Gary Manchel

Gary Manchel (born November 29, 1962) is an American basketball coach who is the current head coach of the Mercyhurst Lakers men's basketball team.

Playing caeer
Growing up in South Burlington, Vermont, Manchel played high school basketball at South Burlington High School. The son of a University of Vermont professor, Manchel enrolled at UVM, where he was a member of its men's basketball team from 1982 to 1985 under Bill Whitmore, appearing in 27 games.

Coaching career
After graduation, Manchel served as an assistant coach at Slippery Rock for two seasons before joining the coaching staff at Yale under Dick Kuchen for five seasons. In 1992, Manchel would become the head coach at then-Division II UMass Lowell, where he replaced Stan Van Gundy, who coached Manchel while he was an assistant at Vermont. While coach of the River Hawks, Manchel compiled a 131–125 overall record, including a NCAA Division II tournament appearance in 2001, a season in which he was named NE-10 Coach of the Year.

In 2001, Manchel would join Tim O'Shea's staff at Ohio for a pair of seasons before taking the head coaching position a Mercyhurst. In 21 seasons at the helm, Manchel has guided the Lakers to seven NCAA Division II tournament appearances, reaching the Elite Eight in 2019. On February 7, 2024, Manchel notched his 500th career win as a head coach.