Since Georgian Court University’s historic May press conference that the institution will become fully coeducational this fall, GCU Director of Athletics and Recreation Laura B. Liesman has announced that three new coaches have been appointed for GCU’s inaugural men’s athletic programs.

Dino Raso has been tabbed as Georgian Court’s first-ever men’s head soccer coach. “Coach Raso not only has the necessary coaching résumé and soccer expertise to create and develop a successful men’s soccer program here at Georgian Court, but he also possesses admirable traits that parallel GCU’s Mercy core values and will greatly influence and benefit his future players, not only as student-athletes, but also as young men. Georgian Court University has had an acclaimed athletics program for decades, and we expect a seamless transition into this new era of coed Division II competition,” said Liesman.

Raso, who will lead the Lions into action in the fall of 2013, joins the GCU family after serving the past two seasons as the head coach of Oakland City University in Oakland City, Indiana.

GCU has appointed Brett Harvey as head coach of their newly-established men’s cross-country and track & field programs. Harvey, currently the coach for the corresponding women’s programs, was selected as 2012 NCAA East Region Track & Field Coach of the Year.

“Coach Harvey was the natural selection for this position,” Liesman said. “Since he first came on board in 2008, [he] has done a phenomenal job with building our track & field program from scratch and developing it into one of the elite Division II programs in the Northeast.” Under Harvey’s guidance, the GCU Lions captured their first CTC indoor title and second straight CTC outdoor championship, as well as finishing the season ranked #3 in the NCAA East Region, an all-time program high.

Harvey, a four-time track & field letter winner, graduated from Lafayette College, Easton, Pa., with a bachelor’s in sociology in 2004. The Bryn Mawr resident is a USATF Level 2 Certified Coach in the sprints and hurdles.

Completing the institution’s coaching staff as it commences coeducational athletics in the fall of 2013, is

Enrico Mastroianni, who will serve as the Lion’s new men’s head basketball coach, announced Liesman.

“After a thorough search, coach Mastroianni’s stellar achievement in a short period of time was quite impressive,” said Liesman. “His keen understanding of what it takes to develop a successful student-athlete … makes him a perfect fit here at GCU.”  Formerly head basketball coach of Centenary College, Hackettstown, Mastroianni led his team to 32 conference wins and two Colonial States Athletic Conference tournaments.

Prior to his position at Centenary, Mastroianni served four seasons as associate head coach at Division III Misericordia University, Dallas, Pa. He is a 1999 graduate of Penn State University, State College, Pa. where he completed his bachelor’s in marketing and international business. Mastroianni earned his master’s degree in education at Misericordia in 2007.