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Daemen University Athletics

Western New York's Premier Division II Team
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berkun to suny maritime

Men's Basketball Mike Miranto, Associate A.D. For Communications

Men's Basketball Assistant Moving On To Head Job At SUNY Maritime

AMHERST, N.Y. - Mike Berkun, Associate Head Men's Basketball Coach/Athletics Operations Coordinator at Daemen College, will resign his position in order to accept the head coaching position with the men's basketball program at the State University of New York Maritime College.  Berkun was introduced as the 15th head coach in team history in a press release from the SUNY Maritime athletic department today.  In addition to his coaching duties, Berkun will hold the additional title of Assistant Athletic Director for Facilities.
 
SUNY Maritime is located in the Throggs Neck neighborhood of New York City, and its teams compete as members of NCAA Division III and the Skyline Conference.  Berkun assumes the head coaching responsibilities from Frank McQuail who led the team on an interim basis during the 2016-17 season, going 10-15 overall and 5-11 in conference play.  McQuail is expected to remain on Berkun's staff as his top assistant.
 
A native of Williamsville, N.Y., the 28-year old Berkun has been a member of the Daemen coaching staff for the last three seasons, including the last two as associate head coach.  In that time, Berkun has helped the Wildcats to a 59-29 record, including a 39-19 mark in East Coast Conference play.  Highlights of his tenure include the 2015 United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) Division I national championship in the final year of the team's transition to full NCAA Division II status, and two-straight ECC Tournament berths including a run to the tournament finals in 2016.  Over the last three years, Berkun has aided in the development of four all-league players while helping Daemen rank second among all New York State Division II teams in wins.
 
Berkun came to Daemen with head coach Mike MacDonald who was hired prior to the 2014-15 season after serving in the same role for eight seasons at Medaille College.  It was at Medaille where the Berkun-MacDonald relationship began, first as player-coach from 2006-10, and later with Berkun breaking into the coaching profession under MacDonald's guidance.  As a player, Berkun finished as Medaille's all-time leader in three-point field goal percentage and helped the Mavericks win a pair of Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference championships.  After joining MacDonald on the bench, Berkun helped orchestrate the most successful four-year period in team history as the Mavericks went 78-34 overall.
 
"We are all very excited for Mike Berkun as he begins his head coaching career," said MacDonald.  "Having spent the last 11 years with Mike, I am confident that he is more than ready for this position.  He is organized and hard working, and he will be committed to his student-athletes.  He has helped our programs at both Medaille and Daemen win championships, and we are looking forward to watching him lead the Privateers to the top of the Skyline Conference."
 
Berkun won't have to look far to find a familiar face.  Mike MacDonald's son, Patrick MacDonald is set to return for his senior season for the Privateers.  The 6-foot-8 center, a Canisius High School graduate, earned his second-straight All-Skyline Conference honor this past season when he averaged 20.2 points and 12.5 rebounds per game.
 
Berkun's departure creates an opportunity for Ryan Grandits to move up the ladder on MacDonald's staff.  Grandits, a Kenmore, N.Y. native who began his playing career under MacDonald at Medaille, was reunited with the veteran mentor for the 2015-16 season as a graduate transfer when he averaged 7.8 points and 4.1 rebounds per game while helping the Wildcats to a 19-10 record.  He joined the coaching staff last season as a graduate assistant, and will now move into the role of assistant coach.
 
"Ryan had a tremendous playing career at the division two and three levels, and he did a great job for us last season as a graduate assistant," MacDonald said.  "His passion for the game will really help him as he transitions to this new position."
 
More additions to MacDonald's coaching staff are expected, and those will be announced at a later date.


 
 
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Players Mentioned

Ryan Grandits

#44 Ryan Grandits

F
6' 5"
Graduate Student

Players Mentioned

Ryan Grandits

#44 Ryan Grandits

6' 5"
Graduate Student
F