HEAD COACH JOSH MERKEL |
Josh Merkel enters his ninth season at the helm of the Yellow Jackets' men's basketball program in 2023-24. He was named head coach at Randolph-Macon prior to the 2015-16 season.
In the 2022-23 season, the Yellow Jackets finished 29-2 (16-0 ODAC) with another trip to the Sweet 16. After capturing their fourth consecutive ODAC tournament title, RMC was selected to host the first weekend of the NCAA tournament for the fourth consecutive time where they defeated Wilson and Scranton to advance to the second weekend. RMC finished the season with the top scoring defense in the country, allowing 54.9 points per game. Other notable stats include 5th in the nation in scoring margin (+17.1), 7th in FG% defense (37.4%), and 7th in Assist/Turnover ratio (1.47).
2021-22: 33-1 overall, 16-0 ODAC, ODAC Championship, National Championship
Randolph-Macon secured the school’s first-ever Division III National Title in any sport in 2022 going 33-1 and 16-0 in ODAC play. Their 75-45 win over Elmhurst University ties for the largest margin of victory in a men’s basketball championship game, regardless of division. In their NCAA opener against Mitchell, the Yellow Jackets won 99-57, the 99 points set a record for the most points in an NCAA tournament game and the 42-point winning margin was the largest winning margin in tournament history. They went on to win the six tournament games by an average margin of victory of 25 ppg. RMC was led by D3Hoops National Player of the Year & Tourney Most Outstanding player Buzz Anthony, first-team all-ODAC pick Miles Mallory, and second team all-ODAC Josh Talbert. This 2022 team had national rankings in Winning percentage (1st); Assist Turnover ratio (1st); Scoring Defense (2nd); Scoring Margin (4th); and FG% (5th). Their 48 consecutive home wins in Crenshaw is the longest current streak in Division III.
Merkel and his staff of associate head coach Dave Matturro and assistant coaches Brett Barron and Shawn Boggs led RMC to an undefeated season at 12-0 in 2020-21. The Yellow Jackets captured their second straight ODAC Championship, winning three games on the road to claim the crown. RMC won 80-49 at Bridgewater in the quarterfinals, 77-71 at Roanoke in the semifinals and 70-62 at Lynchburg in the finals. Following the ODAC Tournament, RMC hosted second-ranked Trine in a battle of unbeatens. The Yellow Jackets posted a 69-55 victory, holding the Thunder to their lowest point total of the season. Yellow Jackets were No. 1 in the final D3hoops.com national poll and ranked nationally in Scoring Margin (4th); Scoring Defense (5th); Turnovers per game (6th).
During the 2019-20 season, Merkel was NABC South District Coach of the Year and VaSID State Coach of the Year as well as ODAC Coach of the Year. The Yellow Jackets posted a mark of 28-2, with a 15-1 ODAC record. RMC was as high as No. 2 in the D3hoops.com Top 25 and finished the year at No. 3. The Yellow Jackets captured both the ODAC regular-season and tournament titles. RMC hosted the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, posting wins over Wesley and TCNJ. The Yellow Jackets were scheduled to host No. 13 Yeshiva on Friday, March 13 in the Round of 16 before the NCAA cancelled all winter and spring championships due to COVID-19.
Merkel led the Yellow Jackets to a record of 27-4 overall during the 2018-19 season. RMC returned to the NCAA Tournament and posted a pair of home victories in reaching the Sweet Sixteen. RMC went 15-1 in ODAC contests, claiming its third straight regular season title. Merkel was named ODAC Coach of the Year for the second straight season. The Yellow Jackets went 12-0 at home in Crenshaw Gym. Sophomore guard Buzz Anthony was named All-America Second Team.
The Yellow Jackets went 12-4 in the ODAC during the 2017-18 campaign and claimed the conference's regular-season title. Merkel was voted ODAC Coach of the Year.
During the 2016-17 season, RMC posted a 13-3 conference mark and shared the ODAC regular season title with Guilford. The Yellow Jackets went 17-9 overall.
Merkel was an assistant at RMC during the 2010-11 season under former head coach Nathan Davis. The Yellow Jackets posted a 25-5 record, captured a share of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference regular-season title with a 13-3 mark and won the ODAC Tournament crown. RMC reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Merkel also helped recruit this past season’s senior class of Marcus Badger, Hunter Fromang, Chris Hamilton, Akeem Holmes, Evan Jackson, Connor Sullivan and Trent Walker.
"Josh Merkel is a great recruiter, has an excellent basketball mind, and relates well to his players,” said Davis, the head coach at the University of New Hampshire. “He was as good an assistant coach as I have ever been around. He showed what he is capable of as a head coach during his time at Salisbury. I am confident that he will take the Randolph-Macon Basketball program to heights it has yet to achieve."
Merkel is just the fifth head coach for the RMC Basketball program since 1956, joining Davis (2009-15), Rhoades (1999-2009), Nunnally (1975-99) and Webb (1956-75). Each of the past four head coaches was a former Yellow Jacket assistant coach.
“The history of coaching talent associated with the Randolph-Macon College basketball family is unmatched at the college level,” said RMC Director of Athletics Jeff Burns. “Josh embodies the high character, first-class nature of our program and is well-suited to carry on that tradition.”
For the four seasons prior to his return to Ashland, Merkel served as head coach at his alma mater. The Sea Gulls were 66-41 (.617) over those four years and 37-25 (.597) in Capital Athletic Conference contests.
During the 2014-15 season, Merkel led Salisbury to a 21-8 record and a 14-4 CAC mark. It was the fifth-best record in the 86 years of the program and the first 20-win season since 1996-97. Salisbury set a school record with 14 CAC victories and Merkel was named CAC Coach of the Year. The second-seeded Sea Gulls defeated No. 6 Mary Washington 59-52 in the CAC semifinals and edged No. 4 Christopher Newport 58-57 to win the CAC Championship, the first title since 1997 and second in program history. Salisbury defeated Eastern Connecticut St. 66-54 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament before falling to host Trinity in the second round.
“RMC hit a home run hiring Josh Merkel,” said Rhoades, the head coach at Penn State University. “He is a first-class person and coach with a great work ethic. Coach Merkel is all about the players. His players will play hard for him and follow his lead. Josh knows RMC Basketball and its storied success and tradition. I am excited to follow and support Josh and his teams.”
Merkel graduated from Salisbury in 2001. He was a four-year letter winner in men’s basketball and averaged 9.3 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 98 games. Merkel was a captain during his senior season and averaged 13.6 points and 33.5 minutes in 24 contests.
During the 2004-05 season, Merkel was a graduate assistant coach at West Virginia under head coach John Beilein. Merkel helped the Mountaineers reach the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament and earn a ranking as high as No. 12 in the national polls.
Merkel was an assistant coach for five seasons at Eastern Kentucky with head coach Jeff Neubauer. From 2006-10, the Colonels registered 73 victories, the highest four-season total in program history. EKU won the Ohio Valley Conference championship in 2007 and faced North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament.
While at Salisbury, Merkel earned a B.A. in Business Administration with a concentration in finance in 2001. He graduated cum laude. Merkel received an M.A. in Physical Education from Eastern Kentucky in 2007, graduating with High Distinction.
Merkel and his wife, Morgan, have three sons: Mason, Maddox and Micah.
Contact Coach Merkel by phone 804.752.4733 or email at JOSHMERKEL@RMC.EDU.
