A 1985 magna cum laude graduate of Grove City College, Steve Lamie has spent 27 seasons as the Wolverines’ head men’s basketball coach. In his 27 years at the helm, Lamie has directed the Wolverines to five Presidents’ Athletic Conference championships, nine postseason berths and national and regional acclaim in numerous statistical categories.
He is Grove City's all-time leader in men's basketball coaching wins, with 364. He became Grove City's all-time leader in that category January 18, 2022, when the Wolverines defeated Saint Vincent, 78-59.
In 2023-24, the Wolverines advanced to the semifinals of the conference tournament. Junior guard Chase Yarberough led the conference in scoring, accumulating 484 points.
Grove City again reached the conference tournament semifinals in 2024-25 and finished 16-11 overall. Yarberough finished his career with 1,215 points, the No. 8 total in program history. Guard Jonah Bock finished with a program-record 230 career three-point goals while junior swingman Mike Christenson ranked second in NCAA Division III by hitting 92.2 percent of his free throws.
The 2019-20 season proved to be one of Lamie's finest hours at Grove City as the Wolverines won the conference title and then toppled Wooster in the first round of the 2020 NCAA Division III Championship Tournament. The Wolverines finished 21-9 overall, tying the program record for wins in a season.
The conference honored Lamie as its Coach of the Year after he guided Grove City to a 13-3 league record in the regular season, sewing up the conference's regular season title.
Grove City's intricate "Flex" offense allowed the Wolverines to lead the conference in field goal percentage and scoring margin. Grove City also led the league in assists. Defensively, Grove City's stout man-to-man tenets helped the Wolverines lead the league in field goal percentage defense, scoring defense and blocked shots.
Senior forward James Wells earned D3hoops.com All-Great Lakes Region honors while senior guard Nate Peters earned the conference tournament's Most Outstanding Player award. Both men graduated as 1,000-point scorers. Lamie has coached 11 1,000-point scorers as head coach.
Lamie also earned his 300th win as head coach during the magical 2019-20 season, a year in which the Wolverines started 4-7 overall. He reached that milestone February 12, 2020 as the Wolverines defeated Penn State Altoona, 78-68.
In 2018-19, Lamie guided Grove City to a conference runner-up finish, along with a trip to the Eastern College Athletic Conference Division III Championship Tournament semifinals. Grove City finished 18-12 overall and set a program record by playing 30 games.
During the 2015-16 campaign, Lamie directed Grove City to an 18-9 overall record, a second-place finish in the conference and a berth in the Eastern College Athletic Conference Tournament. Grove City set a program record by going 13-5 in conference play, marking the Wolverines' best league winning percentage since 2009-10.
In 2010, he earned the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Great Lakes Coach of the Year award after directing the Wolverines to a 19-9 record, the PAC title and a berth in the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament. That year, center Andy O'Keefe earned PAC Player of the Year honors as well as CoSIDA Academic All-America recognition.
In 2007, Lamie led Grove City to one of the most improbable championships in PAC history as the Wolverines captured the conference tournament after entering as the fourth seed.
Lamie earned his 200th win at Grove City when the Wolverines earned an 80-77 win over rival Geneva February 9, 2012 on Hall of Fame Day at the College.
Lamie guided Grove City to the PAC championship in 2003 as the Wolverines downed Thiel in the conference title game, 60-59, in Greenville. The 2002-03 Wolverines ranked in the top 10 nationally in both field goal percentage and rebound margin while finishing 18-9, the fifth-best season in school history.
Grove City also hosted its first-ever ECAC playoff game in 2003 as the Wolverines hosted Neumann College in a quarterfinal game.
In 2001-02, the Wolverines finished second in the nation in rebound margin and held their opponents to less than 38 percent shooting from the floor.
In his first season, the Wolverines captured the Presidents’ Athletic Conference championship and advanced to the ECAC Championship Tournament.
Lamie is the 21st head men’s basketball coach in Grove City history. Prior to becoming head coach, he assisted longtime head coach John Barr for four seasons.
Lamie played four years under Barr, earning the team’s hustle award and co-captain honors as a senior. As a sophomore during the 1982-83 season, he helped Grove City advance to the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament as the Wolverines set a school record with 21 victories.
Lamie's coaching career began as an assistant at Cedar Crest High School in Lebanon, Pa. After four seasons at Cedar Crest, Lamie spent two years as a graduate assistant at Kent State University, earning his master’s degree in biology in 1991.
Lamie then returned to the high school ranks for three seasons as a head coach. After one year at Palisades High School in Kintersville, Pa., Lamie led Perkasie, Pa.-based Pennridge High School to the District I playoffs in 1994, ending a six-year drought.
Lamie also previously served as an assistant men’s and women’s track and field coach at the College as well as assistant professor of physical education and exercise science.
His wife Melissa is in her 33rd season as Grove City’s head women’s soccer coach. She is also Grove City’s Associate Athletic Director for Leadership Development.
The Lamies reside in Pine Township and have three children: Melia and twins Caleb and Rayna.
