Coaching Staff

John Lamanna - Head Coach

After an extensive national search, Whitman Athletics has hired John Lamanna as the next head coach of Whitman College men's basketball. Lamanna joins the Blues after five years heading up the men's basketball program at Ave Maria University, the previous four also as the school's director of athletics. Lamanna turned the program into one of the premier teams in The Sun Conference. Over the past two seasons, the Gyrenes won 30 games against conference opponents, including four conference tournament wins. The 2019-20 Gyrenes won 20 games for the second straight season, a first in program history. The team rose as high as 11th in the NAIA Coaches Poll, best in school history. Lamanna's diverse coaching background also includes stints at NCAA Division III Franciscan University and Division I UC Davis where he helped transition the program from Division II to Division I competition.

Ethan Engeman - Assistant Men's Basketball Coach

Ethan Engeman was hired as the men's basketball assistant coach prior to the 2020-21 season.

Engeman joins the Blues after spending the past two years at Stevenson University, another Division III institution. While there, Engeman served as the Graduate Assistant Coach for the Men’s Basketball program. During his two years, Ethan assisted will all facets of practice, games, player development, and recruiting efforts. In his first year, Stevenson achieved a MAC-Commonwealth Conference Tournament, and ECAC Post-Season Tournament bids. During that 2018-19 season, Engeman assisted with the development of a First and Second Team All MAC-Commonwealth student-athletes.

Engeman was also selected as an assistant coach at the 2019 NABC Division I - Final Four Reese’s College All-Star Game. He assisted with the execution of all of the West All-Stars team practices. He supported Jason Terry as an assistant coach during the game.

Shawn James - Assistant Coach

Shawn James was hired as assistant coach in July, 2022. He came to Whitman after four seasons as a member of the support and coaching staff at Division I Eastern Washington University.

In the past two seasons, he served as the Eagles' director of basketball operations and then special assistant to the head coach. During his span there, EWU players won multiple Big Sky All-Conference honors including two Most Valuable Player awards with the team twice winning the Big Sky Conference. James also brings NBA experience to his role. From 2017 to 2018, he served as a player development intern for the Dallas Mavericks where he assisted in pre-draft evaluations, free agent mini-camps and summer league operations.