Saint Joseph's University Vice President and Director of Athletics Jill Bodensteiner has announced that Joe Mihalich Jr. has been named general manager of the men's basketball program, while Cliff Spiller joins the Hawks as the head strength and conditioning coach for men's basketball, and Chris Marino returns to the Hawks' staff as assistant director of operations. 

"We are thrilled to welcome Joe and Cliff to the Saint Joseph's family, and equally excited to welcome Chris Marino back to Hawk Hill," said Bodensteiner. "Joe brings extensive experience in collegiate basketball administration, Cliff offers a wealth of expertise in athlete development and performance, and Chris returns with a deep understanding of our culture and operations. Their combined leadership and dedication to student-athlete success will have an immediate and lasting impact on our programs."

Recent staff changes in men's basketball offered the opportunity to reimagine how to best support the Name, Image and Likeness efforts for both basketball programs. Moving forward, a four-person team will work together to generate funding for NIL and assist St. Joe's basketball coaches with roster construction. That team includes Mihalich Jr., Susan Lavin (General Manager, Women's Basketball), Joe Logan (Senior Associate Athletic Director for Development), and a newly-created position (Associate Athletic Director for Development). 

Mihalich Jr. joins Saint Joseph's after serving as an assistant coach at Penn for 10 seasons. With the Quakers, he played a key role in recruiting, player development, and program operations, helping Penn capture the 2018 Ivy League title and NCAA Tournament appearance, while eight student-athletes earned All-Ivy honors, including 2023 Ivy League Player of the Year Jordan Dingle.

A Philadelphia native, Mihalich Jr. played collegiately at Nazareth College and earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics. He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Villanova as he earned a master's degree in education before serving as an assistant coach at the University of Scranton.

"I'm so grateful to join the Saint Joseph's athletic department. The basketball tradition here is excellent, and I'm excited to be a part of the future here at Hawk Hill," said Mihalich Jr. "I'd like to thank Vice President Jill Bodensteiner, Coach Cindy Griffin, and Coach Steve Donahue for this outstanding opportunity. I'm looking forward to helping these student-athletes in our relentless pursuit of excellence."

Spiller comes to Hawk Hill after spending nearly four years as director of strength and conditioning for the Oregon men's basketball program. In his role with the Hawks, Spiller will lead all areas related to men's basketball performance with the focus of building personalized strength, conditioning, mobility and nutrition plans for every men's basketball student-athlete. He will also be responsible for implementing and utilizing all sports performance technology and data.

During his tenure at Oregon, Spiller helped the Ducks reach the postseason three times, including NCAA Tournament runs in 2024 and 2025. Under his guidance, five Ducks earned all-conference honors, including 2024 Pac-12 Tournament Most Outstanding Player N'Faly Dante, who currently plays for the Atlanta Hawks.

Before joining Oregon, Spiller spent nearly two years as an assistant strength and conditioning coach with the Utah Jazz, working with perennial All-Stars Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert during back-to-back Western Conference playoff appearances. He previously served as head strength and conditioning coach for the Phoenix Suns' G League affiliate, and began his career as a strength and conditioning intern for the Philadelphia 76ers from 2015 to 2017 before being elevated to head strength and conditioning coach of the Delaware Blue Coats.

A native of Atlantic City, New Jersey, Spiller was a four-year letterwinner as a member of the Wagner men's basketball program and earned a bachelor's degree in government and politics. He earned a master's degree in kinesiology and exercise science from California University of Pennsylvania and holds certificates as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, Registered Strength and Conditioning Coach, Fellow of Applied Functional Science, and Licensed Massage Therapist.

"Joining Saint Joseph's is a tremendous opportunity," Spiller said. "As a native of the Philadelphia region, I know the proud basketball tradition at Saint Joseph's and I am excited to work with the tremendous student-athletes, coaches, and staff on Hawk Hill!"

A familiar face on Hawk Hill, Marino served as a graduate manager for the Hawks from 2023-25. As assistant director of operations, Marino will aid the Hawks in multiple facets including content branding and digital content strategy, travel logistics, as well as assist with video, analytics, and other operational functions. 

Helping Saint Joseph's post back-to-back 20-win seasons and earn two consecutive postseason appearances, he also earned a master's degree in organizational leadership. A native of Philadelphia, Marino earned a bachelor's degree in telecommunications from Penn State, where he also was a four-year student manager for the Nittany Lions' men's basketball program.

"I'm grateful for the opportunity to return to Hawk Hill," said Marino. "Saint Joseph's has always felt like home, and I'm excited to support the basketball programs and contribute to their continued success."