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Daemen University Athletics

Western New York's Premier Division II Team
Fearless, Integrity, Effort, Respect, Commitment, Excitement
Geoff Schneider
Geoff Schneider
Geoff Schneider
Max Sacco

Mike MacDonald

  • Title
    Head Coach
  • Email
    mmacdona@daemen.edu
  • Phone
    (716) 839-8380
  • Daemen Tenure
    2014-Present (12th Season)
  • Record @ Daemen
    232-84, 145-40 ECC
  • Career Record
    489-310
  • Alma Mater
    St. Bonaventure '88
A fixture in the college basketball coaching fraternity, Mike MacDonald has been roaming sidelines, mentoring players and giving the occasional earful to referees for the last 36 years, all within Western New York. With previous stops at Canisius University and Medaille University, MacDonald has worked across all three NCAA divisions, racking up 461 victories in 27 seasons as a head coach. His coaching success aside, MacDonald's personable nature and his willingness to give back to the local community have made him one of the most highly thought of people in the WNY sports community.

The 2024-25 season marks MacDonald's 11th at Daemen. Since being introduced as the sixth head coach in the modern history of the program, MacDonald has guided the Wildcats to a 204-82 overall record, an East Coast Conference (ECC) regular season championship, four NCAA tournament berths and the 2021 NCAA Division II East Region championship. Daemen ranks second for total wins among New York State's Division II programs since MacDonald came to Main Street. 

The veteran bench boss has presided over Daemen's emergence as a power within the NCAA Division II East Region, a period that's been one of the most successful in program history. The 2023-24 team posted 25 wins, setting the benchmark for victories during the program's NCAA Division II era. The team's 89 wins from the start of the 2016-17 season through the 2019-20 campaign is tied for the most in any four-year stretch dating back to the 1986-87 season. More than half of those wins came during the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons as MacDonald led Daemen to back-to-back 24-win campaigns. Since the start of the 2018-19 season, the Wildcats have spent a combined 33 weeks ranked in top-25 national polls conducted by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and Division II Sports Information Directors of America (D2SIDA), rising as high as No. 8 in both. Daemen has reached the 20-win plateau in six of the last seven seasons (Daemen only played 16 games during the COVID-19 shortened 2020-21 season) and a total of seven times during his tenure. The two years they did not reach 20 wins was in 2015-16 and 2016-17 when the Wilcats only won 19.

The positive momentum has led to numerous opportunities not otherwise afforded to teams from similar institutions, with MacDonald playing a central role. In recent years, MacDonald has taken teams to play exhibition contests against Division I opponents such as Buffalo, Siena, Syracuse and Penn. The Wildcats were invited participants at the prestigious Small College Basketball National Hall of Fame Classic to start the 2019-20 season. Daemen also played their first-ever game at Downtown Buffalo's KeyBank Center on November 23, 2019, defeating Wilmington (Del.) in a thriller, 83-81. It was MacDonald's 18th win in the building - the most of any basketball coach in the venue's 24-year history. At the start of the 2023-24 season the Wildcats headed to Western Canada to take part in the CCA Division II Canadian Tip-Off Classic.

After coming close to the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament bid in each of his first four seasons, the Wildcats made history in 2018-19 when they went 24-8, claimed the ECC regular season title and earned a first-ever NCAA tournament bid. Daemen made their NCAA tournament debut on March 16, 2019, falling to fourth-seeded New Haven in an opening round contest played in Manchester, N.H.

Buoyed by All-American Andrew Sischo, the Wildcats were set to return to the NCAA tournament in 2020, again garnering at-large consideration, this time as the No. 8 seed in the East Region. However, the COVID-19 pandemic caused the unprecedented cancelation of NCAA championships before the tournament got underway.

As the pandemic continued to wreak havoc on the world of intercollegiate athletics in 2020-21, MacDonald prepped his team for a return to competition. It ended up being a historic season for the Wildcats who finished 10-6 overall and ranked No. 9 in the final D2SIDA national poll. It marked the first time in Daemen's NCAA era that the program had finished a season ranked among the top 25 teams in the country. After opening the season with back-to-back losses, MacDonald guided the group to wins in seven of their final nine regular season contests, and ultimately advanced to the final round of the ECC Championship for the first time since 2016. After falling to rival St. Thomas Aquinas in the conference tournament final, the Wildcats were awarded a third consecutive at-large bid to the NCAA tournament, entering as the No. 2 seed in the East Regional. MacDonald led the Wildcats to their first-ever NCAA tournament win, an 81-69 dispatching of third-seeded Bloomfield on March 14. Two nights later they avenged their earlier loss to St. Thomas Aquinas, winning 71-70 against the region's No. 1 seed to claim the East Region title. Daemen advanced to the Elite Eight where they fell against top-seeded West Texas A&M at the Ford Center in Evansville, Ind.

Milestones and accolades have poured in throughout MacDonald's tenure with the Wildcats. His 400th career win came on December 8, 2021 following an 81-72 victory over conference rival Roberts Wesleyan College. His 350th career win came in dramatic fashion on January 18, 2019 as junior guard Breon Harris scored five points in the final 21 seconds to lift the Wildcats past Mercy, 75-74. His 100th win at Daemen came just three weeks later, placing MacDonald among an elite fraternity of coaches who have achieved at least 100 wins while coaching in each of the NCAA's three divisions. That achievement propelled him to HoopDirt.com Division II Coach of the Week honors. MacDonald has also been recognized as a two-time Division II Coach of the Year from the Basketball Coaches Association of New York (BCANY), as well as receiving ECC and NABC District Coach of the Year (both for the 2018-19 season). He entered the 2022-23 season ranked 33rd among active Division II head coaches for career victories.

MacDonald's tenure got started with a bang. In his return to Canisius' Koessler Athletic Center on November 11, 2014, he led the Wildcats to an 83-81 overtime win against the Division I Golden Griffins, a program he led for nine seasons. His official Daemen debut came just days later as his Wildcats walloped Concordia (N.Y.), 88-50, in the opening round of the ECC-CACC Challenge. It served as a precursor to future success as the Wildcats have posted an 13-1 mark in the ECC-CACC Challenge with MacDonald at the helm.

Home court success has been a large part of the program's success through the years, including the MacDonald Era. The Wildcats won their first nine home games under MacDonald, extending the program's Lumsden Gymnasium winning streak to 44 straight games before it was snapped. The Wildcats posted new program benchmark for home wins in a season under MacDonald's guidance, posting identical 15-1 home records during the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons.

Before arriving at Daemen, MacDonald spent eight years (2006-14) leading the NCAA Division III program at Medaille where he transformed the Mavericks into a regional contender. 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 as the school's all-time leader in wins (149) and winning percentage (.671).
 
Prior to his time at Medaille, MacDonald spent 18 years at Canisius, including a nine-year stint (1997-2006) as head coach. In that time, MacDonald guided 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 worked as an assistant on the Griffs' coaching staff, first under Marty Marbach and later under John Beilein. As Beilein's top assistant, MacDonald helped Canisius reach the 1996 NCAA tournament in addition to two National Invitational 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. In August of 2020, MacDonald received the Jim Satalin Inspiration Award from the American Cancer Society of Western New York in recognition of his dedication and work on behalf of the Coaches vs. Cancer program. 

MacDonald and several of his players have also worked with the Drug Enforcement Administration and Mayor Byron Brown's office on Game Changers, a nationally awarded program that provides academic and athletic opportunities for inner-city youths during the summer months.

A 1988 graduate of Saint Bonaventure University, MacDonald additionally serves Daemen as the Senior Associate Athletics Director for External Relations. In that role, MacDonald has raised more than $500,000 for the College. He resides in Amherst with his wife, Maura (nee Heary). The couple has raised four children - Matt, Patrick, Nick and Mark. Matt served as team captain during his collegiate career at the University of Pennsylvania and works for the Brooklyn Nets as general manager of their G-League affiliate the Long Island Nets. Patrick was a Division III All-American while playing at the State University of New York Maritime College, and is now a lieutenant in the United States Navy. Nick played two seasons at Division I Niagara University before playing his final three seasons under the guidance of his father at Daemen. Mark is a 2024 graduate of Canisius High School and is attending FDU Florham where he is a member of the men's basketball team.
 

What People Are Saying About Mike MacDonald...
 
“This is an absolute slam dunk for Daemen.  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 community.”
John Beilein
Former Collegiate (Le Moyne, Canisius, Richmond, West Virginia, Michigan) & Pro (Cleveland Cavaliers) Coach
 

“I'd like to congratulate Daemen 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 will be proud of their basketball team."
Joe Mihalich 
Fornmer 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’s long history of teaching, coaching and recruiting student-athletes that represent the values of all the fine people of Western New York.”
Reggie Witherspoon
Former 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 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
Year Position School Location Level Team Record Accolades
1988-89 Assistant Coach Canisius College Buffalo, N.Y. NCAA Div. I 13-15, 11-7 NAC
1989-90 Assistant Coach Canisius College Buffalo, N.Y. NCAA Div. I 11-18, 5-11 MAAC
1990-91 Assistant Coach Canisius College Buffalo, N.Y. NCAA Div. I 10-19, 3-13 MAAC
1991-92 Assistant Coach Canisius College Buffalo, N.Y. NCAA Div. I 8-22, 3-13 MAAC
1992-93 Assistant Coach Canisius College Buffalo, N.Y. NCAA Div. I 10-18, 5-9 MAAC
1993-94 Assistant Coach Canisius College Buffalo, N.Y. NCAA Div. I 22-7, 12-2 MAAC
1994-95 Assistant Coach Canisius College Buffalo, N.Y. NCAA Div. I 21-14, 10-4 MAAC
1995-96 Assistant Coach Canisius College Buffalo, N.Y. NCAA Div. I 19-11, 7-7 MAAC
1996-97 Assistant Coach Canisius College Buffalo, N.Y. NCAA Div. I 17-12, 10-4 MAAC
1997-98 Head Coach Canisius College Buffalo, N.Y. NCAA Div. I 13-14, 9-9 MAAC
1998-99 Head Coach Canisius College Buffalo, N.Y. NCAA Div. I 15-12, 11-7 MAAC
1999-2000 Head Coach Canisius College Buffalo, N.Y. NCAA Div. I 10-20, 8-10 MAAC
2000-01 Head Coach Canisius College Buffalo, N.Y. NCAA Div. I 20-11, 9-9 MAAC BCANY Co-Coach of the Year
2001-02 Head Coach Canisius College Buffalo, N.Y. NCAA Div. I 10-20, 5-13 MAAC
2002-03 Head Coach Canisius College Buffalo, N.Y. NCAA Div. I 10-18, 6-12 MAAC
2003-04 Head Coach Canisius College Buffalo, N.Y. NCAA Div. I 10-20, 5-13 MAAC
2004-05 Head Coach Canisius College Buffalo, N.Y. NCAA Div. I 11-18, 8-10 MAAC
2005-06 Head Coach Canisius College Buffalo, N.Y. NCAA Div. I 9-20, 6-12 MAAC
2006-07 Head Coach Medaille College Buffalo, N.Y. NCAA Div. III 11-14, 7-11 AMCC AMCC Coach of the Year
2007-08 Head Coach Medaille College Buffalo, N.Y. NCAA Div. III 15-13, 9-9 AMCC
2008-09 Head Coach Medaille College Buffalo, N.Y. NCAA Div. III 21-7, 14-4 AMCC AMCC Coach of the Year
2009-10 Head Coach Medaille College Buffalo, N.Y. NCAA Div. III 24-5, 16-4 AMCC AMCC Coach of the Year
2010-11 Head Coach Medaille College Buffalo, N.Y. NCAA Div. III 21-8, 15-3 AMCC
2011-12 Head Coach Medaille College Buffalo, N.Y. NCAA Div. III 25-3, 17-1 AMCC AMCC Coach of the Year
2012-13 Head Coach Medaille College Buffalo, N.Y. NCAA Div. III 18-11, 13-5 AMCC
2013-14 Head Coach Medaille College Buffalo, N.Y. NCAA Div. III 14-12, 13-5 AMCC
2014-15 Head Coach Daemen College Amherst, N.Y. NCAA Div. II / USCAA Div. I 21-10, 13-7 ECC BCANY Division II Coach of the Year
2015-16 Head Coach Daemen College Amherst, N.Y. NCAA Div. II 19-10, 14-6 ECC
2016-17 Head Coach Daemen College Amherst, N.Y. NCAA Div. II 19-9, 12-6 ECC
2017-18 Head Coach Daemen College Amherst, N.Y. NCAA Div. II 22-8, 15-3 ECC
2018-19 Head Coach Daemen College Amherst, N.Y. NCAA Div. II 24-6, 16-2 ECC ECC Coach of the Year, NABC District Coach of the Year, BCANY Division II Coach of the Year
2019-20 Head Coach Daemen College Amherst, N.Y. NCAA Div. II 24-8, 12-4 ECC
2020-21 Head Coach Daemen College Amherst, N.Y. NCAA Div. II 10-6, 7-2 ECC
2021-22 Head Coach Daemen College Amherst, N.Y. NCAA Div. II 20-9, 16-2 ECC
2022-23 Head Coach Daemen Univ. Amherst, N.Y. NCAA Div. II 20-8, 12-4 ECC
2023-24 Head Coach Daemen Univ. Amherst, N.Y. NCAA Div. II 25-9, 12-4 ECC

Mike MacDonald Coaching Records
School Years Overall Record Win Pct. Conference Record Win Pct.
Canisius 1997-06 108-153 .414 67-95 .414
Medaille 2006-14 149-73 .671 104-42 .712
Daemen 2014-Present  204-83 .711 129-40 .763
TOTALS 27 SEASONS 461-309 .599 300-177 .629