July 10, 2002
EASTON, Pa. (www.lafayette.edu) - Head coach Fran O'Hanlon has quickly completed his men's basketball coaching staff with the addition of University of Pennsylvania assistant John Krikorian and former professional basketball player and 2000 Colorado College graduate Elliott Broadnax.
O'Hanlon also promoted second-year Lafayette assistant coach John O'Connor to the top assistant slot vacated by Pat Brogan's departure to Penn State. O'Connor spent eight years (1993-2001) as an assistant at Drexel and his final three seasons as the top assistant.
"After losing two top assistants Pat Brogan (Penn State) and Mike Longabardi (Towson), we're very fortunate to have another experienced coach in John O'Connor move up," O'Hanlon said. "John has many years of experience at the Division I level and already has one season under his belt at Lafayette."
Krikorian comes from a Pennsylvania basketball program that has dominated the Ivy League in recent years. Kirkorian spent two seasons (2000-01, 2001-02) on the Penn sidelines as an assistant coach under Fran Dunphy. The Quakers posted a combined record of 37-22 in those two seasons and managed a 25-5 mark in 2001-02 when they advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
While on the Quaker coaching staff, Krikorian was responsible for much of the preseason and postseason individual instruction, working primarily with the post players. Krikorian was also responsible for all underclassman recruiting and assisting with scouting, film analysis and scheduling.
Krikorian's tenure at Penn followed a season at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy where he was a full-time assistant coach for the Division III program. He served as the recruiting and academic coordinator for the squad. Krikorian's first coaching experience came as a full-time assistant at West Virginia Wesleyan College from 1998-99.
Prior to beginning his coaching career, Krikorian earned a bachelor of science degree in Systems Engineering from Penn in 1996. Krikorian played on the junior varsity squad at Penn for two seasons (1993-95) and saw action in several varsity games.
"John Krikorian brings with him tremendous experience and an understanding of the commitment to academics and athletics in the lives of our student-athletes," O'Hanlon said. "Being a Penn graduate and an assistant coach at Penn for two seasons, he knows what it takes to recruit top student-athletes."
Broadnax is a 2000 graduate of Colorado College where he earned a bachelor of arts degree in Mathematics with an emphasis on Computer Science. His college basketball career covered four seasons (1996-2000) at the Division III school. He spent his final three seasons as the team captain and left as the all-time leading rebounder (721) and fifth all-time scorer (1,311). Broadnax averaged 23.5 points and 9.4 rebounds per game as a senior, including a 46-point game versus Grinnell College.
After graduation, Broadnax extended his competitive playing career overseas. He was a player/coach for the Lemvig Basketball Club in Lemvig, Denmark from August 2000 to May 2001. He spent August to December of 2001 as a player on the Baerums Verk Defenders Basketball Club in Oslo, Norway.
"Elliott brings a lot of energy and a willingness to learn in his first Division I coaching experience," O'Hanlon said. "During his playing career, he was an inside player who will help to further develop our post players."
Lafayette opens the 2002-03 season on Nov. 23 at Binghamton.
