Matt Langel's accomplishments in his 11 seasons as head men's basketball coach at Colgate University seem endless. 

But if you ask him to name one, he's more likely to point to the photos hanging in his office — photos of his student-athletes in celebration, with Langel in the middle of it. 

Those photos show what's most important to him: his players, and their achievements as Raiders.

"The most joy I get, and you could look at these pictures, is when the student-athletes are able to achieve common goals," he said in a recent sit-down in his office. "When I'm able to help them accomplish that — that's what this is about. Their experience, their journey, and making it as good as possible.

"Obviously, winning is much more enjoyable than the alternative. The individual accomplishment is really far down on the ladder for me."

That includes the latest individual accomplishment for Langel — and the biggest of his career — which came Feb. 9, 2022, when he notched his 166th career win during a home game against Lehigh. The milestone made him the program's all-time winningest coach.

Never one to focus on his achievements, Langel still had to take a moment to celebrate because his players would not have it any other way. They showered him with water following the game.

Then came the congratulations from virtually everyone he encountered. The following week, during a home game against Lafayette, Vice President and Director of Athletics Nicki Moore presented Langel with a custom-made basketball that recognized the historic win. 
 

Langel said he's grateful for the accolades and honors. But with his team chasing another league title while playing three games a week for a month, his focus is on his athletes and winning.

"For me, it's not even on the radar as far as things that are important," he said of sitting atop of the wins' column for Colgate men's basketball coaches. "My focus is on this team and this group of guys and helping them play all these games in a short window — and to grow and take advantage of the opportunities in front of us."

But looking back at his career, there are moments that are important to him. And they are the reasons for his success.

"I'm able to work at an institution that has supported me for over a decade in our efforts to build this program, and that's from the president down, including our alumni and student-athletes," he said. "Not everyone has those circumstances to coach under."

He also credits the longevity and commitment of his coaching staff. Assistant Coach Dave Klatsky is in his 11th season while Assistant Coach Mike Jordan has been onboard for nine seasons. Langel has worked with Klatsky and Jordan since the three were players at the University of Pennsylvania. Langel and Jordan were roommates.

The staff also includes two Raiders who played under Langel. Pat Moore '15 is now an assistant coach while Sean O'Brien '18 is the director of basketball operations.

Moore and O'Brien could have pursued other opportunities after they graduated, but they wanted to return to Colgate, Langel said.

"That's a huge part of our success," Langel said of his coaches. 

Moore saw the transformation of the basketball program from the beginning of Langel's career at Colgate. As a first-year student, he played under former coach Emmett Davis for one season before Langel and Klatsky took over.

The Raiders, in Langel's first season, finished 8-22. They were seventh in the conference. The team gradually improved. In Moore's final year as a player, the team was 16-17, which was good for No. 2 in the league.

From that point on, the program continued to evolve. The program achieved its first two 20-win seasons, claimed back-to-back regular season championships, and has made two trips to the NCAA tournament in the last three years.

Before 2019, the team had only made two NCAA tournaments in program history, and they came with an NBA Lottery Draft pick Adonal Foyle '97 on their team.

"To see where the program has come from my playing days to now, it's a testament to Coach Langel, the staff, and the players," Moore said. 

The stability of the coaching staff is also a rare thing in college basketball.

"That doesn't happen often, if at all in college basketball," Moore said. "There is a lot of movement in coaching staffs, head coaches, assistants. To have such stability is really hard to come by. That's definitely a big reason for the success here."

Another significant factor is the talent on the basketball court.

"We've been able to coach guys who come from great families and great backgrounds," Langel said. "Basketball is really important to them. They are talented individually and they have gotten better over the years. To them, the team has remained most important. 

"I take great pride and I'm extremely thankful to have them as part of my life," he said.

Players praised Langel for his character and for being an exemplary teacher of the game.

"He's such a humble guy," said guard Nelly Cummings '22, a native of Midland, Pa. "He doesn't really think about milestones he's accomplishing. But, history is being made right in front of your eyes."

Zach Light '22, a guard and senior captain who hails from New York City, described Langel's milestone as an incredible accomplishment. 

"He's really turned the program around," Light said. "I don't see him as just a basketball coach, but a true mentor when it comes to life and basketball."