Steve Donahue
Encyclopedia
Steve Donahue is an American
college basketball
coach and the current men's basketball
coach at Boston College
.
A native of Springfield Township
, Pennsylvania
and a former player at Ursinus College
, Donahue previously served as head coach at Cornell University, an assistant coach at Penn, Philadelphia University, Monsignor Bonner High School and Springfield High School. He had been the head coach at Cornell from September 2000 until April 6, 2010.
Recent highlights of the Cornell basketball program under Donahue include a March 1, 2008 defeat of the Harvard Crimson
to win the Ivy League
championship for the first time since 1988 and just the second title in program history. On March 6, 2009, with Princeton's loss to Columbia, Cornell clinched the Ivy League Championship for a second consecutive year. It was the first time in 50 years that any team other than Penn or Princeton had won consecutive Ivy League titles in basketball.
Exactly one year later on March 6, 2010, Donahue's Cornell team defeated the Brown Bears to clinch their third consecutive title and fourth in team history. This guaranteed an automatic bid for Cornell in the 2010 NCAA basketball tournament, in which Cornell was given a 12-seed in the East region. Cornell went on to win two games in the tournament, defeating 5-seed Temple and then 4-seed Wisconsin, both victories by double digit margins, to advance to the Sweet 16, the first Ivy League team to advance this far since 1979 (when Penn reached the final four). There they fell to the 1-seed Kentucky Wildcats, ending their historic run. This team featured several lauded seniors, including point guard Louis Dale, who finished as the third highest scorer and top assist man in Cornell history; center Jeff Foote
, whose presence in the middle was essential to Cornell's success; and forward Ryan Wittman
, who finished as the top scorer in Cornell men's basketball history (and the 5th highest scorer overall in Ivy League's men's basketball history) at 2,028 points.
Donahue received the Clair Bee Coach of the Year Award
for his accomplishments during the 2009-2010 season.
On April 6, 2010, Boston College announced that Donahue had been hired as the head coach of its basketball program, replacing coach Al Skinner
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
college basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
coach and the current men's basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
coach at Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
.
A native of Springfield Township
Springfield Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania
Springfield Township, or simply Springfield, is a township and a Census Designated Place in Delaware County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The population was 23,677 at the 2000 census...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
and a former player at Ursinus College
Ursinus College
Ursinus College is a liberal arts college in Collegeville, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.-History:1867Members of the German Reformed Church begin plans to establish a college where "young men could be liberally educated under the benign influence of Christianity." These founders were hoping to...
, Donahue previously served as head coach at Cornell University, an assistant coach at Penn, Philadelphia University, Monsignor Bonner High School and Springfield High School. He had been the head coach at Cornell from September 2000 until April 6, 2010.
Recent highlights of the Cornell basketball program under Donahue include a March 1, 2008 defeat of the Harvard Crimson
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
to win the Ivy League
Ivy League
The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group...
championship for the first time since 1988 and just the second title in program history. On March 6, 2009, with Princeton's loss to Columbia, Cornell clinched the Ivy League Championship for a second consecutive year. It was the first time in 50 years that any team other than Penn or Princeton had won consecutive Ivy League titles in basketball.
Exactly one year later on March 6, 2010, Donahue's Cornell team defeated the Brown Bears to clinch their third consecutive title and fourth in team history. This guaranteed an automatic bid for Cornell in the 2010 NCAA basketball tournament, in which Cornell was given a 12-seed in the East region. Cornell went on to win two games in the tournament, defeating 5-seed Temple and then 4-seed Wisconsin, both victories by double digit margins, to advance to the Sweet 16, the first Ivy League team to advance this far since 1979 (when Penn reached the final four). There they fell to the 1-seed Kentucky Wildcats, ending their historic run. This team featured several lauded seniors, including point guard Louis Dale, who finished as the third highest scorer and top assist man in Cornell history; center Jeff Foote
Jeff Foote
Jeffrey Bernard Foote is an American professional basketball player. He is a 2.14 m Center. He currently plays for Zastal Zielona Góra in Poland.-High school:...
, whose presence in the middle was essential to Cornell's success; and forward Ryan Wittman
Ryan Wittman
Ryan Scott Wittman is an American basketball player currently playing in the Polish Basketball League for the Zastal Zielona Góra.-Early life and high school career:...
, who finished as the top scorer in Cornell men's basketball history (and the 5th highest scorer overall in Ivy League's men's basketball history) at 2,028 points.
Donahue received the Clair Bee Coach of the Year Award
Clair Bee Coach of the Year Award
The Clair Bee Coach of the Year Award honors the active men's NCAA Division I basketball coach who has made the most significant positive contributions to his sport during the preceding year...
for his accomplishments during the 2009-2010 season.
On April 6, 2010, Boston College announced that Donahue had been hired as the head coach of its basketball program, replacing coach Al Skinner
Al Skinner
Albert L. Skinner is an American men's college basketball head coach and a former collegiate and professional basketball player. He was formerly the head coach of the Boston College men's basketball team.-College:Skinner played at the University of Massachusetts...
.