Jimmy Petruska enters into his 15th season as the head women’s basketball coach at Saint Vincent in 2024-25, owning a career record of 232-97 during his time at the helm. Entering the season, he ranks among the top-25 in winning percentage among all active Division III head coaches. Jimmy was also inducted into the Mars High School Athletics Hall of Fame in 2024.
The Bearcats have qualified for the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Championship Tournament in each of his 14 seasons, while making six trips to the PAC title game and winning three conference championships. Through the end of the 2023-24 season, Petruska has seen his players earn All-PAC recognition 47 times and three PAC Player of the Year honors.
In 2023-24, Petruska once again led the Bearcats to a PAC Tournament appearance, qualifying for the tournament on the last day of the regular season. The Bearcats finished 13-13 and 11-9 overall in the PAC, before falling to Bethany in the opening round of the tournament on the road. Petruska guided three Bearcats to earn All-Conference honors at the end of the season.
In 2022-23, Petruska guided the Bearcats to their third PAC championship in five seasons, and their fourth trip to the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament. The Bearcats finished 22-5 overall and recorded a 17-3 conference record, capping off the PAC title with a 68-52 win over Chatham in the conference finals. Defense was the team’s calling card during its most recent PAC title run, as the Bearcats surrendered just 50.3 points per game and led all of NCAA Division III in field goal percent defense at .281. Junior point guard Emily Cavacini, who was named the PAC Championship Tournament MVP, was a First Team All-PAC selection, while senior forward Madison Weber earned Second Team all-conference nods and senior center Ella Marconi honorable mention plaudits. Additionally, junior Alana Winkler was named the PAC Defensive Player of the Year.
In the 2021-22 season, Petruska led the Bearcats to a PAC tournament quarterfinal appearance, where they fell to Grove City. Under Petruska’s leadership, junior center Ella Marconi was named Honorable Mention All-PAC, starting all 22 games and averaging a double-double with 11.3 points and 10.4 rebounds per games. She ranked second in the PAC in rebounding, while she led the conference with 63 blocked shots.
In the COVID-abbreviated 2021 season, Petruska led the Bearcats to a perfect 10-0 record, culminating with a 65-61 win over Washington & Jefferson in the PAC championship game. Four Bearcats were named All-PAC, including First Team honorees Jenna Lafko and Carlee Kilgus, Second Team selection Ella Marconi and Honorable Mention pick Katie Cramer. The Bearcats out-scored their opponents an average of 79.6-60.6 over the perfect season, leading the PAC in three-point field goal percentage (.340) and ranking second in the league in scoring offense (79.6), field goal percentage (.442), field goal percent defense (.329) and rebounding (46.7/gm).
In 2019-20, Petruska led the Bearcats to a 19-7 overall record, while his team won 15 of 16 PAC regular season games for the second consecutive season. His team led the PAC in scoring offense (82.6 pts/g), field goal percentage (.443), and assists (15.0/g), while placing second in the league in steals (12.9/g), turnover margin (+7.35), free throw shooting (.722) and three-point field goal percentage (.322). Lafko became the second Bearcat player ever to be named the PAC Player of the Year, joining Brittany Sedlock (2011, 2012), and was one of three players to receive All-PAC honors, joining forward Madison Kollar and guard Kayla Slovenec.
The 2018-19 season was the Bearcats’ finest under Petruska, as they captured their first ever PAC title, finishing 23-5 overall and 15-1 against PAC foes during the regular season. The Bearcats topped the PAC standings for the duration of the season, culminating with three home victories in the PAC tournament and highlighted by their convincing 70-48 triumph over rival Washington & Jefferson in the championship game. With the tournament win, the Bearcats reached the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament for the third time, where they dropped a tight opening round contest against eventual national champion Thomas More. Three SVC players -Kollar, Maria Morgan and Lafko - earned All-PAC accolades, while Kollar was also named All-Region by D3Hoops. com and Kilgus was named the MVP of the PAC Championship Tournament.
During the 2017-18 season, Petruska led the Bearcats to a 19-10 overall record with appearances in the PAC Tournament Semifinals and the Division III ECAC quarterfinals. Both Mara Benvenuti and Babette Sanmartin earned All-PAC honors.
The Bearcats advanced to the PAC Tournament Championship game during the 2016-17 season and finished the campaign with an 18-10 overall record. Jasmine Weems picked up All-PAC Second Team recognition, while Benvenuti and Susie Ellis garnered Honorable Mention status.
Saint Vincent fought through injuries and inexperience during the 2015-16 season to finish 15-13 overall and still advanced to the PAC Tournament Semifinals. Both Weems and Benvenuti were selected All-PAC.
Petruska was named PAC Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year in 2014-15 after leading SVC to a 22-5 overall record and a second place finish in both the regular season and PAC Championship Tournament. During the 2014-15 season, Taylor Mathers was named First Team All-PAC while also earning All-Region honors from D3hoops.com and being recognized by the ECAC as well.
Petruska was named the second head coach in the history of the women’s basketball program at Saint Vincent College in 2011, replacing Kristen Zawacki, the lone coach in the program’s 27-year history, who tragically passed away in December 2010. Upon his appointment, he led the Bearcats to a 15-4 record over the final 19 games of the 2010-11 campaign, capped off with the team’s first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division III National Tournament. The Bearcats, who finished as runner-up in the PAC, produced a trio of All-PAC players in Brittany Sedlock, Maria Baroffio and Devin McGrath, with Sedlock being named the conference Player of the Year as well as All-America by D3hoops.com. The following year, Sedlock was again named the PAC Player of the Year and All-America by D3hoops as the Bearcats again reached the PAC Championship game and National Tournament.
Petruska began his college coaching career at Saint Vincent in 2006, serving as a graduate assistant. In July 2007, he was promoted to become the first ever full-time assistant coach in the team’s history. After the Bearcats finished 9-16 in 2007 08, Petruska helped lead the team to a 16-8 record a season later. In 2009-10, the Bearcats finished 24-5 and captured the ECAC South championship, before their 2010-11 NCAA tourney appearance.
A native of Valencia, Pa., Petruska began his coaching career while still a student, as an assistant at Mars High School in Pittsburgh’s northern suburbs from 2002-04, before spending the 2005-06 season at neighboring Pine-Richland High School. He also was active in the AAU coaching ranks for four seasons.
Petruska earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Saint Vincent College in 2004 and went on to also earn a master’s from his alma mater in curriculum and instruction. He is a 2000 graduate of Mars High School, and was inductred into the school’s Hall of Fame in October 2023. Petruska presently resides in Champion, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Kelly, daughter, Mackenzie, and son, Wyatt.
