SALT LAKE CITY — Westminster University men's basketball has announced the addition of Assistant Men's Basketball Coach Sanjin Kolovrat, Assistant Men's Basketball Coach David Pavlakovich and Assistant Men's Basketball Coach Jay Slone to head coach Casey Stanley's staff ahead of the 2026-27 season.
"I couldn't be more excited about the staff we've assembled. Every coach we're bringing in is someone who shares our vision, values, and passion for developing young men on and off the court. Their experience, character, and commitment to excellence make this an incredibly special group. Together, we're laying the foundation for a program that will compete at a high level, represent Westminster University with pride, and build something that will last for years to come. I can't wait to get to work with this staff and our student-athletes as we begin this journey together."
— Casey Stanley, Head Coach Men's Basketball, Westminster University
Sanjin Kolovrat
Kolovrat joins the Westminster staff as Assistant Men's Basketball Coach, where his responsibilities will include recruiting, player development, scouting and program growth.
Before arriving at Westminster, Kolovrat spent six seasons as head coach at Judge Memorial Catholic High School, guiding the Bulldogs to the 2024 Utah 3A State Championship and building one of the state's top programs. Prior to Judge Memorial, he launched his Utah head coaching career in 2018 at Hillcrest High School in Midvale. Across both stops, Kolovrat built a reputation for player development, culture-building and helping numerous student-athletes advance to the collegiate level.
Outside of coaching, Kolovrat brings more than a decade of experience in education technology and software sales, adding a distinct perspective on leadership, communication and organizational development.
David Pavlakovich
Pavlakovich arrives at Westminster after building a coaching career across three countries, including multiple championship and finals appearances overseas.
Most recently, Pavlakovich served as head coach of Team FOG in Denmark's Basketligaen since 2024, leading the club to a regular-season championship, a league finals appearance, a cup finals appearance and the first finals victory in club history. During his tenure, Team FOG produced back-to-back league Players of the Year and fielded an offense that ranked among the top ten in Europe.
Before taking over in Denmark, Pavlakovich worked as an assistant coach at multiple professional levels, beginning with the Salt Lake City Stars — the G League affiliate of the Utah Jazz — in 2020-21. His career then went international, with assistant coaching stops at BKM Lučenec in Slovakia's SBL (2021-22), MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg in Germany's BBL (2022-23) and the New Zealand Breakers in Australia's NBL (2023-24). He won a cup title and reached the finals with BKM Lučenec, where he also coached a league Player of the Year, and reached the semifinals with both the New Zealand Breakers and MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg, adding a cup semifinal appearance with Riesen.
Pavlakovich began his coaching career in 2017 as video coordinator at Weber State, moving to the same role at Boise State for the 2018-19 season and then to Saint Louis for 2019-20. He holds a bachelor's degree in Finance from the University of Colorado and a master's degree in Athletic Leadership from Clemson University.
Jay Slone
Slone joins the Westminster staff with experience at the Division I, national prep and AAU levels.
Prior to Westminster, Slone served as National Prep Head Coach at SPIRE Academy in Geneva, Ohio, compiling a 57-12 record over two seasons with two National Prep Championship appearances. He was named 2024-25 Ohio Prep Conference Coach of the Year after winning the conference title, and led SPIRE to the 2025-26 Elite Prep League Co-Championship and an Elite 8 finish at the National Prep Championship. Over his two seasons, Slone helped more than 20 student-athletes advance to the collegiate level, including 10 Division I signees.
Before SPIRE, Slone led Mount Pisgah Christian School (Alpharetta, Ga.) to a Final Four appearance and spent two seasons as associate head coach at The Skill Factory in Atlanta, an ESPN HS Top 25 program that sent 13 players to Division I. He began his collegiate coaching career as a graduate assistant at Northern Kentucky (2019-21), helping the Norse win the 2019-20 Horizon League Tournament Championship, and has spent nine years coaching on the AAU circuit, most recently as Program Director and 17U head coach for Outside the Perimeter (OTP).
A native of Ohio, Slone played five seasons at Ashland University, serving as a two-year team captain and helping the Eagles reach two NCAA Tournament appearances.
