Daemen College Men's Basketball

MacDonald Head Coach The 2016-17 season will mark Mike MacDonald's third year as the Head Men's Basketball Coach at Daemen College.  MacDonald, who was introduced as the sixth head coach in program history on September 16, 2014, has led Daemen to a 40-20 record over his first two seasons, giving Daemen the second most wins of any East Coast Conference team in that span.  Last season, he led the Wildcats to their first-ever postseason berth at the NCAA Division II level, advancing to the finals of the East Coast Conference Tournament. MacDonald owns 28 years of collegiate coaching experience, including the last 19 as a head coach.  In that time, he's compiled a record of 296-246 (.546 winning percentage) as a head coach, while also graduating 74 of the 76 seniors he has ever coached. The 2014-15 season saw the Wildcat faithful become familiar with MacDonald's fiery style as the veteran mentor guided Daemen to its fourth-straight 20-win season, including a 13-7 mark in the East Coast Conference, good for a third-place finish in the final league standings. The fireworks got started before the season even officially began as MacDonald led the Wildcats to an 83-81 win in overtime over Canisius College in an exhibition game on November 11, 2014 at the Koessler Athletic Center.  It was Daemen's first-ever victory against an NCAA Division I opponent. MacDonald's official Daemen debut came just days later as his Wildcats walloped Concordia College (N.Y.), 88-50, in the opening round of the Knee Center of WNY / ECC-CACC Challenge before a raucous home crowd at Lumsden Gymnasium.  MacDonald would go on to lead the team to wins in his first nine home games, extending the program's NCAA Division II-best home-court winning streak to 44 consecutive before a buzzer-beating three-pointer in overtime by eventual ECC Player of the Year Darian Hooker lifted N.Y. Institute of Technology past Daemen (85-84) to snap the streak. Depsite losing two starters to season-ending injuries, including first-team All-ECC selection Torrence Dyck, MacDonald helped the Wildcats advance to the postseason for the fourth-straight year.  With Daemen's teams still inelligible for ECC and/or NCAA Division II postseason, Daemen elected to partake in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) Division I National Championships in Uniontown, Pa., entering the tournament as the No. 1 overall seed.  While there, MacDonald guided Daemen to wins over No. 8 Indiana-South Bend (69-63), No. 4 Concordia College (Ala.) (68-63) and No. 3 Rochester College (Mich. ) (77-53) to capture the program's first USCAA national title, riding USCAA Division I Player of the Year and National Championships M.V.P. Gerald Beverly to the tourney crown. At the conclusion of the 2014-15 season, MacDonald was named the Basketball Coaches Association of New York (BCANY) Division II Coach of the Year. The 2015-16 season marked Daemen's first as a full-fledged NCAA Division II member, and it presented its share of challenges.  Starting guards Supreme Hannah and Nick Petrucelli were lost to season-ending injuries, but that didn't stop MacDonald from leading the team to new and unprecedented heights.  After opening the season with just three wins in their first eight outings, the Wildcats hit their stride after the calendar turned to January, scoring 15 wins in the final 19 games of the regular season. A 94-81 win over Mercy on January 9 jump-started what turned out to be a nine-game winning streak.  Included in the string was a miraculous 98-96 win over Roberts Wesleyan on January 12.  Dyck's driving layup with four seconds remaining gave Daemen the lead after erasing a 22-point deficit with just over six minutes to play. Daemen's 14-6 league record was good for a second-place finish in the final regular season standings, earning them the No. 2 seed and a bye into the semifinal round of the ECC Tournament.  Taking on sixth-seeded Mercy in the semis, Daemen came through with a 103-102 win in overtime, advancing to the tournament finals.  There, the Wildcats' season came to an end against top-seeded St. Thomas Aquinas. Before arriving at Daemen, MacDonald spent eight years leading the men's basketball team at Medaille College (2006-14) where he transformed the program into a regional contender at the NCAA Division III level.  Inheriting a program that went 4-46 in the two years prior to his arrival, MacDonald's version of the Mavericks averaged 18 wins per season, while advancing to the postseason six times.    Medaille's emergence as a Division III power in the Northeast was cemented in MacDonald's final five seasons there, as he led the Mavericks to more wins (101) than any other Division III team in New York State, while ranking 17th nationally in wins during the same time frame.   MacDonald was named the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Coach of the Year on four occasions (2006-07, 2008-09, 2009-10, 2011-12).  He left Medaille as the school's all-time leader in wins (148) and winning percentage (.670).   Prior to his stint at Medaille, MacDonald served as the head coach at Canisius College from 1997-2006, guiding the Golden Griffins to 108 wins which ranks him third in program history for coaching victories.  While there, he was one of only five coaches in that program's storied history to orchestrate a 20-win season, and was named the 2000-01 BCANY Division I Co-Coach of the Year.   Before being elevated to the head coaching post at Canisius, MacDonald had been the Golden Griffins' top assistant coach under John Beilein, now the head coach at the University of Michigan.  In that role, MacDonald helped Canisius reach the 1996 NCAA Tournament in addition to two National Invitation Tournament appearances. In addition to his coaching accomplishments, MacDonald brings a strong connection to the local community.  His teams have been active with a number of community organizations in the greater Buffalo community and beyond, including the Boys and Girls Clubs of Buffalo, Blessed Sacrament Athletic Club and Coaches vs. Cancer.  MacDonald and several of his players have also worked with the Drug Enforcement Administration and Mayor Byron Brown's office on the "Game Changers" program which provides academic and athletic opportunities for inner-city youths during the summer months. MacDonald resides in Amherst with his wife Maura (nee Heary), and the couple's four children - Matthew, Patrick, Nicholas and Mark.  Matthew plays college basketball at Division I University of Pennsylvania, and Patrick plays college basketball at Division II at SUNY Maritime College. What People Are Saying About Mike MacDonald...   This is an absolute slam dunk for Daemen College.  Mike MacDonald is an excellent coach who has had a positive impact in the Buffalo area since the day he arrived.  His knowledge of the game and his strong commitment to his student-athletes will no doubt bring success to the basketball program and entire Daemen College community. John Beilein Head Men's Basketball Coach -  University of Michigan   I'd like to congratulate Daemen College on a Home Run hire in Mike MacDonald.  Mike MacDonald is a first-class guy and a first-rate coach.  A Mike MacDonald-coached team will be a team of kids with great character; it will be a team that is impeccably prepared; and it will be a team that will compete for championships on the floor and will achieve success off the floor.  Daemen College will be proud of their basketball team." Joe Mihalich  Head Men's Basketball Coach -  Hofstra University   Mike MacDonald has been a staple in the Western New York basketball community for decades and his energy, enthusiasm, and eagerness to serve will fit Daemen Colleges long history of teaching, coaching and recruiting student-athletes that represent the values of all the fine people of Western New York. Reggie Witherspoon Head Men's Basketball Coach - Canisius College     "When I had the opportunity to hire Mike MacDonald as the Head Men's Basketball Coach at Medaille College, I was delighted to be able to add him to our staff. Mike is the type of person, coach and administrator that enhances the performance of all those around him, cares deeply about his players and students, and is a tireless worker under all challenging circumstances to create a successful environment. He is an outstanding family man, who carries those values with him in his career. Daemen College has made a terrific decision to put the men's basketball program in Mike MacDonald's command." Pete Lonergan Retired Athletic Director & Basketball Coach -  Niagara University & Medaille College Mike MacDonald Career Chronology       Mike MacDonald Head Coach The 2016-17 season will mark Mike MacDonald's third year as the Head Men's Basketball Coach at Daemen College.  MacDonald, who was introduced as the sixth head coach in program history on September 16, 2014, has led Daemen to a 40-20 record over his first two seasons, giving Daemen the second most wins of any East Coast Conference team in that span.  Last season, he led the Wildcats to their first-ever postseason berth at the NCAA Division II level, advancing to the finals of the East Coast Conference Tournament. MacDonald owns 28 years of collegiate coaching experience, including the last 19 as a head coach.  In that time, he's compiled a record of 296-246 (.546 winning percentage) as a head coach, while also graduating 74 of the 76 seniors he has ever coached. The 2014-15 season saw the Wildcat faithful become familiar with MacDonald's fiery style as the veteran mentor guided Daemen to its fourth-straight 20-win season, including a 13-7 mark in the East Coast Conference, good for a third-place finish in the final league standings. The fireworks got started before the season even officially began as MacDonald led the Wildcats to an 83-81 win in overtime over Canisius College in an exhibition game on November 11, 2014 at the Koessler Athletic Center.  It was Daemen's first-ever victory against an NCAA Division I opponent. MacDonald's official Daemen debut came just days later as his Wildcats walloped Concordia College (N.Y.), 88-50, in the opening round of the Knee Center of WNY / ECC-CACC Challenge before a raucous home crowd at Lumsden Gymnasium.  MacDonald would go on to lead the team to wins in his first nine home games, extending the program's NCAA Division II-best home-court winning streak to 44 consecutive before a buzzer-beating three-pointer in overtime by eventual ECC Player of the Year Darian Hooker lifted N.Y. Institute of Technology past Daemen (85-84) to snap the streak. Depsite losing two starters to season-ending injuries, including first-team All-ECC selection Torrence Dyck, MacDonald helped the Wildcats advance to the postseason for the fourth-straight year.  With Daemen's teams still inelligible for ECC and/or NCAA Division II postseason, Daemen elected to partake in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) Division I National Championships in Uniontown, Pa., entering the tournament as the No. 1 overall seed.  While there, MacDonald guided Daemen to wins over No. 8 Indiana-South Bend (69-63), No. 4 Concordia College (Ala.) (68-63) and No. 3 Rochester College (Mich. ) (77-53) to capture the program's first USCAA national title, riding USCAA Division I Player of the Year and National Championships M.V.P. Gerald Beverly to the tourney crown. At the conclusion of the 2014-15 season, MacDonald was named the Basketball Coaches Association of New York (BCANY) Division II Coach of the Year. The 2015-16 season marked Daemen's first as a full-fledged NCAA Division II member, and it presented its share of challenges.  Starting guards Supreme Hannah and Nick Petrucelli were lost to season-ending injuries, but that didn't stop MacDonald from leading the team to new and unprecedented heights.  After opening the season with just three wins in their first eight outings, the Wildcats hit their stride after the calendar turned to January, scoring 15 wins in the final 19 games of the regular season. A 94-81 win over Mercy on January 9 jump-started what turned out to be a nine-game winning streak.  Included in the string was a miraculous 98-96 win over Roberts Wesleyan on January 12.  Dyck's driving layup with four seconds remaining gave Daemen the lead after erasing a 22-point deficit with just over six minutes to play. Daemen's 14-6 league record was good for a second-place finish in the final regular season standings, earning them the No. 2 seed and a bye into the semifinal round of the ECC Tournament.  Taking on sixth-seeded Mercy in the semis, Daemen came through with a 103-102 win in overtime, advancing to the tournament finals.  There, the Wildcats' season came to an end against top-seeded St. Thomas Aquinas. Before arriving at Daemen, MacDonald spent eight years leading the men's basketball team at Medaille College (2006-14) where he transformed the program into a regional contender at the NCAA Division III level.  Inheriting a program that went 4-46 in the two years prior to his arrival, MacDonald's version of the Mavericks averaged 18 wins per season, while advancing to the postseason six times.    Medaille's emergence as a Division III power in the Northeast was cemented in MacDonald's final five seasons there, as he led the Mavericks to more wins (101) than any other Division III team in New York State, while ranking 17th nationally in wins during the same time frame.   MacDonald was named the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Coach of the Year on four occasions (2006-07, 2008-09, 2009-10, 2011-12).  He left Medaille as the school's all-time leader in wins (148) and winning percentage (.670).   Prior to his stint at Medaille, MacDonald served as the head coach at Canisius College from 1997-2006, guiding the Golden Griffins to 108 wins which ranks him third in program history for coaching victories.  While there, he was one of only five coaches in that program's storied history to orchestrate a 20-win season, and was named the 2000-01 BCANY Division I Co-Coach of the Year.   Before being elevated to the head coaching post at Canisius, MacDonald had been the Golden Griffins' top assistant coach under John Beilein, now the head coach at the University of Michigan.  In that role, MacDonald helped Canisius reach the 1996 NCAA Tournament in addition to two National Invitation Tournament appearances. In addition to his coaching accomplishments, MacDonald brings a strong connection to the local community.  His teams have been active with a number of community organizations in the greater Buffalo community and beyond, including the Boys and Girls Clubs of Buffalo, Blessed Sacrament Athletic Club and Coaches vs. Cancer.  MacDonald and several of his players have also worked with the Drug Enforcement Administration and Mayor Byron Brown's office on the "Game Changers" program which provides academic and athletic opportunities for inner-city youths during the summer months. MacDonald resides in Amherst with his wife Maura (nee Heary), and the couple's four children - Matthew, Patrick, Nicholas and Mark.  Matthew plays college basketball at Division I University of Pennsylvania, and Patrick plays college basketball at Division II at SUNY Maritime College. What People Are Saying About Mike MacDonald...   This is an absolute slam dunk for Daemen College.  Mike MacDonald is an excellent coach who has had a positive impact in the Buffalo area since the day he arrived.  His knowledge of the game and his strong commitment to his student-athletes will no doubt bring success to the basketball program and entire Daemen College community. John Beilein Head Men's Basketball Coach -  University of Michigan   I'd like to congratulate Daemen College on a Home Run hire in Mike MacDonald.  Mike MacDonald is a first-class guy and a first-rate coach.  A Mike MacDonald-coached team will be a team of kids with great character; it will be a team that is impeccably prepared; and it will be a team that will compete for championships on the floor and will achieve success off the floor.  Daemen College will be proud of their basketball team." Joe Mihalich  Head Men's Basketball Coach -  Hofstra University   Mike MacDonald has been a staple in the Western New York basketball community for decades and his energy, enthusiasm, and eagerness to serve will fit Daemen Colleges long history of teaching, coaching and recruiting student-athletes that represent the values of all the fine people of Western New York. Reggie Witherspoon Head Men's Basketball Coach - Canisius College     "When I had the opportunity to hire Mike MacDonald as the Head Men's Basketball Coach at Medaille College, I was delighted to be able to add him to our staff. Mike is the type of person, coach and administrator that enhances the performance of all those around him, cares deeply about his players and students, and is a tireless worker under all challenging circumstances to create a successful environment. He is an outstanding family man, who carries those values with him in his career. Daemen College has made a terrific decision to put the men's basketball program in Mike MacDonald's command." Pete Lonergan Retired Athletic Director & Basketball Coach -  Niagara University & Medaille College Mike MacDonald Career Chronology