Lorie Khalil
Lorie Khalil
Title: Head Women's Basketball Coach/ Coordinator of Athletic Programs
Phone: (c) 610-704-3820
Email: lak44@psu.edu
Lorie Khalil begins her 9th season at the helm of the Penn State Lehigh Valley Women's Basketball program and 19th overall as a collegiate head coach.  
 
Khalil has led PSULV Women's Basketball to 9 straight winning seasons and 9 straight post season appearances. In the 2022-2023 season, the Lions finished again top of the PSUAC and USCAA. The team finished with a 2nd consecutive 20 win season finishing 23-7 overall and 17-2 in PSUAC play and advancing to the PSUAC Championship before falling to PSU Schuylkill by 8 points. For the teams dominating efforts all season, they earned a bid to the USCAA National Tournament at Virginia State University. At the National Tournament, Khalil was named 2023 USCAA D2 National Coach of the Year, this is PSULV's 1st National Coach of the Year honors. Many players earned individual recognition from their stellar season; Sophomore Chanelle Lee was named USCAA National Player of the Year (2nd in Program History), Lee was also named USCAA 1st Team All-American, USCAA National All-Academic and PSUAC East 1st Team All-Conference. Senior Jah'nel Oliver scored her 1,000 career point becoming the 6th Women's Basketball player to reach this milestone, she was also named USCAA 2nd Team All-American and PSUAC 2nd Team All-Conference. Junior Sam Columna earned USCAA Honorable Mention All-American and PSUAC 2nd Team All-Conference. Freshman Naila Newman was awarded PSUAC East Defensive Player of the Year and her twin sister, Nia Newman, was named PSUAC East Rookie of the Year. Senior, Sage Christopher, was awarded the John Fritz Sportsmanship award and named to the USCAA National All-Academic team. Sophomore Gabby Giracello was named USCAA National All-Academic and 7 Players were on the Dean's List with a 3.5 or higher GPA.
 
In the 2021-2022 season, the Lions finished with the 2nd best record in program history going 22-6 overall and 17-2 in PSUAC play and advancing to the PSUAC semifinals. Senior Taylor Styles became the 5th Women's Basketball player to surpass the 1,000 point milestone, in addition, she was named PSUAC Honorable Mention and USCAA Honorable Mention All-American. Junior, Jah'nel Oliver, was named PSUAC Defensive Player of the Year, PSUAC 1st Team All-Conference and USCAA 2nd Team All-American. Junior, Sage Christopher, was awarded the John Fritz Sportsmanship award and named to the USCAA National All-Academic team. 
 
In the 2019-2020 season, the Lions finished 17-10 and 14-2 in PSUAC play advancing to the PSUAC Final Four. Senior Ebony Sanders was named 2020 PSUAC Co-Defensive Player of the Year and PSUAC 1st Team All-Conference, in addition, she was named USCAA National Female Student-Athlete of the Year, an award that goes to one female player that is high achieving on and off the court and also USCAA 1st Team All-American. Sanders graduated as one of the most decorated players to put on a PSULV uniform. She finished her career averaging a double double and the only player to register over 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. Sophomore, Jah'nel Oliver, was named PSUAC Honorable Mention All-Conference. Junior, Makayla Brown-Paul, was awarded the John Fritz Sportsmanship award for the 3rd time.
 
Coming off the best season in program history, Khalil lead the Lions to the 2019 PSUAC Championship at the Bryce Jordan Center at University Park, the first in program history. The team finished with a 25-3 overall record, the best in school history, a perfect 17-0 PSUAC record, the best in school history and an incredible 24 straight wins, the best in school & PSUAC history and a USCAA Final Four finish.  Khalil was named PSUAC Coach of the Year for 2nd time in 3 years. Freshman Kion Andrews was named PSUAC East Rookie of the Year and PSUAC 1st Team All-Conference. Freshman Jah'nel Oliver was named PSUAC East Defensive Player of the Year and was named to the USCAA All-Tournament team. Junior Ebony Sanders became the 4th Women's Basketball player in school history to score her 1,000 career point and was named PSUAC 1st Team All-Conference, USCAA 1st Team All-American, USCAA National All-Academic and was awarded the prestigious John S. Egli Outstanding Scholar-Athlete Award, awarded to only one female & one male PSUAC outstanding-scholar athlete. Sanders had her jersey requested to be hung in the Ring of Honor in the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in Knoxville, TN. Sophomore Makayla Brown-Paul was awarded the John Fritz Sportsmandship award, this award is given to a player who lives the Penn State Values of Integrity, Respect, Responsibility, Discovery, Excellence, & Community. Six players were named to the PSUAC Academic All-Conference team by having a 3.0 or higher GPA.
 
In the 2017-2018 season, the Lehigh Valley Lions had a 16-7 overall season and 13-2 in the PSUAC, Khalil lead the Lions to the PSUAC post season tournament for the 5th consecutive time as the #2 seed and advancing to the PSUAC Championship game for the first time in school history. Sophomore Ebony Sanders was named USCAA 2nd Team All-American, PSUAC Defensive Player of the Year and PSUAC 1st Team All-Conference. Senior Andrea Watkins graduated as the schools all time leading scorer with over 1,500 career points. She was named USCAA 2nd Team All-American and PSUAC 2nd Team All-Conference. Senior Hannah Bankes became the 3rd player under Khalil to hit the 1,000 point milestone. Bankes was named PSUAC 2nd Team All-Conference. Makayla Brown-Paul was awarded the John Fritz Sportsmandship award, this award is given to a player who lives the Penn State Values of Integrity, Respect, Responsibility, Discovery, Excellence, & Community. Excellence on the court and in the classroom is evident as three players were named to the USCAA National All-Academic team for having a 3.5 or higher GPA. Five players were named to the PSUAC Academic All-Conference team by having a 3.0 or higher GPA.
 
In the 2016-2017 season, Khalil lead the Lehigh Valley Nittany Lion's to a 21-4 overall record, a USCAA National Championship 2nd place finish, the #1 seed in the conference tournament and a perfect 14-0 PSUAC. Khalil was named 2017 PSUAC Coach of the Year. Junior Andrea Watkins was named USCAA Division 2 National Player of the Year, USCAA 1st Team All-American, PSUAC Player of the Year, PSUAC 1st Team All-Conference and become only the 2nd player in PSUAC history to score her 1,000 career point and the fastest player scoring it as a junior. Senior Ashley Gordon was named USCAA 2nd Team All-American, PSUAC 1st Team All-Conference and was the first player in PSULV history to score her 1,000 career point. Junior Hannah Bankes was named to the USCAA National All-Academic team for achieving a 3.5 or higher GPA and PSUAC 2nd Team All-Conference. Freshman Ebony Sanders was named USCAA 2nd Team All-American and PSUAC 2nd Team All-Conference. Seven PSULV Women's Basketball players were selected to the PSUAC All-Academic team for having a 3.0 GPA or higher. 
 
In Khalil's 2nd season at Penn State Lehigh Valley, the continued its success and dominance in the PSUAC with an 17-7 overall record and a 13-3 conference record that landed them the #3 seed and a home playoff berth. The team defeated #6 Penn State Wilkes Barre 92-49 to advance to the semifinals but came up short to Penn State Hazleton 76-71. Sophomore Andrea Watkins was named PSUAC Co-Player of the Year, PSUAC 1st Team All-Conference and USCAA 1st Team All-American, the first athlete in school history to be named to named 1st Team All-American. Sophomore Hannah Bankes received PSUAC 2nd Team All-Conference and USCAA 2nd Team All-American honors. Junior Ashley Gordon was named PSUAC Honorable Mention All-Conference and USCAA Honorable Mention All-American. Six Penn State Lehigh Valley Women's Basketball players were selected to the PSUAC All-Academic team for having a 3.0 GPA or higher. 
 
In Khalil's first season at Penn State Lehigh Valley, the team saw significant improvement from there 7-18 record in 2013-2014 season to 17-6 overall record in 2014-2015.  The team qualified for their first ever PSUAC playoff berth in school history, recieving the #3 seed and advancing to the semifinals after beating Penn State Mont Alto. The team suffered a loss in the semifinals to eventual conference champion Penn State Beaver.  Despite the conference playoff loss, the team received a bid to the school's first ever USCAA National Tournament, which only selects 32 teams to compete for a National Championship. Lehigh Valley defeated Southern Maine Community College in the first round to advance to the final four before losing to eventual National Champions Penn State Beaver.  Freshman Andrea Watkins was named PSUAC Newcomer of the Year, PSUAC 1st Team All-Conference, USCAA 2nd Team All-American and led the PSUAC in scoring averaging 19.2 points per game. Freshman Brenna Dosedlo received PSUAC 2nd Team All-Conference honors.  Four Penn State Lehigh Valley Women's Basketball players were selected to PSUAC All-Academic honors for having a 3.0 GPA or higher. 

 

Prior to coming to Penn State Lehigh Valley. Lorie Khalil was the head women's basketball coach at Arcadia University in Glenside, Pa.  Khalil was hired during the summer of 2011 and charged with turning the Arcadia University Women’s Basketball program into a contender in one of the nations most competitive women's basketball conferences, the MAC's Commonwealth Conference. 


After completing 3 seasons at Arcadia, Khalil made strides in rebuilding the program by posting a 10-15 record in 2013-2014, the best record since the 2005-2006. Khalil surpassed her 100 coaching career win in January of 2014.   The women's basketball program were very active citizens in the community, her program raised money for elementary school playground equipment, pediatric cancer and the Ronald McDonald house.  Khalil also served as the University's assistant sports information director as well as the advisor for the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

From 2005-06 and until her hire at Arcadia, Khalil headed the women’s program at Centenary College, Hackettstown, NJ.  At the young age of 24, Khalil took over a program that was struggling both on the court and in the classroom. Under her leadership, the Cyclones have compiled four straight winning seasons, along with post-season play in each of those seasons, including the program’s first Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) berth in 2008-09.  During the 2008-09 (81.5 PPG) and 2009-10 (83 PPG) seasons, her teams finished #1 in NCAA Division III Scoring Offense, finishing 13th for the 2010-11 campaign. She has developed nine All Conference players, including Centenary’s all-time leaders in rebounding, field goals, assists and steals along with three 1,000 career point scorers. Khalil, who served as an assistant coach at Centenary from 2003-2005, recorded a win-loss mark of 81-72 as a head coach at Centenary.

While these numbers are certainly impressive, the awards Khalil is most proud of stem from the academic achievements her student-athletes strive for. From 2009 through 2011, Khalil’s players earned 29 Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) All-Academic honors (3.2 GPA). Her Cyclones were recognized two consecutive seasons by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) for having the second highest team GPA in the nation out of 435 Division III institutions. 

Her teams have also serviced the community in a variety of ventures, including “Day for David”, a pediatric cancer fundraiser that helped to raise $1,200 toward St. Baldrick’s Cancer Foundation. Her teams have also provided service for Philadelphia’s Ronald McDonald House, the Hackettstown Halloween Parade, the Centenary Women’s Center Breast Cancer Run and Lance Armstrong’s National Live Strong Day. 
Khalil is a 2003 graduate of Moravian College, where she was a two-year member of the women’s basketball team, playing under head coach Mary Beth Spirk, who ranks in the top 25 in victories among active Division III coaches. Prior to transferring to Moravian, Khalil originally attended Delaware Valley College where she also played two seasons for its women’s program under current Aggies head coach Laura Hogan. While at DVC, she was a participant on their 2000-01 ECAC Mid-Atlantic Region Championship team. Before her college basketball career, she was a very successful three-sport athlete at Catasauqua High School, in Catasauqua, Pa.

Khalil has been coaching at various basketball camps for the past 19 years, including the University of Connecticut, University of Maryland, Villanova University, WNBA New York Liberty camp as well as running her own girls' basketball camp in northwest New Jersey.  Khalil has been featured in the Garden State Women's Magazine and has also filmed in the 2011 women's basketball inspirational movie "The Mighty Macs".  She has coached internationally with Student-Athlete World USA (SaWUSA) for every summer since 2021; coaching in Portugal, Spain, Argentina and Costa Rica.

Khalil is a certified Performance Enhancement Specialist (PES) through the National Academy of Sports Medicine and serves as the Coordinator of Athletic Programs at Penn State Lehigh Valley.