Mike Moran

Birthdate: May 2, 1951
Birthplace: Cleveland, OH
High School: Cleveland St. Joseph High School (1968)
College: Xavier University (1973)
Year Inducted: 2020

One of just three Ohio Athletic Conference mentors ever to surpass 450 career wins, Mike Moran was a sideline mainstay at John Carroll and the school’s winningest coach of all-time. In 25 years at the University Heights school, Moran was a model of consistency while guiding the Blue Streaks to 10 OAC regular-season titles. He also pointed the way to four conference postseason championships – the final one coming in 2016.

That 2015-16 campaign proved magical as the Streaks lived up to their name with 21 straight victories to open the season en route to a second straight NCAA  Division III Tournament berth. John Carroll also won 21 straight in 2008-09 and finished off that year with an OAC regular-season and tournament title. The ’09 Blue Streaks recorded a 16-2 league record – 25-5 overall – and advanced all the way to the Sweet 16.

From 2003-05, John Carroll won three consecutive OAC titles, becoming just the fourth program to do so. In the middle of that run, Moran led the Blue Streaks to the 2004 Final Four and a third-place finish nationally. JCU was 27-6 that season.

Moran racked up 460 wins compared to 230 losses at John Carroll. He was named OAC Coach of the Year six times including back-to-back recognitions in 2009 and 2010. He also was named Great Lakes Coach of the Year in 1998 and 1999.

Moran is one of just 16 coaches in the 100-year history of the OAC to win at least 200 games at a league institution. Prior to his 25 years of excellence at JCU, he was boys basketball head coach for 11 seasons at his high school alma mater, Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph, and put together a record of 224-53 at that state power. In that time frame, his teams captured nine district championships, four regional titles and a pair of state championships.

Moran and his wife, JoAnn, have been blessed with six children and 20 grandchildren. Their son, Pete, took over for dad as head coach at John Carroll. Pete’s brother, Pat, serves as a JCU assistant coach and their brother, Matt, is the head coach at Mentor (Ohio) Lake Catholic High School.