SUNY Old Westbury Athletics

A legendary Long Island player and coach, Bernard Tomlin was brought to SUNY Old Westbury in 2001 to transform the men's basketball program into a regional power. Now entering his 19th season as Old Westbury's head coach, Tomlin has shown that his teams are always competitive, work hard in practice, and strive to be solid citizens.

In 18 seasons at Old Westbury, Tomlin, a three-time Skyline Conference Coach of the Year honoree, has 286 wins at the helm.  Last season on December 29, 2018, Tomlin and the Panthers earned an 75-59 road victory against Lehman College for his 400th-career win.  Since the 2003-04 season, Tomlin has developed three Skyline Conference Player of the Year honorees and 27 All-Skyline Conference selections.  

In 2015-16, Tomlin led the Panthers to a 19-9 record en route to capturing his first Skyline Conference Championship and NCAA Championship appearance since 2004.  Old Westbury went 16-4 in Skyline Conference play to earn the No. 1 seed in the Skyline Conference Championship.  The Panthers collected the league title at home with a convincing 63-47 victory over No. 6 St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn).  Old Westbury then lost a 77-73 NCAA Tournament first-round battle to Susquehanna University to conclude its season.    
 
In 2012-13, Tomlin posted a milestone season in his career, recording a program best 25-4 record, which was also his single most season wins in 22 years coaching.  On December 20, 2012, Tomlin and the Panthers earned an 82-77 road victory against Lehman College for his 300th career win.  The magical season was far from over as he guided the Panthers to its third regular season Skyline Conference Championship in four seasons.  After earning the top seed in the tournament, Old Westbury was eliminated by fourth-seeded Farmingdale State College.  Old Westbury was tabbed as the No. 2 seed in the ECAC Metro Region Championship Tournament and ran the table on the road for three games, including the title game with a 74-73 victory at top-seeded Richard Stockton University.  The championship was Old Westbury's first since cutting down the net in 1987.

In 2009-10, Tomlin reached a milestone in his career, recording a 21-8 record; his most single season wins in his 21 year coaching career. The team finished the regular season with a 17-3 conference mark, earning the regular season Skyline Conference Championship. Old Westbury advanced to the championship game as the top-seed and were stunned at home by Purchase College. The Panthers earned the top-seed in the ECAC Metro Region Championship Tournament, where they fell in the semifinal round against Baruch College, which went on to claim the 2009-10 ECAC Championship. 

Tomlin’s squad in 2006-07 finished the season with an 18-11 record and 12-4 in conference action, earning the team the third seed in the conference tournament. Old Westbury advanced to the championship game, where they were defeated on the road at Manhattanville College. Old Westbury earned a bid from the ECAC Metro Region Championship Tournament, where they hosted Richard Stockton, and lost 78-73. Richard Stockton advanced to the championship game. 

The 2005-06 season had the Panthers back on the winning track posting a 14-12 overall record and 7-7 in Skyline Conference play, while utilizing the home court advantage to a 9-4 record at Clark Athletic Center. 

In 2004-05, Tomlin's team posted a 12-15 overall mark, playing one of the most difficult schedules in school history. The Panthers' slate included four teams who spent time in the top-25, as well as a match-up with local Division I opponent, Long Island University-Brooklyn. In the second game of the season, Old Westbury played St. John Fisher College, who ranked as high as No. 3 in the nation during the season. Also in November, the Panthers played The College of New Jersey, who was No. 17 at the time. On December 19, Old Westbury played LIU to a 10-point contest and was up against then No. 18 Gwynedd Mercy University for half of the game. 

2003-04 proved to be the best season in Old Westbury men's basketball history. Highlights of the 19-9 campaign included games against Division II New York Institute of Technology and Division I Yale University, and a streak of eight-straight wins against Skyline Conference opponents between Jan. 17 and Feb. 11. Garnering the No. 1 seed in the Skyline Conference playoffs after a 12-2 finish in league play, Old Westbury beat Yeshiva University (60-42) and Farmingdale State (73-66) in the playoffs to earn a matchup with No. 2 seeded Mount Saint Mary in the championship game.  Mount Saint Mary and the Panthers had met two weeks earlier in a regular season contest where Mount Saint Mary topped the Panthers 72-64. The re-match, however, would have a different outcome, as Old Westbury edged out the Knights, 68-66, clinching the Skyline Conference Championship and a berth in the 2004 NCAA Division III tournament.  Old Westbury dropped its first round contest against perennial power Catholic University, but Tomlin's accomplishments had already entered the record books. Following the season he was once again honored by his peers, as he was named the Skyline Conference Coach of the Year for the second-straight season. 

In 2002-03, Old Westbury continued to improve, finishing the season with a 16-12 overall record. With an 11-3 mark in the league, the Panthers earned the fourth seed in the 2002-03 Skyline tournament, and gained further notoriety, receiving an ECAC NY/NJ Metro Region postseason tournament bid. Tomlin's accomplishments that season earned him the 2003 Skyline Conference Coach of the Year award. 

Prior to Tomlin's arrival, Old Westbury finished the 2000-01 season with a 7-18 record, good for last place in the nine-team Skyline Conference. In 2001-02, his first season at Old Westbury, Tomlin's team showed a dramatic turnaround, finishing 14-11 overall, and climbed to fifth place in the conference. 

Tomlin's coaching career began in 1986 when he guided William Patterson to a 20-9 record in his rookie season as a head coach. He also served a brief stint at Adelphi, before taking over the helm at Stony Brook University. In eight seasons with Stony Brook, Tomlin accumulated 100 wins. For his career, Tomlin boasts a 334-284 overall record in 23 seasons as a head coach. 

Tomlin played collegiate basketball at Hofstra University, where he holds the record for field goals made in single game (20) and was the season scoring leader (11.8 PPG) and free throw leader (52-61 .852) in 1974-75. Tomlin played high school ball and holds the single game scoring record at Malverne High School (45 points).