Michael Donnelly has been named head men's basketball coach at Southern Connecticut State University.
Michael Donnelly Named Head Men's Basketball Coach At Southern Connecticut State University
5/7/2010 1:32:54 PM
NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Southern Connecticut State University has announced that Michael Donnelly has been named head men’s basketball coach. The announcement was made by Director of Athletics Patricia D. Nicol. A Connecticut native, Donnelly joins the Owls with nearly a decade of collegiate coaching experience. He spent the last seven years as head men’s basketball coach at nearby Post University.
“Michael has established an outstanding track record for developing student-athletes for excellence in the classroom, in the community and on the basketball court,” Nicol said. “After conducting a thorough national search for the position, it was clearly evident that Michael was the best candidate for our vacancy. His knowledge of the Connecticut landscape, the Division II platform and the sport of basketball, combined with his tremendous leadership abilities, make him the perfect choice to lead our program.
“I have the utmost confidence that Michael will return our program to national prominence while molding young men into outstanding ambassadors for Southern Connecticut State University.”
"I am very excited and grateful for this wonderful opportunity,” Donnelly said. “The last seven years at Post University have been very special, but I know that I am ready to lead the men's basketball program at Southern Connecticut State University. I would like to thank the athletic administration for their tremendous support throughout the interview process and for believing in my coaching philosophy and vision for a new era of Southern Connecticut basketball.
“I am committed to building a program that will proudly represent the University and the entire Southern Connecticut community both on and off the court. Our standards and expectations will undoubtedly be high, and we will begin the necessary steps to succeed immediately".
Donnelly guided the Eagles to six Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Tournament and three Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference post-season appearances during his tenure at Post. The school’s all-time leader in wins (98), Donnelly was named CACC Coach of the Year in 2007. The 2007 squad also posted a 13-0 home mark – tied for tops in the region – while also receiving the program’s first-ever NCAA regional ranking.
His 2003-04 squad finished with 20 wins and reached the CACC Championship game. The Eagles posted a 79-62 league mark under Donnelly’s guidance.
Donnelly also served as the Athletic Academic Coordinator at Post, where he was responsible for academic progress monitoring for all of the Eagles’ student-athletes. He also spent three years as a Contest Management Director.
Prior to taking over as head coach at Post, Donnelly served as the head boys’ basketball coach at Notre Dame of Fairfield (Conn.) and Brookfield (Conn.) High Schools.
He made his foray into collegiate coaching into 1999 at Post, as he served two years as an assistant coach on the staff. During that time, he was involved in all facets of the program and also recruited Post’s first-ever Division II First-Team All-American.
As a student-athlete, Donnelly began his collegiate career at Central Connecticut State University, where he was a starting guard for the Blue Devils from 1993-95. He served as team captain as a sophomore and was also named All-East Coast honorable mention by Eastern Basketball in 1994.
Donnelly transferred to Sacred Heart University following his sophomore season and was a starting guard for head coach Dave Bike for two years. He was selected to the Honor's Court by the National Association of Basketball Coaches for his academic prowess in the classroom.
Donnelly was a four-year member of the boys’ basketball team at St. Joseph's High School in Trumbull for legendary head coach Vito Montelli. He helped St. Joe’s win back-to-back state championships and served as team captain as a senior.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Sacred Heart.