10–6 ([[National Invitation Tournament|NIT]])"},"championships":{"wt":"[[National Invitation Tournament|NIT]] ([[1968 National Invitation Tournament|1968]])"},"awards":{"wt":""},"coaching_records":{"wt":""},"CBBASKHOF_year":{"wt":"2015"}},"i":0}}]}" id="mwBg">.mw-parser-output .infobox-subbox{padding:0;border:none;margin:-3px;width:auto;min-width:100%;font-size:100%;clear:none;float:none;background-color:transparent}.mw-parser-output .infobox-3cols-child{margin:auto}.mw-parser-output .infobox .navbar{font-size:100%}@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data:not(.notheme)>div:not(.notheme)[style]{background:#1f1f23!important;color:#f8f9fa}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data:not(.notheme) div:not(.notheme){background:#1f1f23!important;color:#f8f9fa}}@media(min-width:640px){body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table{display:table!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table>caption{display:table-caption!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table>tbody{display:table-row-group}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table tr{display:table-row!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table th,body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table td{padding-left:inherit;padding-right:inherit}}
Biographical details | |
---|---|
Born | Toledo, Ohio, U.S. | January 21, 1932
Died | April 12, 2024 92) Dayton, Ohio, U.S. | (aged
Playing career | |
1951–1954 | Dayton |
Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
1963–1964 | Dayton (assistant) |
1964–1989 | Dayton |
1989–1990 | Indiana (assistant) |
Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
1976–1980 | Dayton |
Head coaching record | |
Overall | 437–275 |
Tournaments | 11–10 (NCAA University Division / Division I) 10–6 (NIT) |
Accomplishments and honors | |
Championships | |
NIT (1968) | |
College Basketball Hall of Fame Inducted in 2015 |
Donald Donoher (January 21, 1932 – April 12, 2024) was an American college basketball coach and athletics administrator. He served as the head men's basketball coach at the University of Dayton from 1964 to 1989, compiling a record of 437–275. His Dayton Flyers were champions of the 1968 National Invitation Tournament and runners-up at the 1967 NCAA University Division basketball tournament. Donoher was also the athletic director at Dayton from 1976 to 1980.
Donoher began his career as a basketball player at Central Catholic High School in Toledo, Ohio from 1947 to 1950.[ citation needed ] He played three years of varsity basketball for coach Tom Blackburn at the University of Dayton, scoring 578 career points in 72 games. Following graduation from Dayton in 1954, Donoher served a two-year enlistment in the United States Army.[ citation needed ] Returning to Dayton after the end of his service, Donoher accepted a part-time basketball scout position offered by Blackburn. In February 1963, Blackburn made Donoher the university's first full-time assistant coach.[ citation needed ]
Blackburn had been suffering from cancer for most of the 1963–64 season.[ citation needed ] When the disease's effects became too debilitating for him to continue, Donoher took over as interim coach for the last three games of the season. In March 1964, Blackburn died from cancer, and Donoher was formally named his successor. However, Dayton credits the entire 1963–64 season to Blackburn.[ citation needed ]
Donoher enjoyed immediate success as a head coach, going 22–7 in his inaugural season and guiding the Flyers to a berth in the NCAA tournament, reaching the Sweet Sixteen.[ citation needed ] Two years later, Donoher's Flyers defeated Western Kentucky University, the University of Tennessee, Virginia Tech, and the University of North Carolina en route to a national runner-up finish in the NCAA tournament.[ citation needed ] During his tenure at Dayton, Donoher guided the Flyers to the NCAA tournament eight times, reaching the Sweet Sixteen five times, the Elite Eight twice, and the national final once. Additionally, Dayton played in seven NIT post-season competitions under Donoher, winning the championship in 1968. [1] Donoher is Dayton's all-time winningest coach with a 437–275 record (.614), including a 20–16 post season record (.556). [2] Donoher-coached teams were noted for their discipline, tenacity, and sound fundamentals, frequently besting teams with greater athleticism. Donoher served as an assistant to head coach Bobby Knight on the gold medal-winning U.S. men's basketball team at the 1984 Summer Olympic Games. [3]
Donoher was inducted into the Toledo Area High School Hall of Fame, the Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame, and the University of Dayton Hall of Fame. [4] On November 20, 2015, Donoher was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame alongside fellow Final Four coach Lou Henson. [5] In 2017, Donoher received the prestigious Dean Smith Award from the U.S. Basketball Writers Association for embodying the spirit and values of the Hall of Fame North Carolina coach. [6]
In 1998, the University of Dayton named the new state of the art addition to the University of Dayton Arena after Donoher. [7]
Donoher continued to reside in Dayton, Ohio, returning to basketball as an assistant coach at Bishop Fenwick High School in Middletown, Ohio, [8] where grandchildren Kevin and Shannon attended. Donoher was a celebrated guest at the March 7, 2020, first-ever College GameDay broadcast from the University of Dayton. [9]
Donoher's wife of 66 years, Sonia Donoher, died on November 17, 2020. [10] On April 12, 2024, Don Donoher died at the age of 92. [8] Before his death, he was the oldest living basketball coach to have coached a Final Four team. [11]
Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dayton Flyers (NCAA University Division / Division I independent)(1964–1988) | |||||||||
1964–65 | Dayton | 22–7 | NCAA University Division Regional Third Place | ||||||
1965–66 | Dayton | 23–6 | NCAA University Division Regional Fourth Place | ||||||
1966–67 | Dayton | 25–6 | NCAA University Division Runner-up | ||||||
1967–68 | Dayton | 21–9 | NIT Champion | ||||||
1968–69 | Dayton | 20–7 | NCAA University Division First Round | ||||||
1969–70 | Dayton | 19–8 | NCAA University Division First Round | ||||||
1970–71 | Dayton | 18–9 | NIT First Round | ||||||
1971–72 | Dayton | 13–13 | |||||||
1972–73 | Dayton | 13–13 | |||||||
1973–74 | Dayton | 20–9 | NCAA Division I Regional Fourth Place | ||||||
1974–75 | Dayton | 10–16 | |||||||
1975–76 | Dayton | 14–13 | |||||||
1976–77 | Dayton | 16–11 | |||||||
1977–78 | Dayton | 19–10 | NIT Quarterfinal | ||||||
1978–79 | Dayton | 19–10 | NIT Second Round | ||||||
1979–80 | Dayton | 13–14 | |||||||
1980–81 | Dayton | 18–11 | NIT Second Round | ||||||
1981–82 | Dayton | 21–9 | NIT Quarterfinal | ||||||
1982–83 | Dayton | 18–10 | |||||||
1983–84 | Dayton | 21–11 | NCAA Division I Elite Eight | ||||||
1984–85 | Dayton | 19–10 | NCAA Division I First Round | ||||||
1985–86 | Dayton | 17–13 | NIT First Round | ||||||
1986–87 | Dayton | 13–15 | |||||||
1987–88 | Dayton | 13–18 | |||||||
Dayton Flyers (Midwestern Collegiate Conference)(1988–1989) | |||||||||
1988–89 | Dayton | 12–17 | 6–6 | 4th | |||||
Dayton: | 437–275 | 6–6 | |||||||
Total: | 437–275 | ||||||||
National champion Postseason invitational champion |
University of Dayton Arena is a 13,409-seat multi-purpose arena located in Dayton, Ohio. The arena opened in 1969. It is home to the University of Dayton Flyers basketball teams. From 2001 to 2010, the facility hosted the annual "play-in" game in the NCAA men's basketball tournament which featured the teams rated 64th and 65th in the tournament field. Beginning in 2011, when the tournament expanded to four opening-round games, the arena continued to host all "first four" games. Overall, the arena has hosted more men's NCAA Division I basketball tournament games than any other venue.
Leonard Thomas Blackburn was an American basketball coach. The Peebles, Ohio native served as head men's basketball coach at the University of Dayton in Dayton, Ohio, from 1947 until his death in 1964. He led the Dayton Flyers to a championship at the 1962 National Invitation Tournament.
Oliver Gordon Purnell Jr. is an American former college basketball coach. He served as the head men's basketball coach at Radford University from 1988 to 1991, Old Dominion University from 1991 to 1994, the University of Dayton from 1994 to 2003, Clemson University from 2003 to 2010, and DePaul University from 2010 to 2015, compiling a career record of 448–386.
Roosevelt "Velvet" Chapman is an American former college basketball player who, while attending the University of Dayton from 1980 to 1984, became the university's all-time leading scorer with 2,233 points. Through the 2023–24 season, it is a record that still remains unchallenged. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Chapman played basketball at Westinghouse High School.
Dan Hipsher is the associate head coach for the Loyola Ramblers men's basketball team. He was previously the head coach at Wittenberg University, Stetson University, the University of Akron and Texas–Rio Grande Valley.
The Dayton Flyers men's basketball team is a college basketball program that competes in NCAA Division I and the Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10) representing the University of Dayton in Ohio. The Flyers play their home games at University of Dayton Arena. The Flyers are coached by Anthony Grant who is in his seventh season. In March 2020, Dayton was ranked #3 in the AP Top 25 Poll, its highest ranking since the 1955–56 season when it was ranked #2. The Flyers have never been ranked #1, but Dayton did receive a lone first place vote in the final AP poll of the 2019–2020 season. When the 2020 seasons was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Flyers did not get to participate in the 2020 NCAA Tournament, despite being projected as a #1 seed by several outlets.
Henry J. Finkel is an American basketball player whose professional career lasted from 1966 to 1975. Selected by the Los Angeles Lakers in second round of the 1966 NBA draft he remained with the team through 1966–67, then played with the San Diego Rockets from 1967 to 1969 and spent the remaining years with the Boston Celtics, when, during his next to last season, the Celtics won the 1974 NBA Championship.
Donald John May is an American former professional basketball player who played college basketball at Dayton and was twice chosen as consensus second-team All-American (1967–1968). His professional career lasted from 1968 to 1975, and he played for the NBA champion New York Knicks in 1970.
The Xavier Musketeers men's basketball team represents Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. The school's team currently competes in the Big East Conference, and are coached by Sean Miller. Xavier has appeared in the NCAA tournament 29 times, 16 times in the 18 tournaments between 2001 and 2018. On March 11, 2018, Xavier earned its first ever No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Xavier is also a two-time winner of the NIT, with their most recent championship coming in 2022.
Christopher R. Harris was a British sports broadcaster and professional basketball player. A 6'3" shooting guard, he was the first player from the United Kingdom to compete in the American National Basketball Association (NBA), as well as the first undrafted foreign-born player to play in the league's history.
The Dayton Flyers are the intercollegiate athletic teams of the University of Dayton of Dayton, Ohio. All Flyers intercollegiate sports teams participate at the NCAA Division I level. The football team competes in the Division I FCS non-scholarship Pioneer Football League, and women's golf plays in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, while all other sports compete in the non-football Atlantic 10 Conference.
Ryan Joseph "Archie" Miller is an American men's college basketball coach for the Rhode Island Rams.
Donald Smith was an American professional basketball player.
James Joseph "Big Jim" McCafferty was an American basketball coach for the Loyola Wolf Pack and Xavier Musketeers.
Debbie Antonelli is a college basketball analyst who works for ESPN, Big Ten Network, CBS, FOX, and Westwood One. She also does WNBA games for ESPN and NBATV, and has been the main play-by-play voice of the Indiana Fever; since its inception, in 2000.
The 2019–20 Dayton Flyers men's basketball team represented the University of Dayton during the 2019–20 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Flyers were led by third-year head coach Anthony Grant and played their home games at the University of Dayton Arena as members of the Atlantic 10 Conference.
The 2020–21 Dayton Flyers men's basketball team represented the University of Dayton in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Their head coach was Anthony Grant, in his fourth season with the Flyers. The Flyers played their home games at UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio as members of the Atlantic 10 Conference. They finished the season 14-10, 9-7 to finish in 7th place. They defeated Rhode Island in the second round in the A10 Tournament before losing to VCU in the quarterfinals. They were invited to the NIT where they lost in the first round to Memphis.
The 1983–84 Dayton Flyers men's basketball team represented the University of Dayton during the 1983–84 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Flyers, led by head coach Don Donoher, played their home games at the University of Dayton Arena and were an NCAA independent. Dayton received a bid to the NCAA tournament as No. 10 seed in the West region where they made an unexpected run to the Elite Eight. They defeated No. 7 seed LSU 74–66 in the opening round, upset No. 2 seed Oklahoma 89–85 in the second round, and advanced over No. 6 Washington to reach the West regional final. They lost to eventual National champion Georgetown, 61–49, and finished the season 21–11.
The 1966–67 Dayton Flyers men's basketball team represented the University of Dayton during the 1966–67 NCAA University Division men's basketball season. The Flyers, led by head coach Don Donoher, played their home games at the University of Dayton Fieldhouse and were an NCAA independent. Dayton received a bid to the NCAA tournament as a participant in the Mideast region where they made a run to the national championship game. The Flyers upset No. 6 Western Kentucky 69–67 in overtime in the opening round, No. 8 seed Tennessee 53–52 in the regional semifinal, and advanced to the school's only Final Four with a victory over Virginia Tech, 71–66 in overtime. They beat No. 4 North Carolina in the national semifinal, 76–62, before falling to unbeaten No. 1 UCLA and sophomore phenom Lew Alcindor, 79–64. Dayton finished the season 25–6.
The 1984–85 Dayton Flyers men's basketball team represented the University of Dayton during the 1984–85 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Flyers, led by head coach Don Donoher, played their home games at the University of Dayton Arena and were an NCAA independent. Dayton received a bid to the NCAA tournament as No. 9 seed in the Southeast region. They were defeated by No. 8 seed Villanova, 51–49, in the opening round. and finished the season 19–10. Villanova would go on to complete one of the most famous Cinderella runs in tournament history as they won the National championship. To this date, Villanova remains the lowest-seeded team to win the NCAA Tournament. For the second straight season, Dayton was knocked out of the NCAA Tournament by the eventual National champion.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)