Central Michigan University Athletics
Staff Directory
Lance Roark
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Year at CMU:
- 1st year at CMU
- Hometown:
- Southgate, Mich.
- Alma Mater/Year:
- Cornerstone/1994
Lance Roark is in his first season as an assistant coach on Andy Bronkema’s Central Michigan University staff. Roark, a Detroit, Mich. native, previously coached Bronkema at Cornerstone University. He brings over 26 years of college coaching experience to the staff.
“Lance coached me at Cornerstone and was one of the most influential coaches in my life,” Bronkema said. “He will bring a presence to the team and staff that will unite everyone. Beyond his basketball expertise, he is a connector, communicator, and motivator. We have been talking about coaching together for years, and I’m excited that it is finally working out.”
“Teaching and coaching are things that I’ve been doing for three decades,” Roark said. “There is no better place—in my mind—to implement the things I’ve learned than at Central Michigan University while working for one of the hardest working players I ever worked with in coaching. I’m excited to pour into these young men and work with this great coaching staff, support staff, and administration.”
Roark’s previous head coaching position was at Sparta High School in Sparta, Mich., where he taught English and physical education from 1995-06. Competing in the rugged OK-Blue Conference, Roark’s teams consistently outperformed expectations, sending 10 student-athletes to college athletic programs between 2015 and 2020. He was nominated twice for the BCAM coach of the year award during his tenure. He also served as head women’s soccer coach (2014-15), junior varsity boys and girls soccer coach (2012-16), and assistant baseball coach (1994-96) at various times throughout his teaching career in Sparta. He also coached the boys’ varsity basketball team from 1998-99.
Prior to his last high school gig, Roark coached at Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, Mich., from 1994-2011 (except for his stint as Sparta High School’s varsity coach in 1998-99), and was a part of five NAIA Final Four teams and two NAIA national championship teams in 1999 and 2011. Roark’s duties included recruiting, player development, practice planning, on-court instruction, and mentoring student athletes. He started the school’s inaugural alumni league and the Prayer Sponsor program that is still in place today.
Roark recruited the core of Kim Elders’ first national championship team the year after he finished his playing career, including Mike Long, who earned 1999 NAIA Tournament Player of the Year honors, and capped his time at CU with another national championship team in 2011 with another group he helped recruit, most notably Caleb Simons, who was the NAIA national tournament most outstanding player that season.
The Cornerstone University summer basketball camp programs were also a passion for Roak. He worked at these camps from 1991 to 2012, serving as counselor, coach, dormitory manager, morning huddle coordinator, and eventually co-camp director. Hundreds of college athletes came through Cornerstone’s doors during the heyday of these camps, and this is where Coach Roark first encountered Andy Bronkema.
The junior varsity program at Cornerstone was something Roark resurrected in 1994-95 before he became the full-time lead assistant coach from 1995-1998. Upon accepting a full-time teaching position at Sparta High School in 1995, Roark eventually agreed to take over the varsity boys’ basketball program from Mike Diebod. Roark worked to develop a young Jim Cochran there, who eventually became Grand Rapids’ Area player of the year. Cochran later joined Roark at Cornerstone and spent a decade playing professionally overseas, in places like Belgium and the Middle East after his collegiate career concluded.
Roark attended San Diego Christian College for two years, where he was part of a National Christian College Athletic Association championship team in 1990. San Diego Christian went 33-6 that year and defeated Cedarville (Ohio), 106-97, in the finale in Chattanooga, Tenn. Roark played under Swen Nater before transferring to Cornerstone. Nater led the NBA and ABA in rebounding at different times and was considered a guru of post play, coming from the John Wooden coaching tree.
Once at Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, Roark posted one of the greatest single seasons for a point guard in program history. He averaged 15 points, seven assists, and seven rebounds per game and set the single-season assists record (243) while competing for NAIA Hall of Famer Kim Elders, who was serving his first season as head coach in 1993-94. He played two seasons of basketball at Cornerstone, with his junior year marred by foot and back injuries. Additionally, he played three seasons of baseball for Elders, earning two pitcher of the year honors.
Born in Detroit, Roark was raised in Southgate, where he attended Allen Park Inter-City Baptist High School and Southgate Aquinas High School, graduating from the latter in 1989. During his time at those two high schools, he participated in varsity basketball, baseball, soccer, and cross country; earning all-conference, all-district, and all-area honors in basketball (1988) and baseball (1987 and 1988), respectively. Roark was a part of six district championship teams across those sports between the two schools. His 1987-88 basketball team at Inter-City was ranked as high as No. 5 in Class D, while Aquinas' basketball squad in 1988-89, led by MHSAA coaching legend Ernie Price, was ranked as high as No. 1 in Class B. He also attended "elite" summer camps like Metro-Index and Five-Star, as well as the University of Michigan basketball camp where he competed against future pros like Jalen Rose, Bobby Hurley, Jerry Walker, Allan Houston, and Loy Vaught, among others.
Roark and his wife, Jodi, who played both basketball and softball at Cornerstone University, have two daughters, Alexandra and Avery. Both of his daughters graduated from Central Michigan in 2024: Alexandra teaches English at Lamphere High School (Mich.), and Avery is employed at Harvey Lexus in Grand Rapids.
THE ROARK FILE
Hometown: Southgate, Mich.
Family: wife Jodi, daughters Alexandra and Avery
Education
Bachelor of Arts, English and Physical Education, Cornerstone University, 1994
Master of Arts, Educational Leadership, Grand Valley State University, 2002
Coaching Career
Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach, Central Michigan University, 2026-current
Head Men’s Basketball Coach, Sparta High School, 2015-20
Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach, Cornerstone University, 2000-12
Head Men’s Basketball Coach, Sparta High School, 1998-99
Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach/Junior Varsity Coach, Cornerstone University, 1994-98
Assistant Junior Varsity Men’s Basketball Coach, Cornerstone University, 1992-93
“Lance coached me at Cornerstone and was one of the most influential coaches in my life,” Bronkema said. “He will bring a presence to the team and staff that will unite everyone. Beyond his basketball expertise, he is a connector, communicator, and motivator. We have been talking about coaching together for years, and I’m excited that it is finally working out.”
“Teaching and coaching are things that I’ve been doing for three decades,” Roark said. “There is no better place—in my mind—to implement the things I’ve learned than at Central Michigan University while working for one of the hardest working players I ever worked with in coaching. I’m excited to pour into these young men and work with this great coaching staff, support staff, and administration.”
Roark’s previous head coaching position was at Sparta High School in Sparta, Mich., where he taught English and physical education from 1995-06. Competing in the rugged OK-Blue Conference, Roark’s teams consistently outperformed expectations, sending 10 student-athletes to college athletic programs between 2015 and 2020. He was nominated twice for the BCAM coach of the year award during his tenure. He also served as head women’s soccer coach (2014-15), junior varsity boys and girls soccer coach (2012-16), and assistant baseball coach (1994-96) at various times throughout his teaching career in Sparta. He also coached the boys’ varsity basketball team from 1998-99.
Prior to his last high school gig, Roark coached at Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, Mich., from 1994-2011 (except for his stint as Sparta High School’s varsity coach in 1998-99), and was a part of five NAIA Final Four teams and two NAIA national championship teams in 1999 and 2011. Roark’s duties included recruiting, player development, practice planning, on-court instruction, and mentoring student athletes. He started the school’s inaugural alumni league and the Prayer Sponsor program that is still in place today.
Roark recruited the core of Kim Elders’ first national championship team the year after he finished his playing career, including Mike Long, who earned 1999 NAIA Tournament Player of the Year honors, and capped his time at CU with another national championship team in 2011 with another group he helped recruit, most notably Caleb Simons, who was the NAIA national tournament most outstanding player that season.
The Cornerstone University summer basketball camp programs were also a passion for Roak. He worked at these camps from 1991 to 2012, serving as counselor, coach, dormitory manager, morning huddle coordinator, and eventually co-camp director. Hundreds of college athletes came through Cornerstone’s doors during the heyday of these camps, and this is where Coach Roark first encountered Andy Bronkema.
The junior varsity program at Cornerstone was something Roark resurrected in 1994-95 before he became the full-time lead assistant coach from 1995-1998. Upon accepting a full-time teaching position at Sparta High School in 1995, Roark eventually agreed to take over the varsity boys’ basketball program from Mike Diebod. Roark worked to develop a young Jim Cochran there, who eventually became Grand Rapids’ Area player of the year. Cochran later joined Roark at Cornerstone and spent a decade playing professionally overseas, in places like Belgium and the Middle East after his collegiate career concluded.
Roark attended San Diego Christian College for two years, where he was part of a National Christian College Athletic Association championship team in 1990. San Diego Christian went 33-6 that year and defeated Cedarville (Ohio), 106-97, in the finale in Chattanooga, Tenn. Roark played under Swen Nater before transferring to Cornerstone. Nater led the NBA and ABA in rebounding at different times and was considered a guru of post play, coming from the John Wooden coaching tree.
Once at Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, Roark posted one of the greatest single seasons for a point guard in program history. He averaged 15 points, seven assists, and seven rebounds per game and set the single-season assists record (243) while competing for NAIA Hall of Famer Kim Elders, who was serving his first season as head coach in 1993-94. He played two seasons of basketball at Cornerstone, with his junior year marred by foot and back injuries. Additionally, he played three seasons of baseball for Elders, earning two pitcher of the year honors.
Born in Detroit, Roark was raised in Southgate, where he attended Allen Park Inter-City Baptist High School and Southgate Aquinas High School, graduating from the latter in 1989. During his time at those two high schools, he participated in varsity basketball, baseball, soccer, and cross country; earning all-conference, all-district, and all-area honors in basketball (1988) and baseball (1987 and 1988), respectively. Roark was a part of six district championship teams across those sports between the two schools. His 1987-88 basketball team at Inter-City was ranked as high as No. 5 in Class D, while Aquinas' basketball squad in 1988-89, led by MHSAA coaching legend Ernie Price, was ranked as high as No. 1 in Class B. He also attended "elite" summer camps like Metro-Index and Five-Star, as well as the University of Michigan basketball camp where he competed against future pros like Jalen Rose, Bobby Hurley, Jerry Walker, Allan Houston, and Loy Vaught, among others.
Roark and his wife, Jodi, who played both basketball and softball at Cornerstone University, have two daughters, Alexandra and Avery. Both of his daughters graduated from Central Michigan in 2024: Alexandra teaches English at Lamphere High School (Mich.), and Avery is employed at Harvey Lexus in Grand Rapids.
THE ROARK FILE
Hometown: Southgate, Mich.
Family: wife Jodi, daughters Alexandra and Avery
Education
Bachelor of Arts, English and Physical Education, Cornerstone University, 1994
Master of Arts, Educational Leadership, Grand Valley State University, 2002
Coaching Career
Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach, Central Michigan University, 2026-current
Head Men’s Basketball Coach, Sparta High School, 2015-20
Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach, Cornerstone University, 2000-12
Head Men’s Basketball Coach, Sparta High School, 1998-99
Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach/Junior Varsity Coach, Cornerstone University, 1994-98
Assistant Junior Varsity Men’s Basketball Coach, Cornerstone University, 1992-93
Thursday, July 23
Thursday, July 23
Thursday, July 23
Thursday, July 23
