List of Le Moyne Dolphins men's basketball head coaches

Last updated

The Le Moyne Dolphins men's basketball team plays at the Division I level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the Northeast Conference (NEC). The Dolphins originally did not play within any athletic conference.

In 1950, Le Moyne became a charter member of the Eastern Catholic Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. [1] After only one season, the ECIAC ceased publicizing itself as a conference and became an association of its member schools with no champion crowned, leaving Le Moyne an independent again for 1951–52. [2]

In 1955, Le Moyne became a charter member of the new Middle Eastern College Athletic Association (MECAA). [3] The MECAA included teams that were also members of other conferences, a practice not uncommon at the time. When the NCAA split its members into the College Division and University Division in 1956, the MECAA included four teams (St. Francis Brooklyn, Iona, St. Bonaventure and Siena) that were placed into the University Division, while Le Moyne and Saint Peter's were placed into the College Division. St. Francis was also a member of the Metropolitan New York Conference, and St. Bonaventure was also a member of the Western New York Little Three Conference. Nevertheless, all six schools initially continued their affiliation with the MECAA, after the split. Le Moyne remained a member of the MECAA, until it was dissolved following the 1975–76 season. The MECAA awarded its championship based on regular-season winning percentage and did not conduct a post-season tournament. The Dolphins took the title six times during their 21 seasons of membership, the most championships of any member. Since conference membership crossed NCAA divisions, the MECAA champion was not awarded an automatic bid to any NCAA tournament. In December 1960, the MECAA conducted an in-season Christmas tournament that included five of its six teams as well as three non-members. Le Moyne defeated Saint Peter's, Iona and Long Island to win the tournament title.

Le Moyne became a Division II institution, when the College Division was split in 1973. Following the dissolution of the MECAA, the Dolphins played as an independent until joining the Mideast Collegiate Conference (MECC) in 1983, and remained a member of that conference, until it dissolved in 1991. After playing the 1991–92 season as an independent, Le Moyne joined the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) in 1992. In 1996, the Dolphins joined the Northeast-10 Conference (NE10), where they remained until beginning reclassification to Division I as a member of the NEC in 2023. The Dolphins play their home games on Ted Grant Court in the Le Moyne Events Center.

There have been nine head coaches in the history of Le Moyne basketball. The program has played 1,886 games across 74 seasons from the program's inaugural 1948–49 campaign through the end of the 2022–23 season. [4]

Tommy Niland had the longest tenure at Le Moyne, coaching for 25 seasons, and is the all-time leader in games coached (536) and wins at the school (326). Niland led the Dolphins to six NCAA tournament appearances, the most of any Le Moyne head coach.

The current head coach is Nate Champion, who played for the Dolphins from 2010 to 2014.

Statistics

Key
#Number of coaches
GCGames coached
OWOverall Wins
OLOverall Losses
O%Overall Winning Percentage
CWConference Wins
CLConference Losses
C%Conference Winning Percentage
RCsRegular Season Conference Champions
CCsConference Tournament Champions
D2sNCAA Division II Tournament Appearances
CCOYsConference Coach of the Year Awards
Statistics are correct as of the conclusion of the 2023–24 college basketball season.
#NameTermGCOWOLO%CWCLC%RCsCCsD2sCCOYs
1Tommy Niland1948–1973536326210.6085939.6027 [lower-alpha 1] 1 [lower-alpha 2] 7 [lower-alpha 3] 5 [lower-alpha 4]
2Tom Cooney1973–19791458263.569510.3330—00
3Mike Lee1979–19831013467.337—————0—
4 John Beilein 1983–199225716394.6344435.5572 [lower-alpha 5] 1 [lower-alpha 6] 1 [lower-alpha 7] 1 [lower-alpha 8]
5 Scott Hicks 1992–19971438756.6085034.59502 [lower-alpha 9] 2 [lower-alpha 10] 0
6 Dave Paulsen 1997–2000814239.5192432.4291 [lower-alpha 11] 000
7Steve Evans2000–2015421210211.499151175.463001 [lower-alpha 12] 0
8 Patrick Beilein 2015–20191187741.6535525.6882 [lower-alpha 13] 1 [lower-alpha 14] 3 [lower-alpha 15] 2 [lower-alpha 16]
9 Nate Champion 2019–present1176156.5214331.5811 [lower-alpha 17] 001 [lower-alpha 18]
Totals1,9191,082837.564431381.531135149
Notes
  1. ↑ 1959, 1960, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1969 and 1973 MECAA championships. Le Moyne finished tied with Iona in 1959, and lost the only head-to-head matchup, 58–54, at Iona on February 14, 1959. Nevertheless, the MECAA recognized both teams as co-champions. [5] Le Moyne finished tied with Saint Peter's in 1969, and won the only head-to-head matchup at home on December 3, 1968. Nevertheless, the MECAA recognized both teams as co-champions. [6]
  2. ↑ 1960 Middle Eastern College Athletic Association Christmas Tournament, which included all but one of the conference teams as well as three non-member guest teams.
  3. ↑ 1959, 1960, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968 and 1969.
  4. ↑ 1959, 1960, 1962, 1964 and 1965 MECAA Coach of the Year. Also named 1960 Catholic Small College Coach of the Year.
  5. ↑ 1984 and 1988 MECC championships; 1988 title was shared with Gannon.
  6. ↑ 1988 MECC tournament
  7. ↑ 1988
  8. ↑ 1988 MECC Coach of the Year
  9. ↑ 1996 NECC and 1997 NE10 tournaments
  10. ↑ 1996 and 1997
  11. ↑ 1998 NE10 championship shared with Assumption and Stonehill.
  12. ↑ 2014
  13. ↑ 2017 and 2018 NE10 Southwest Division championship and best overall conference record' Also won 2019 NE10 Southwest Division championship
  14. ↑ 2018 NE10 tournament
  15. ↑ 2017, 2018 and 2019
  16. ↑ 2017 and 2018 NE10 Coach of the Year
  17. ↑ 2020 NE10 Southwest Division championship and best overall conference record
  18. ↑ 2020 NE10 Coach of the Year

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference</span> U.S. college athletic conference

The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with NCAA Division I. Its current 13 full members are located in five Northeastern states: Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northeast-10 Conference</span> US college athletic conference

The Northeast-10 Conference (NE-10) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level. Member institutions are located in the northeastern United States in the states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont. It is the only Division II collegiate ice hockey conference in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Welsh</span> American basketball coach (born 1960)

Tim Welsh is an American college basketball coach and the former head basketball coach at Providence College. Previously, he served as the head coach at Iona College. He also served briefly as head men's basketball coach at Hofstra University. He now serves as an analyst for ESPN.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Le Moyne Dolphins</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of Le Moyne College

The Le Moyne Dolphins are the athletic teams that represent Le Moyne College, located in DeWitt, New York, in NCAA Division I intercollegiate sporting competitions. The Dolphins compete as members of Northeast Conference. Le Moyne had been a member of the NCAA Division II Northeast-10 Conference since 1996. At the end of the 2022–23 academic year, Le Moyne began the transition to NCAA Division I as a new member of the NEC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iona Gaels</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of Iona College

The Iona Gaels are the athletics teams of Iona University, in New Rochelle, New York. They compete in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) and participate in 21 NCAA Division I programs.

The 1966 NCAA College Division basketball tournament involved 36 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA College Division basketball as a culmination of the 1965–66 NCAA College Division men's basketball season. It was won by Kentucky Wesleyan College, with Kentucky Wesleyan's Sam Smith named Most Outstanding Player.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patrick Beilein</span> American basketball player and coach

Patrick Jonathan Beilein is an American former basketball player and current coach. He is the head coach of the Baldwinsville Bees boys varsity basketball team in Baldwinsville, New York.

The Le Moyne Dolphins men's basketball program is the men's college basketball team of Le Moyne College. The Dolphins compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as a member of the Northeast Conference and are currently coached by Nate Champion. The Dolphins have played their home games on Ted Grant Court at the Le Moyne Events Center in DeWitt, New York since 1962. The Dolphins are currently transitioning to Division I and are ineligible to participate in the NCAA tournament until the 2027–28 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017–18 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference men's basketball season</span> Sports season

The 2017–18 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) men's basketball season began with practices in October 2017, followed by the start of the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season on November 10. Conference play started in January and concluded on March 15, 2018. This was the 37th season of MAAC basketball.

The Le Moyne Dolphins women's basketball program is the women's college basketball team of Le Moyne College. The Dolphins compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the Northeast Conference and are currently coached by Mary Grimes. The Dolphins have played their home games on Ted Grant Court at the Le Moyne Events Center in DeWitt, New York. After years of playing in the Northeast-10 Conference in NCAA Division II, the Dolphins are currently transitioning to Division I and are ineligible to participate in the NCAA tournament until the 2027–28 season.

Tobin Anderson is an American basketball coach who is the current head coach of the Iona Gaels men's basketball team.

The 2023–24 Le Moyne Dolphins women's basketball team represented Le Moyne College during the 2023–24 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Dolphins, led by third-year head coach Mary Grimes, played their home games on Ted Grant Court in the Le Moyne Events Center in DeWitt, New York as first-year members of the Northeast Conference and as an NCAA Division I program.

The history of Le Moyne Dolphins men's basketball from 1948 to 1958 begins with the inception of the men's varsity basketball program at Le Moyne College. Le Moyne had seven winning seasons and only two losing seasons during their first 10 years. They participated in a postseason tournament, the Utica Optimist Club Invitational, in only their second season. The Dolphins won the Utica tournament three times: in 1950, 1951 and 1952. Le Moyne participated in the National Catholic Invitational Tournament twice, finishing third in 1951, and reaching the quarterfinals in 1952. Although the Dolphins were classified as a small college program by the Associated Press until 1956, when the school became an NCAA College Division member, Le Moyne played 74 games against major/University Division programs during their initial 10 years, going 25–49. The Dolphins were led by head coach Tommy Niland, who mentored the team for its first 25 years. Their team captain for the first three seasons, Don Savage went on to play in the NBA.

The history of Le Moyne Dolphins men's basketball from 1958 to 1960 includes the Dolphins' first two appearances in the NCCA tournament. Led by Dick Lynch, Bob Hollembaek and Chuck Sammons, Le Moyne won a share of the 1959 Middle Eastern College Athletic Association (MECAA) championship, the first conference title in program history and earned the first of what would be seven NCAA tournament bids over a span of 11 seasons. Lynch, John Caveny and Bill Stanley led the Dolphins to the outright MECAA championship in 1960, and a second consecutive tournament berth. Head coach Tommy Niland was named MECAA coach of the year for both 1959 and 1960. The Dolphins were 18–6 in 1958–59, reaching the Sweet 16 of the 1959 tournament, and 13–5 in 1959–60, finishing fourth in their region in the 1960 tournament. Lynch was named first-team all-MECAA in both seasons.

The history of Le Moyne Dolphins men's basketball from 1960 to 1963 includes the Dolphins' championship at the 1960 Middle Eastern College Athletic Association (MECAA) Invitational Tournament and the opening of their on-campus home venue, now known as the Le Moyne Events Center. The Dolphins won their third MECAA championship in 1962, when Bill Stanley became the first Le Moyne player to win a conference player of the year award.

The history of Le Moyne Dolphins men's basketball from 1963 to 1966 includes the Dolphins' three consecutive appearances in the NCAA College Division tournament. Led by sophomore Gary DeYulia and senior Tom Cooney, Le Moyne reached the Sweet 16 of the 1964 tournament. Tom Mullen and Dan Frawley provided a strong inside game to complement DeYulia's scoring, and the Dolphins repeated as conference champions but lost in the first round of the 1965 tournament. Head coach Tommy Niland was named conference coach of the year in both 1964 and 1965. As a senior, DeYulia was conference player of the year and teamed with Mullen to lead the Dolphins to a berth in the 1966 tournament, with regional games hosted by Le Moyne for the second straight year. Le Moyne finished third in Section B of the Northeast Region. The Dolphins were 52–17 between the 1963–64 and 1965–66 seasons, including a 7–2 record against University Division opponents.

The history of Le Moyne Dolphins men's basketball from 1966 to 1969 includes two appearances in the NCAA tournament by the Dolphins.

The history of Le Moyne Dolphins men's basketball from 1969 to 1973 includes the final four years of the coaching reign of Tommy Niland, Le Moyne's head coach since the inception of the program in 1948, and the career of Phil Harlow, one of the Dolphins' all-time greatest players.

The 2024–25 Le Moyne Dolphins men's basketball team represents Le Moyne College during the 2024–25 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Dolphins, led by fifth-season head coach Nate Champion, play their home games on Ted Grant Court in the Le Moyne Events Center in DeWitt, New York as second-year members of the Northeast Conference (NEC) and NCAA Division I. This is the 76th season of Le Moyne Dolphins men's basketball.

References

General
Specific
  1. ↑ "Le Moyne is Founder-Member of E.C.I.A.C. As 1950–51 Conference Plans are Charted" (PDF). The Dolphin. September 20, 1950. p. 3. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  2. ↑ Butler, Jack (March 8, 1952). "Scholastic Slants". The Tablet. Brooklyn, New York. p. 18. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  3. ↑ "New Loop". Daily News. New York. June 4, 1955. p. 37. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  4. ↑ "Men's Basketball Year-by-Year Coaches Records". Le Moyne Dolphins. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  5. ↑ "One-Point Win for MECAA Tie". The Tablet. Brooklyn, New York. March 7, 1959. p. 18. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  6. ↑ "St. Peter's Five Wallops Siena". The Troy Record. Troy, New York. March 5, 1969. p. 24. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.