Mike Brennan (basketball)

Last updated

Mike Brennan
Princeton Tigers
Position Assistant coach
League Ivy League
Personal information
Born (1972-05-18) May 18, 1972 (age 53)
Career information
College Princeton
Playing career1996–2000
Coaching career1995–present
Career history
Playing
1996-1997 Bayer Leverkusen
1997-1998 SG Braunschweig
1998-1999 RBC Pepinster
Coaching
1995–1996 Columbia (vol. asst.)
2000–2007 Princeton (assistant)
2007–2009 American (assistant)
2009–2013 Georgetown (assistant)
2013–2023American
2023–2024 Loyola (MD) (assistant)
2024–2025 Cornell (assistant)
2025–presentPrinceton (AHC)
Career highlights
As Head Coach:

Michael Richard Brennan (born May 18, 1972) [1] is an American college basketball coach and former player who is currently the associate head coach at Princeton University, his alma mater. He was previously the head coach of American University, and an assistant coach at several other schools.

Contents

Playing career

Brennan won two Ivy League titles with the Princeton Tigers. He played for the Tigers between 1990 and 1994, averaging 5.0 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. [2] Professionally, he spent time in the German Basketball Bundesliga (at Bayer Leverkusen in 1996–97 and Braunschweig in 1997–98), [3] Belgium (at Pepinster in 1998–99) [4] and Portugal.

Coaching career

Early career

Brennan was a volunteer assistant coach at Columbia University for one year, before returning to Princeton as an assistant coach from 2000 to 2007. After being an assistant coach at Princeton, he became an assistant coach at American University from 2007 to 2009. He then spent the next four years he as an assistant coach for Georgetown University.

American (2013-2023)

Brennan was named the head coach at American in April 2013. [5] In his first season the Eagles were picked picked to finish ninth in the Patriot League in the preseason poll.[ citation needed ] Brennan subsequently led them to a second place regular-season finish in the conference, a Patriot League tournament championship, and a bid to the 2014 NCAA Tournament. He was named 2014 Patriot League Coach of the Year based on this turnaround. [6]

On March 9, 2023, Brennan was fired following a March 5 double overtime loss in the Patriot League tournament semifinals. [7]

Return to assistant coaching

Following his dismissal from American, Brennan served as an assistant coach at Loyola University (MD) and Cornell University before returning to Princeton in 2025 as the team's associate head coach. [8]

Personal life

Brennan, an American citizen, also holds an Irish passport. [4]

Head coaching record

Statistics overview
SeasonTeamOverallConferenceStandingPostseason
American Eagles (Patriot League)(2013–2023)
2013–14 American 20–1313–52nd NCAA Round of 64
2014–15 American 17–168–10T–6th
2015–16 American 12–199–9T–4th
2016–17 American 8–225–13T–9th
2017–18 American 6–243–1510th
2018–19 American 15–159–94th
2019–20 American 16–1412–6T–2nd
2020–21 American 4–64–52nd (South)
2021–22 American 10–225–1310th
2022–23 American 17–157–11T–6th
American:125–166 (.430)74–96 (.435)
Total:125–166 (.430)

      National champion        Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion        Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion      Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

References

  1. "Michael Richard Brennan | EuroLeague Men (1997) | FIBA Europe". www.fibaeurope.com. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  2. "Mike Brennan College Stats". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  3. "TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen 97/98". March 27, 2004. Archived from the original on March 27, 2004. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  4. 1 2 "Breves Sports". Le Soir (in French). Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  5. "Mike Brennan Named Head Men's Basketball Coach". American University. Retrieved June 4, 2013.
  6. "2013–14 Men's Basketball All-Patriot League Team and Major Awards Announced". Patriot League. March 3, 2014. Archived from the original on February 5, 2016. Retrieved March 3, 2014.
  7. "Men's Basketball Coach Mike Brennan Will Not Return to American University".
  8. "Mike Brennan '94 Named Ted Athanassiades '61 Associate Head Coach". goprincetontigers.com. May 9, 2025. Retrieved October 26, 2025.