Bio

Coach Vavro has a history of turning around women’s basketball programs. His teams at both Danville Area Community College and Lincoln College set single season program records for wins and national rankings. Vavro has accumulated 127 victories in his college career and has an overall coaching record of 219-134. Vavro was named the 2017-18 Region 24 Coach of the Year which is widely regarded as the toughest region in the country. He has been a part of three conference championships, two region championships, seven 20-win seasons and two NJCAA Division 1 national tournament appearances. Vavro has been instrumental in player development and has helped 45 players from the NJCAA move on to four-year universities, 13 of which went on to play at NCAA Division 1 institutions. He has coached 14 players who have surpassed the 1,000-point plateau and two players that scored over 2,000 in their careers. He has coached 23 All-Conference selections, 14 All-Region selections, two players that received Freshman of the Year accolades and eight All-Americans. Vavro’s programs have also consistently achieved success in the classroom as they have regularly had above a 3.0 team GPA. He has coached 16 NJCAA academic All-Americans and 3 NAIA scholar athletes.

Coach Vavro enters his 3rd season in 2024-25 leading the UNOH women's program. After taking over the program in September of 2022 inheriting just seven varsity players on the roster and coming off a 3-22 season which was the most losses in a season in program history, Vavro has turned around the program in a short time. Prior to Vavro’s arrival, The Racers were coming off a 1-19 last place finish in the WHAC and were predicted to finish last again in the WHAC in the 22-23 preseason poll. Despite those predictions, the Lady Racers had their best year since 2015 where they more than quadrupled the previous year’s win total coming out on top in 13 contests, making the postseason for the first time since 2018 where they fell in the WHAC quarterfinals on the road to second-seeded and national tournament qualifier Siena Heights in double overtime. The Racers' 7th place finish in the WHAC during the 22-23 campaign was the best finish since the 2015-16 season with eight WHAC victories, the most conference wins since 2016. The Lady Racers nine home victories was the most since 2014 and they increased their offensive production by 23 points, averaging 70 PPG and setting numerous program records. During the 22-23 season he coached first team All-Conference player Jada Haines who was named WHAC player of the week three times during this season and he also coached Alysia Lawson who was named 2nd team All-Conference as well as the All-Freshman team. During the 22-23 season, Haines became the program’s 2nd all-time leading scorer finishing with 1,210 points, becoming only the 4th player in the program to surpass the 1000-point mark. Haines also during the 22-23 season tied the programs all-time record for threes in a game with seven and set the all-time single season record with 624 points during the 22-23 season. Haines 219 FG made during the 22-23 season is the programs most all-time.

During the 23-24 campaign, the Racers put together a second consecutive double-digit win season winning eleven contests. The Racers connected on 224 three-point FG, the program’s 4th best all-time. The Racers scored 121 points against PSUGA which marks the programs 2nd all-time highest scoring performance. During this season, Vavro coached 1st team all WHAC honoree Alysia Lawson and All-Freshman Guard Oliva Thompson. At the conclusion of the 23-24 season, Lawson moved into 5th place all-time on the scoring list with 996 points and had the 2nd highest point total scoring 614 during the 23-24 year. Lawson was named WHAC player of the week on four occasions during the 23-24 season, a program record and was also named National player of the week becoming the first Lady Racer to ever win the award. She became the first honoree in the WHAC since 2018. Lawson also broke the all-time program single game scoring record pouring in 43 points vs. Madonna University during this season. Her 22.7 PPG during the 23-34 year was the programs best all-time. Lawson also tied the programs all-time record for threes in a game with seven. Vavro also coached Alayha Allen during the 23-24 season where she broke the all-time program record for rebounds in a game with 25 vs Madonna University. Allen also broke the single season record for defensive rebounds with 225 and her 302 rebounds during the 23-24 year is 2nd all-time. Allen during the same year also set the single season blocks record with 53. The Lady Racers coming off back to back years with the most wins since 2016-17, look to continue the positive momentum towards the 24-25 season.

Vavro spent the 21-22 season leading the Rattlers of Otero College, an NJCAA Division 1 program in the ultra-competitive Region 9. Vavro took over the program in July of 2021 with 0 players on the roster a month before school started and put together a team in quick fashion resulting in a double-digit win season that included a road playoff victory over Northeastern Junior College where the Lady Rattlers advanced to the Region 9 quarterfinals falling to tournament champs and national tournament qualifier Casper College. During this year, Vavro coached All-Region guard Savannah Lang.

Prior to Otero College, Vavro was an Assistant Coach at perennial power Wabash Valley College during the 20-21 season where he helped lead the program to both a GRAC conference championship and a Region 24 tournament championship that resulted in the team advancing to the sweet 16 of the NJCAA Division 1 national tournament. In the opening round at nationals, the lady warriors set a national tournament record holding their opponent to just 29 points. The team was ranked as high as 11th in the country and put together one of the longest winning streaks in women’s basketball with 84 consecutive GRAC wins. During this time, he coached the GRAC and Region 24 Player of the Year Jazmyn Turner. He also coached Je’Naiya Davis who earned 1st team GRAC honors and made the Region 24 All-Region team.

Vavro led the Falcons of Southeastern Illinois College during the 19-20 campaign where he took over one of the youngest teams in the country with 12 freshman and no returning players and led them to the postseason advancing to the Region 24 tournament quarterfinals where they fell to tournament champs and national tournament qualifier Wabash Valley College. During this year, he coached both Alexis Radcliff who was named to the GRAC All-Conference team and Staisha Hamilton who earned GRAC All-Conference and Region 24 honors while finishing #1 in the country in 3-point FG made. In addition to his coaching duties, Vavro also managed the school’s fitness center and taught physical education courses.

During the 18-19 season, Vavro was an Assistant Coach at Western Nebraska Community College where he helped lead the Lady Cougars to both a Region 9 South conference championship and Region 9 tournament championship earning a berth in the NJCAA division 1 national tournament where they fell to final four team Hutchinson Community College. The program went undefeated in both Region 9 play 10-0 and at home 16-0. The Cougars won 29 games and were ranked as high as 21st in the country. During this time, he coached three Region 9 All-Region players including Region 9 player of the year and 1st team All-American Merle Wiehl.

Vavro spent the previous two years leading Lincoln College to one of the biggest turnarounds in NJCAA history where he took over a program that had won 12 games over the previous three years combined. During his first season they won 14 games and during his 2nd season which was his first recruiting class they won a school record 25 games where they began the year 22-1 and were ranked as high as 10th in the country. It was the first winning season at Lincoln in 15 years and first time ever the program had been ranked nationally. Vavro was named the 2017-18 Region 24 Coach of the Year. While at Lincoln, he coached five players that were selected all-conference and two players that earned all-region accolades including Erynn Young who finished as the school’s all-time leading scorer with 1,992 points. Erynn was named 3rd team All-American, the first in the history of the program, MWAC Freshman of the Year, MWAC Player of the Year and national player of the week. In the three years prior to his arrival, the program finished in last place going 2-28. During the 17-18 season, Vavro led the Lady Lynx to a 3rd place finish in the MWAC where they finished top 10 nationally in several categories including points per game, steals per game, blocks per game and points per game allowed. The lynx increased their PPG by 32 points during Vavro’s time as coach. His teams there also earned recognition by the NJCAA in the classroom having earned above a 3.0 GPA. Vavro coached four academic All-Americans during his tenure there.

Vavro’s first Head Coaching position was spent leading the Jaguars of Danville Area Community College where he led them to back to back 20-win seasons and back to back runner up finishes in the ultra-competitive Mid-West Athletic Conference. During the 14-15 season, he led them to a school record 24 wins and advanced to the semifinals of the postseason Region 24 tournament. During the 15-16 campaign, Vavro led the Lady Jaguars to 22 victories and the first ever undefeated season at home. During his two years at Danville, they went 15-5 in conference play and appeared in the national rankings 16 times where they reached a ranking of 13th nationally, the highest in the history of the program. He coached six players there that made All-Conference and three players that received All-Region recognition including Asia Green who was named the 2015 MWAC freshman of the year and earned national player of the week.

Vavro started his collegiate coaching career during the 13-14 season on the men’s side of things as an assistant coach for Glen Oaks Community College where he helped guide the Vikings to 22 wins, a conference championship where they advanced to the MCCAA state championship game and were ranked as high as 13th in the country. During this time, he coached five players that received All-Conference recognition including Region 12 Player of the Year Lee Gardner III who was also selected as a second team All-American. In addition to his coaching duties, Vavro taught physical education courses and was in charge of the entire study table system for all student athletes dramatically increasing the eligibility rate.

Prior to coaching at the college level, Vavro also spent time coaching at Twinsburg high school and three different AAU programs in addition to being a personal trainer. He also spent six years working the Ohio State University men’s basketball camp.

In addition to coaching, Vavro has also worked in the Public Relations department for both the Chicago Sky of the WNBA and the Cleveland Cavaliers where he was in charge of pre and post-game interviews for LeBron James and all members of the coaching staff.

Vavro is originally from Garfield Heights, Ohio. He participated in varsity basketball and tennis for four years. He is the son of Jerry and Veronica Vavro who reside in Cleveland, Ohio.

Coach Vavro holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Sports Management from Cleveland State University and a Master’s of Science degree in Sports Science/Coaching from The University of Akron.

UNOH UNDER VAVRO

TEAM HONORS

First Team All-WHAC

2022-23: Jada Haines

2023-24: Alysia Lawson

Second Team All-WHAC

2022-23: Alysia Lawson

WHAC All-Newcomer Team

2022-23: Alysia Lawson

WHAC All-Freshman Team

2023-24: Olivia Thompson

WHAC Player of the Week

2022-23: Jada Haines

2023-24: Alysia Lawson

NAIA Scholar-Athlete

2022-23: Mar Marata Crespo

2023-24: Ana Montero Sanz, Marta Gateva

WHAC All-Academic Team

2022-23: Mar Marata Crespo

2023-24: Ana Montero Sanz, Marta Gateva