Sean Westerlund was named the second head coach in Bryn Athyn College men’s basketball history in April 2020.

In addition to his duties as head coach of men's basketball, Westerlund is the Assistant Director of Athletics for Communications. 

In Westerlund's debut season, 2020-21, the COVID-19 pandemic reared its ugly head forcing the CSAC to suspend all conference competition and championships for winter sports. Bryn Athyn was able to participate in a shortened exhibition season. Under the leadership of Westerlund, the men's basketball team placed eleven student-athletes on the Fall and Spring All CSAC Academic Team, and the team was awarded the Academic Excellence Award from Bryn Athyn College for securing the highest team GPA in the 2020-21 academic year. For the first time in program history, two players were named to the NABC Honors Court and the Lions earned the NABC Academic Excellence Award for their work in the classroom.

2021-22 season was a return to normalcy. In the first season of official competition under Westerlund, the team broke 15 program records and led the conference in ten categories including: scoring, assists, steals, three-point field goals made, free throw percentage, and turnover margin. The The Lions finished ranked near the top nationally in steals (9th), steals per game (10th), and turnovers forced (10th). Freshman guard, Jamal Cannady Jr. ranked third for all freshman in NCAA Division III in scoring and was 5th nationally in free throws attempted and 6th in free throws made. Cannady Jr was the first player in school history to be named to the D3Hoops.com Team of the Week. He also recieved 2nd Team All-CSAC honors for his performance in the season. Junior Jaryn McCann joined Cannady Jr on the all-conference team after being named an honorable mention. The men's basketball continued their academic excellence receiving the Bryn Athyn College Academic Excellence Award for the second consecutive year for having the highest team GPA for all male teams in the department. The Lions also placed three members of the team on the NABC Honors Court and received the NABC Academic Excellence Award again. The Lions finished the year 7-18, the third highest win total in program history. 

Westerlund comes to Bryn Athyn after a four-season stint as an assistant men’s basketball coach and recruiting coordinator at Hood College. While at Hood, Westerlund’s responsibilities included: recruiting, opponent scouting reports, game and practice planning, skill development, advanced statistical analysis, and fundraising.

An offensive-minded coach, Westerlund’s offensive tactics allowed the Blazers to lead the Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth (MACC) in scoring offense and made 3-point baskets in each of the last two seasons. Last season, Hood ranked 16th in NCAA Division III with 11.0 made 3-pointers per game.

He helped bring to Hood many successful recruits, including Mason Wang (2x MACC first team, 2x D3Hoops.com All-Region second team, 2019-20 NABC All-Middle Atlantic District second team, 2018-19 ALL-ECAC honorable mention), Evan Wang (2019-20 MACC second team), Michael Riley (2018-19 MACC second team), and Scott Bolen (2016-17 MACC second team).

In addition to his coaching responsibilities at Hood, Westerlund also served as an undergraduate admissions counselor for the College for two years.

Before joining Hood, Westerlund was the head varsity boy’s basketball coach at Harford Christian High School in Maryland from 2013 through 2016. Harford Christian won the Maryland Association of Christian Schools Athletic Conference (MACSAC) in each of Westerlund’s three seasons at the helm. In the 2015-16 season, Harford Christian won the Bob Jones University National Invitational Tournament and reached the Maryland Christian School Tournament Division 1 Championship final for the first time in school history. Westerlund coached 16 All-MACSAC players, six All-Harford County players, and one DMVElite All-State player.

Westerlund started his career as the associate head varsity boy’s basketball coach and junior varsity head coach at Harford Christian in 2010. In the 2012-13 season, the JV team won its first-ever conference title.

A 2013 graduate of Lancaster Bible College with a degree in Professional Counseling – Psychology and Bible, Westerlund played three sports while in college. He was a four-year men’s soccer player and earned All-North Eastern Athletic Conference first-team recognition in 2011. Westerlund was an outfielder for the baseball team in his sophomore and senior years and a guard for the men’s basketball program as a freshman.

Westerlund went on to earn a master’s degree in coaching and athletic administration from Concordia University Irvine in 2016.

Education

• B.S., Lancaster Bible College (Pa.),
• M.A., Concordia University of Irvine (Ca.)

Areas of Expertise/Interest

Leadership, Basketball, Coaching, Psychology, Marketing, Culture Building, Social Media