Pat Zipfel enters his third season guiding the Mountaineers in 2017-18.
Zipfel was named interim head coach prior to the start of the 2015-16 season after serving 15 seasons as an NBA assistant coach, including the last two as an advance scout with the Chicago Bulls under head coach Tom Tibodeau. In July of 2016, the interim tag was removed and Zipfel was named the permanent head coach.
In his first season with the Mountaineers, Zipfel guided Thomas Moore to 2nd Team All-PSAC East honors. Moore ranked 11th in the conference in scoring at 15.4 ppg and second in assists with 5.3 a game. Zipfel also coached sophomore Matt Tamanosky who topped the PSAC and ranked 22nd in the nation in field goal percentage, connecting on 59.8% of shots.
Zipfel’s first recruiting class prior to the 2016-17 season saw the addition of nine student-athletes including three Division I transfers. Junior transfer Malik Carter led the team and ranked seventh in the PSAC in scoring at 18.2 ppg and was second in steals at 2.3 per game.
Mansfield made national headlines in its first outing of 2016-17, shocking Division I Duquesne 79-74 in an exhibition game on their home floor. Duquesne, a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference, would go on to upset city rival Pittsburgh 64-55 for the first time since 2000 later that season.
The 2016-17 team posted 11 wins, a five-win improvement from a year prior, and suffered 10 losses by just single digits. The Mountaineers took nationally ranked and eventual PSAC East Champion Kutztown to overtime twice during the season. Statistically Mansfield saw improvements in team scoring, defense, field goal percentage, opponent field goal %, opponent 3-point field goal %, free throw %, rebounding defense, turnovers, blocks, assists, steals and attendance from the 2015-16 season.
Zipfel guided junior Matt Tamanosky to All-PSAC East honors after leading the PSAC in shooting at 64.3% while ranking eighth in the conference in scoring (17.8 ppg) and 16th in rebounding (6.4 rpg).
Following the 2017-18 season, senior guard Malik Carter was named to 2nd Team All-PSAC East honors.
Prior to his stint with the Bulls, Zipfel spent four seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves in the same capacity. He also was a member of the coaching staff for the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers and Portland Trail Blazers. Houston General Manager Daryl Morey said Zipfel was a “secret weapon” in the Rockets’ first-round playoff series victory in 2009, their first playoff series win in more than a decade. “We felt like we were a little tick ahead because we had Pat Zipfel on the bench,” said Morey.
Zipfel was considered "one of the sharpest strategic minds in the NBA" and ESPN.com said Zipfel's peers rate him "one of the league's best" advanced scouts. He also served on the NBA Coaches Association technology committee.
In 2011, Zipfel served as an advance scout for Mike Fratello and the Ukrainian National Team.
Zipfel was the head coach of the New Jersey Squires of the ABA during the 2003-04 season, leading the team to the ABA quarterfinals and has extensive experience working with the Dominican Republic National Team under John Calipari and Orlando Antigua.
Zipfel began his coaching career at the collegiate level serving as an assistant coach for Division I The Citadel. He was the head coach at Bucks County Community College for the 1995-96 season before becoming the head men’s basketball coach as well as Director of Athletics at Centenary College in New Jersey from 1996-1999. While at Centenary he guided the Cyclones to their first post-season berth, advancing to the quarterfinals of the ECAC Division II Championship Tournament. He still holds the school record for career wins.
Zipfel returned to Bucks County Community College as head coach prior to starting his NBA career.
Zipfel played point guard as an undergraduate at Cabrini University before graduating in 1989 with a degree in English/Communications.
