Akron Zips men's basketball coach John Groce received his latest contract extension after 3 NCAA Tournament trips in 4 years.

A 2021 Lakota East High School graduate, Nate Johnson was a redshirt who did not play during Akron's run to a MAC Tournament title and an NCAA appearance in 2022. Johnson was a starter on Akron's ...

His Zips are 137-54 (.717) during the last six seasons, with Mid-American Conference regular-season championships in 2020 and 2025 and MAC Tournament titles in 2022, 2024 and 2025.

The Zips went 28-7 with a 17-1 record within MAC play. Not only did they win the MAC regular season but they won the conference tournament as well, which earned the Zips a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

Akron's path to the NCAA Women's Lacrosse Tournament Akron's rise to a winning season came after the program went 0-7 in 2020, 7-8 in 2021, 2-15 in 2022, 2-15 in 2023 and 7-9 in 2024.

Rodney Knuppel is a contributing writer to the Athlon Sports trending and breaking news team. The 2024-25 season was one to remember for head coach John Groce and the Akron Zips. The team finished ...

Akron Zips guard Nate Johnson (34) dribbles the ball against Arizona Wildcats guard Jaden Bradley (0) during an NCAA Tournament first-round game March 21, 2025, in Seattle, Washington.© Steven ...

If the 53-year-old Groce reaches the end of his updated contract, he will have coached 10 more seasons at Akron and 18 total with the Zips, who are coming off a historic season. Akron finished its ...