Florida Southern College Men's Basketball

Donnellys first season at Florida Southern ended with a record of 10-19, but the Mocs showed tremendous progress after losing six seniors from the 2015 National Championship squad. Despite having to replace all five starters from the previous year, Donnellys squad still finished among the top 50 teams in the nation in nine different statistical categories, including third nationally in three-point field-goals per game (11.9). The Mocs finished 34th nationally in scoring offense (84.8 ppg) and freshman Jarel Spellman led the Sunshine State Conference and ranked sixth nationally in blocked shots (3.1 bpg). In addition, seniors Dylan Travis (first team) and Dominique Williams (second team) earned all-Sunshine State Conference honors. Travis also earned an honorable mention all-America nod from , was an NABC all-district selection, and earned a spot on the NABC Division II all-star team. Donnellys first victory at Florida Southern came in his first home game as head coach of the Mocs, a 74-72 upset of No. 17 Barry on Nov. 18, 2015. Florida Southern also excelled in the classroom in Donnellys first year as 10 players were named to the SSC Honor Roll. Travis was named as a CoSIDA Academic all-district and all-American, and the team was honored with the NABC Team Academic Excellence Award. In his previous coaching stop at Southern Connecticut State, Donnelly engineered an impressive turnaround in leading the Owls to national prominence. In his first year at SCSU, Donnelly led the Owls to their first Northeast-10 Conference tournament appearance in nearly a decade. In Donnellys five seasons at the helm, Southern Connecticut posted a record of 97-48, and made back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Division II Tournament in 2014 and 2015. Donnellys 2013-14 squad finished 30-3 and advanced to the Elite Eight of the national tournament. Along the way, the Owls won their first-ever NE-10 regular-season and tournament titles and Donnelly was named as the NABC Regional and NE-10 Coach of the Year. A native of Connecticut, Donnelly began his college head coaching career at Division II Post University in Waterbury, Conn., where he coached from 2003-10. During his time at Post, Donnelly led the Eagles to three Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Regular Season Titles. He finished his time at Post as the schools all-time wins leader (98) and was named as the CACC Coach of the Year in 2007, when the Eagles finished a perfect 13-0 at home. 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. Prior to that, he served for two seasons as an assistant coach at Post. 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 Honors 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. Josephs High School in Trumbull, Conn. for legendary head coach Vito Montelli. He helped St. Joes 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. Donnelly and his wife, Jill, have two daughters, Kara and Payten. 

Makubika spent five years as an assistant with Donnelly at Southern Connecticut State University. In his first season at Florida Southern, Makubika helped coach a squad that posted the eighth-best scoring average in school history (84.8 ppg) and ranked 34th nationally in scoring offense. In 2015-16, the Mocs had four players average at least 12.0 ppg and knocked of No. 17 Barry in the Sunshine State Conference opener. In addition, seniors Dylan Travis (first team) and Dominique Williams (second team) earned all-Sunshine State Conference honors. Travis also earned an honorable mention all-America nod from , was an NABC all-district selection, and earned a spot on the NABC Division II all-star team. Florida Southern also excelled in the classroom in 2015-16 as 10 players were named to the SSC Honor Roll. Travis was named as a CoSIDA Academic all-district and all-American, and the team was honored with the NABC Team Academic Excellence Award. In his time at Southern Connecticut State, Makubika was involved with all facets of the program and helped the Owls reach the postseason in eac of his five seasons, including a 30-3 record and an NCAA Division II Elite Eight appearance in 2013-14.  In five years at SCSU, Makubika helped Donnelly coach the Owls to a 97-48 record and back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Division II Tournament in 2014 and 2015. The 2013-14 squad finished 30-3 and advanced to the Elite Eight of the national tournament. Along the way, the Owls won their first-ever Northeast-10 Conference regular-season and tournament titles. Makubika joined Southern Connecticut State after spending the 2009-10 school year as an assistant under Donnelly at Post University. In his role at Post, Makubika was responsible for on-court instruction, player development, scouting, strength and conditioning, and recruiting.  Prior to joining the coaching ranks, Makubika served as a team manager at both Syracuse and Central Connecticut State. He served as a team manager at Central Connecticut State for two seasons, before transferring to Syracuse, where he filled the same position for three seasons for legendary Syracuse coach and Hall of Famer, Jim Boeheim. Makubika earned his bachelor's degree in physical education from Syracuse in 2006 and his masters degree in higher education administration from Syracuse in 2008.