullender spent the last 8 years coaching basketball in the area, coaching more than 20 different teams ranging from 2nd grade to 8th grade at the house, county and AAU levels. Coach Sullender’s focus is on the fundamentals and man-to-man defense, as well as teaching youth the nuances of being a good team basketball player. Basketball is one of his life-long passions, he is very excited to start the season with his 11U team!
