Penn squash’s historic season starts with coach Gilly Lane

In just six years with Gilly Lane as head coach, Penn men’s squash has secured its first No. 1 national ranking, posted its first undefeated season, won its first outright Ivy League title since 1969, and now has its eyes on its first College Squash Association championship win.

Lane, who was announced Wednesday as the unanimous choice for Ivy League Coach of the Year, and Penn look to extend a 16-match win streak this weekend at the CSA team championships at the Penn Squash Courts. The CSA individual championships will take place March 4-6.

» READ MORE: Penn fencing teams finish in top half of elite Ivy League men’s and women’s tournaments

The upward trajectory of the program has been led by Lane, a 36-year-old Philadelphia native and a former Penn squash player himself.

While he was a student, Penn topped out at fifth place nationally in 2007, its highest finish at the time. Lane was a four-time All-American and All-Ivy honoree, and was team MVP each year.

“It was a rebuilding kind of phase when I got here, and I loved being a part of that,” Lane said. “There was a lot of blood, sweat, and tears that went into it, and a real blue-collar mentality, and a lot of guys in my class that really had something to prove. It was fun, and we all gelled, and it was great.”

After graduating in 2007, Lane moved to Amsterdam and entered the professional squash circuit. While there, he won three Professional Squash Association titles and reached eight PSA Tour finals. Lane also represented the U.S. at multiple events, helping the national team to a gold medal at the 2008 Pan American Games and a seventh-place finish at the 2011 World Championships.

“I think this place teaches you how to work really hard, and really go after what you want. And when you’re surrounded by the best and the brightest in the world, it pushes you to be better,” Lane said. “I had to be tough going on the Tour on my own. I had to be willing to do the hard work when no one was watching, put in the long hours for very little money. … But I think my work ethic and what I was taught [at Penn] just kind of toughened me up, and I had parents that were supportive.”

Lane didn’t forget his Penn roots even when he was across the ocean.

“My vivid memories are every time I would get into the office … I would turn my computer on, and there’d be a Skype call, a missed call from Gilly, and he’d be in Amsterdam, just missing Philadelphia and missing Penn,” said Jack Wyant, director of Penn Squash. “It was just this feeling of connection that we’ve always had.”

» READ MORE: Designer, founding editor, leading scorer: Kayla Padilla extending impact beyond Penn basketball

Wyant joined the Penn program as a coach when Lane was a sophomore. In addition to his duties as director, Wyant is the head coach for the women’s team.

As a player, Lane peaked at a No. 48 world ranking in 2010, which at the time was the second-best ranking ever for an American in the softball era of squash.

Now he coaches a Penn team with the talent to potentially top that — and every member was handpicked by Lane himself.

“Yash [Bhargava] is going to be the all-time wins leader. James [Flynn] is one of the most talented kids I’ve ever coached,” Lane said. “And then when you look at Aly [Abou Eleinen] and Andrew [Douglas], in my mind, they’re going to go down as the two best players that have ever played here”.

Veteran players Bhargava and Douglas, both graduate students who returned to play for Penn with their extra year of eligibility, were part of Lane’s first recruiting class after he took the reins of the team in 2016.

“I came to Penn because of Gilly,” Douglas said. “He recruited me and I came because I trusted him. I thought that not only would he give me the best chance of enjoying my time in college and doing well, but also the best chance to build a program where we win. I was one of his first classes, and I expected him to attract good people, and that’s exactly what he did.”

Penn’s roster is much more geographically diverse than the team Lane played for. While only one of Lane’s college teammates was from abroad, the current crop of Quakers hails from the U.S., Canada, Egypt, England, India, and Malaysia. And the assistant coach, Stuart Crawford, is from New Zealand.

» READ MORE: Penn swimmer Lia Thomas’ success has prompted national debate about trans athletes. Here’s what to know.

The Quaker coaches use their connections from their professional squash careers to locate talent, and find many of their players at top junior tournaments across the world. When evaluating a player, fit with team culture is just as important as skill.

“We want to build something that’s everlasting. Something that year to year, kids know that they’re going to come in, they’re going to be taken care of, they’re going to be looked after,” Lane said. “Kids that come from all around the world, and know that they have a family here, that they’re not alone.

“And that they’re truly cared about. And that’s something that’s incredibly important to me. Because when we have kids making a choice to come play for us, and they’re flying halfway across the world, it’s our responsibility to take care of them.”

As one way to help bring the team closer, Lane opens the doors to his own home.

“On Thanksgiving, for us international students, we don’t go back home,” said Saksham Choudhary, a junior from Delhi, India. “So [Lane] takes that extra step and invites everyone to his house. We have spent now two or three times with his family and friends. So just for him to take that additional step, it means a lot to us.”

Lane’s past as a Penn player helps him relate to his team, but his experience on the PSA Tour also shows them what is possible after their collegiate careers end.

“We went my freshman year on a training trip to Amsterdam, and spent some time with his old coach, and he showed us around his favorite spots,” Flynn said. “I think that definitely is an inspiration for us. I think a lot of people on the team are at least thinking about [going professional].”