Former NCAA Division I head coach and 2022 D3hoops.com District 4 Regional Coach of the Year Don Friday is set to enter his 10th season at the helm of Penn State Harrisburg’s men’s basketball program in 2023-24.

During his nine-year tenure, Friday has built the program into a contender on the national and regional levels, while lifting the Lions to heights never before reached. Individually, he’s earned three regional and conference coach of the year awards since the start of the 2019-20 campaign. Under his guidance, Penn State Harrisburg has amassed a pair of NCAA Tournament victories over top-10 teams, two NCAA Tournament appearances, and a pair of United East (formerly North Eastern Athletic Conference) Championships. His players have garnered two preseason all-America nods, five all-region accolades, four conference major awards, a pair of NCAA Statistical Championships, and 11 all-conference honors.

Most recently, Friday led the Lions to the semifinal round of the United East Championship Tournament in 2022-23. Under his guidance, Nate Curry became just the second player in program history to earn all-region recognition when he was named to the D3hoops.com All-Region 4 Second Team. Curry was tabbed United East First-Team All-Conference, Zegary Scott III earned second-team all-conference honors, and freshman Chase Robinson was named the United East Rookie of the Year. Curry and Scott also reached individual milestones, with each player surpassing the 1,000-point scoring mark for their careers in February. 

Friday surpassed the 200-win mark for his career during the 2021-22 campaign; a season that proved to be the most successful in program history. Penn State Harrisburg won a program-record 24 games, captured a second consecutive United East Championship, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 for the second straight season. In NCAA action, the Lions earned a double-digit victory over No. 9 St. Joseph (Conn.) in their opener before falling to the hosts from No. 13 WPI in the second round. The Blue & White rolled to a second straight conference title, topping Lancaster Bible by 33 points in the United East Championshp Game. A D3hoops.com Preseason Second-Team All-American, Donyae Baylor-Carroll was named to the Bevo Francis Award Top 100 Watch List after becoming the fastest player in program history to score 1,000 career points. He earned a pair of all-region honors (D3hoops.com – 1T, NABC – 2T) for the second straight season to go along with United East All-Conference First-Team recognition. Baylor-Carroll was joined by Dylan Daniels and Brandon Coleman on the all-conference first team, while Curry was a second-team all-conference pick. The Lions ranked fifth in the nation in scoring margin and ended the year receiving votes in the D3hoops.com Top 25 National Poll for the second time in as many seasons. For his efforts, Friday was named the D3hoops.com District 4 Regional Coach of the Year.

Riding the momentum of the historic 2019-20 season, Baylor-Carroll earned Basketball Times Preseason All-America honors prior to the 2020-21 campaign. He was the first player in program history to earn the accolade. Unfortunately, the season was eventually cancelled due to health and safety concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2019-20, the Lions racked up a then-program record 21 victories, won their first-ever conference championship, and made their first trip to the NCAA Tournament. In the first NCAA Tournament game in program history, Penn State Harrisburg won an instant classic in double overtime over No. 6 Johns Hopkins before falling to No. 13 Yeshiva in the round of 32. The Blue & White won the NEAC Regular Season Title, hosted the conference championship tournament's final four, and earned a thrilling overtime victory over Lancaster Bible in the NEAC Championship Game. Baylor-Carroll became the first player in program history to earn all-region accolades (D3hoops.com – 1T, NABC – 2T) after being named the NEAC Player of the Year. Curry was named the conference’s rookie of the year, while Friday was voted the NEAC Coach of the Year by his peers. Friday was also named the ECAC Division III Coach of the Year, Curry added ECAC Division III Rookie of the Year honors, and Baylor-Carroll was named to the ECAC Division III All-Conference Second Team. Baylor-Carroll and Curry were NEAC All-Conference First-Team selections, while Daniels and Scott picked up all-conference third-team recognition. Daniels also won NCAA Division III Statistical Championships in the categories of blocks per game and total blocks. By season’s end, Friday’s efforts had Penn State Harrisburg receiving votes in the D3hoops.com Top 25 Poll for the first time.

Friday has also put an emphasis on his players' performance in the classroom. "Diplomas and championships, in that order" has become a mantra for his program in recent years. In total, Friday has helped guide nine players to NABC Honors Court recognition and 26 players to academic all-conference status during his time at Penn State Harrisburg. His squads have also earned a pair of NABC Team Academic Excellence Awards during his tenure, including two in the last three seasons.

In 2018-19, Friday led the Lions to a Capital Athletic Conference (now Coast-to-Coast Conference) postseason berth and a .500 record for the first time in seven years. Under his tutelage, Kahlil Williams became the fourth 1,000-point scorer in program history, while Baylor-Carroll set a then-program record for 3-pointers made in a single season. His players also succeeded in the classroom, with four student-athletes earning CAC All-Academic Team recognition. 

His first year as Penn State Harrisburg head coach coincided with the college’s first season competing in the CAC. In the early years of his tenure, Friday led the Lions to wins over a number of renowned mid-state schools including Gettysburg, Lebanon Valley, and York (Pa.). In 2014, he also led the Blue & White to the program’s first-ever victory over a nationally-ranked team in No. 14 Christopher Newport. That winter, senior guard Will Doyle became the first student-athlete in school history to earn CAC All-Conference honors.

From 2008-2012, Friday was the head coach at Division I Saint Francis (Pa.). Under Friday’s watch, the Red Flash competed against some of the nation’s most storied programs, including North Carolina, Ohio State, Notre Dame, and Pittsburgh. During his four-year stint at SFU, Friday led the program to back-to-back Northeast Conference (NEC) playoff appearances in 2010 and 2011, respectively. The 2010 postseason berth was the team’s first since the 2005 campaign.

Prior to his time at Saint Francis, Friday was the head coach at Lycoming from 2003-2008. In 2004, Friday’s squad won the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom Championship and ranked second in the nation in rebounding amongst Division III teams. He was named the conference’s coach of the year in 2006 and again two years later when he led the Warriors to the 2008 MAC Commonwealth Regular Season Championship.

Friday also has more than a decade of assistant coaching experience to his credit, including stops at Bucknell from 1994-2003, where he helped legendary head coach Pat Flannery build the underdog Bucknell teams that gained national acclaim thanks to upset victories over Kansas and Arkansas in the NCAA Tournament. He began his career as an assistant at Lebanon Valley, his alma mater, from 1989-1994. Friday was a member of the Flying Dutchmen staff that led LVC to a thrilling NCAA Division III National Championship victory over New York University (NYU) in 1994.

Known for his skill at developing players, Friday has also served on the staff at some of the most prestigious basketball camps in the nation, including the highly regarded Hoop Group camps, which feature a plethora of the nation’s top collegiate prospects.

Friday also serves in an athletic fundraising role for Penn State Harrisburg's athletic department. He earned his MBA and his Bachelor’s of Science in Management from Lebanon Valley College.

He currently resides in Annville, Pa. with his wife, Amy, and son, Donald, who graduated from Penn State Harrisburg in May.