Christner leaves Waynesburg, returns to alma mater
Waynesburg University will have a new head men’s basketball coach next season.
Mark Christner, who coached the Yellow Jackets for nine seasons, has been hired as the head women’s coach at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich., it was announced Wednesday.
The move is a homecoming for Christner. He is a 1999 Calvin graduate and spent eight years as a men’s assistant for the school and three years on the women’s coaching staff.
“It is with great excitement that I welcome Mark Christner home as our new women’s basketball coach,” Calvin athletic director Dr. Jim Timmer Jr. said. “He is well-versed in the mission of our institution and he has a deep love for Calvin College. He also has a strong understanding of what it takes to produce a successful basketball program, both on and off the court. I am confident that Mark will do a tremendous job as our head women’s basketball coach and our athletic department is looking forward to having him rejoin our family.”
Christner had an 88-152 record at Waynesburg that included five double-digit win seasons. The Yellow Jackets were 8-18 last season, including 7-9 in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference. Waynesburg lost at Westminster in the opening round of the PAC tournament.
Waynesburg’s best season under Christner was 2014-15 when the Yellow Jackets won 18 games and advanced to the PAC tournament championship game.
“It is bittersweet in that I am leaving my Waynesburg family. What makes this change much easier is that I will be rejoining a family that is very close to my heart in Calvin College,” Christner said in a news release. “I am looking forward to joining a program with a strong tradition and good base of players.”