Bryn Athyn College

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The All-Time Winningest Coach in Bryn Athyn women’s basketball history, Travis Ponton concluded his sixth season as the head coach of the Bryn Athyn College women’s basketball team in 2024-25. With the announcement on March 26, 2025 that NCAA DIII athletics will be discontinued at Bryn Athyn moving forward, this marked the end of an historic tenure that has been marked by continued growth and historic new heights while navigating the COVID-19 pandemic and rebuilding the program from the onset of his time in Huntingdon Valley.

Ponton, the second women's basketball head coach in program history, came to Bryn Athyn just days before the start of the 2019-20 basketball season with a wealth of experience coaching at the high school, NCAA Division I, and NAIA levels. In addition to his head coaching duties, Ponton is Bryn Athyn’s Assistant Athletic Director for compliance, as well as the department’s co-chair of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee.
The 2024-25 season concluded with a 21-7 overall record, marking the most single-season wins in program history. The Lions finished tied for 3^rd in the United East Conference (UEC) with a 12-4 mark, going on to win in both the 1^st and 2^nd rounds of the conference tournament before falling in the conference semifinal. Defensively, the Lions were once again among the best in the NCAA, ranking 4^th in NCAA DIII (1^st in UEC) in scoring defense and 3^rd in DIII in field goal percentage defense. Offensively, the Lions also raised the bar, ranking 5^th in NCAA DIII (1^st in UEC) in offensive rebounding, 25^th in DIII (1^st in UEC) in scoring margin, and 25^th in DIII (2^nd in UEC) in turnover margin. Senior Zhymani Smith was named a 1^st Team All-UEC performer, joined by fellow senior Alayna Day who also garnered her second straight year on the All-UEC list with 3^rd Team honors. Day also became the 3^rd player in program history to score her 1000^th point. Keeping with tradition, Ponton’s Lions once again shattered their own previous record for turnovers forced in a season, eclipsing the 600 mark for the first time ever and forcing 633 total.
 

Once again in 2023-24, the Lions reached new levels of success and achieved several new program, school, and NCAA milestones. In their first year as a member of the newly merged United East Conference (UEC), Ponton’s Lions finished 3^rd in the UEC Skye Division, qualifying for the program’s record third straight postseason appearance in a run all the way to the Semi-Final round. The February 17, 2024 UEC Tournament victory over Cedar Crest College in Asplundh Field House was the first postseason basketball victory in Bryn Athyn College history. The Lions finished 17-8 overall, 13-5 in UEC play. More history for the team came in the form of the program’s first ever NCAA Statistical Championship, as the Lions held opponents to 19.7% shooting beyond the arc, leading not only NCAA DIII Women’s Basketball, but all of the NCAA levels for both men’s and women’s basketball. The Lions ranked in the top 50 in many other NCAA DIII Women’s Basketball categories- field goal % defense (10^th), offensive rebounding (20^th), overall rebounding (27^th), turnovers forced (31^st), points allowed (43^rd), and steals (46^th). Individually, Zhymani Smith became only the second player in program history to garner 1^st Team All-Conference honors, and Alayna Day became the first player for the program to earn a nod on the 2^nd Team. Smith became the first player in program history to attain a triple-double in a January 23, 2024 victory scoring 23 points, dropping 12 assists, and pulling down 11 rebounds. 12 assists also set the new mark for single player assists in one game for the program. The whole team would combine for a new program record 25 assists just four days later on January 27, 2024 in a victory over Valley Forge. Another big milestone was achieved when, at the end of the season, the Lions had set the new record for home attendance at 1795. Last but not least, as they have done each year of Ponton’s tenure, the Lions once again set the single season record for turnovers forced with 547.

The Lions continued to make history in 2022-23, making back-to-back Colonial States Athletic Conference Tournaments for the first time ever. In only his third full season at the helm, Ponton guided the team to it’s first winning record in 6 years, finishing 13-11 overall and 11-6 in conference play. Buoyed once again by their trademark defensive play, Bryn Athyn ranked highly not only in the CSAC, but in all of NCAA DIII, allowing a program record low of 56.0 points per game. Their 33.9% opponent field goal percentage led the CSAC and came in 50th place in all of DIII, and the 13.08 steals per game clocked in at 22nd in the country. Forcing 22.5 steals each time out had the Lions at 36th nationally, which matched their rank for turnover margin in NCAA DIII exactly. In each of Ponton’s first three full seasons, the Lions have not only won more games, but forced over 500 turnovers in each year. On the offensive end, Bryn Athyn made 160 three point field goals for the season, a new program record. Senior Kearah Henry was named to the All-CSAC honorable mention team, leading the team in scoring at 11.7 points per contest, while also being among the league leaders in assists and steals.

The 2021-22 season once again saw continued progress and program history. The Lions achieved their highest ever CSAC finish, going 8-10 in conference and qualifying for their first ever appearance in the CSAC Tournament as the 5th seed. For the first time in Bryn Athyn Women’s Basketball history, the Lions opened their season with consecutive wins. Even playing a COVID-adjusted schedule, the program’s 9 overall wins were its most since the 2016-17 season, including a four game win streak that was the longest such streak in that time span. The team made further history by playing its first ever exhibition contest against NCAA Division I opponent the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore on November 16, 2021. Junior Terrae Lewis represented the Lions with the end of the season awards, gaining All-CSAC honorable mention recognition.

In 2020-21, the CSAC suspended all conference competition and championships for winter sports due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Eventually, the NCAA followed suit, cancelling the NCAA DIII National Tournament due to the lack of participating conferences and institutions. Bryn Athyn was able to participate in a shortened exhibition season under Ponton’s leadership. WHoopdirt.com and Pivot Analysis named Ponton the NCAA Division III National Coach of the Week on March 16, 2021 following a big weekend road sweep of Wesley College, Bryn Athyn’s first back-to-back double-digit wins since the 2016-17 season.

Taking over just days before practice opened in October 2019, Ponton’s debut season with the Lions posted a 6-19 overall record—a three-win improvement doubling the win total from the 2018-19 season— including a 5-13 mark against the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC). Bryn Athyn finished the season 16th in Division III with 17.6 offensive rebounds per game and 42nd with 11.7 steals per game. The 11.7 steals per game are the third-most in program history. Clayshonia Cogmon—an All-CSAC honorable mention selection—finished seventh in Division III with 5.3 offensive rebounds per game and  21st with 3.24 steals per game.

Before coming to Bryn Athyn, Ponton was an assistant women's basketball coach at NCAA Division I Long Island University Brooklyn for the 2018-19 season. At LIU Brooklyn, Ponton helped develop one of the youngest teams in Division I. Freshman Brandy Thomas was selected as the Northeast Conference Rookie of the Year.

Ponton spent the 2017-18 campaign with Loyola University in New Orleans as an assistant coach and the recruiting coordinator. That year, the Wolf Pack went 26-6, won the Southern States Athletic Conference Tournament, and reached the round of 16 in the NAIA Tournament. Zoie Miller and Diamond Jackson were both voted NAIA All-Americans at the end of the season, with Miller also being crowned Southern States Athletic Conference Player of the Year, and Jackson following suit as the Defensive Player of the Year in the league.

For the 2015-16 season, Ponton was an assistant coach for Division I Charleston Southern University in South Carolina. He was in charge of team travel, recruiting, film breakdown, and camp preparations. The Buccaneers had a 14-17 overall record, highlighted by a first-round win in the Big South Tournament. It was the team's first postseason win in four seasons.

Ponton spent the 2014-15 season as an Assistant Coach with Division I Southeastern Louisiana University. As a member of the Lions' staff, Ponton focused on recruiting, travel, scouting and film breakdown, fundraising, academics, and development of the guards. Under his guidance, point guard Elizabeth Styles ranked 12th in Division I with 6.4 assists per game.

He started his journey in college coaching at Mount St. Mary's University in Maryland as the director of women's basketball operations in 2013-14. That season, the Mount experienced a historic season, finishing 19-14 overall as the Northeast Conference runner-up, advancing to the WNIT. The team was led by senior All-Northeast Conference performer Sydney Henderson.

Ponton got his start in coaching while still finishing up his own college coursework, spending five years at the high school level at various schools in Virginia. During that stretch, Ponton found much success coaching girls’ basketball at Colonial Heights High School, Cosby High School, and Radford High School. He also spent four of those years coaching girls’ varsity soccer.

An up-and-comer in the women's basketball coaching world, Ponton was named to the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Thirty Under 30 Award List in 2018. The award recognizes women's basketball coaches under the age of 30 who have exemplified their involvement in community service, mentorship, professional manner, and professional association involvement. He has also twice been a panelist at the WBCA Convention, which is held annually at the NCAA Women's Final Four.

Outside of coaching, Ponton has worked with Blue Star Basketball in Philadelphia as a writer, social media specialist, event manager, and camp coordinator over the years, dating back to 2016. He also worked for over 10 years in the Sports Department of the YMCA of Greater Richmond, and continues to volunteer in the youth sports world today.

Ponton graduated from Radford University in 2009 with a bachelor's degree in media studies and is currently working on a master's in physical education and exercise science at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Travis Ponton's Head Coaching Record