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Don Donoher

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Don Donoher
Biographical details
Born(1932-01-21)January 21, 1932
Toledo, Ohio, U.S.
DiedApril 12, 2024(2024-04-12) (aged 92)
Dayton, Ohio, U.S.
Playing career
1951–1954Dayton
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1963–1964Dayton (assistant)
1964–1989Dayton
1989–1990Indiana (assistant)
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1976–1980Dayton
Head coaching record
Overall437–275
Tournaments11–10 (NCAA University Division / Division I)
10–6 (NIT)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
NIT (1968)
College Basketball Hall of Fame
Inducted in 2015

Donald Donoher (January 21, 1932 – April 12, 2024) was an American college basketball coach and athletics administrator. He served as the head men's basketball coach at the University of Dayton from 1964 to 1989, compiling a record of 437–275. His Dayton Flyers were champions of the 1968 National Invitation Tournament and runners-up at the 1967 NCAA University Division basketball tournament. Donoher was also the athletic director at Dayton from 1976 to 1980.

Early years

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Donoher began his career as a basketball player at Central Catholic High School in Toledo, Ohio from 1947 to 1950.[citation needed] He played three years of varsity basketball for coach Tom Blackburn at the University of Dayton, scoring 578 career points in 72 games. Following graduation from Dayton in 1954, Donoher served a two-year enlistment in the United States Army.[citation needed] Returning to Dayton after the end of his service, Donoher accepted a part-time basketball scout position offered by Blackburn. In February 1963, Blackburn made Donoher the university's first full-time assistant coach.[citation needed]

Blackburn had been suffering from cancer for most of the 1963–64 season.[citation needed] When the disease's effects became too debilitating for him to continue, Donoher took over as interim coach for the last three games of the season. In March 1964, Blackburn died from cancer, and Donoher was formally named his successor. However, Dayton credits the entire 1963–64 season to Blackburn.[citation needed]

Head coaching experience

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Donoher enjoyed immediate success as a head coach, going 22–7 in his inaugural season and guiding the Flyers to a berth in the NCAA tournament, reaching the Sweet Sixteen.[citation needed] Two years later, Donoher's Flyers defeated Western Kentucky University, the University of Tennessee, Virginia Tech, and the University of North Carolina en route to a national runner-up finish in the NCAA tournament.[citation needed] During his tenure at Dayton, Donoher guided the Flyers to the NCAA tournament eight times, reaching the Sweet Sixteen five times, the Elite Eight twice, and the national final once. Additionally, Dayton played in seven NIT post-season competitions under Donoher, winning the championship in 1968.[1] Donoher is Dayton's all-time winningest coach with a 437–275 record (.614), including a 20–16 post season record (.556).[2] Donoher-coached teams were noted for their discipline, tenacity, and sound fundamentals, frequently besting teams with greater athleticism. Donoher served as an assistant to head coach Bobby Knight on the gold medal-winning U.S. men's basketball team at the 1984 Summer Olympic Games.[3]

Awards and recognition

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Donoher was inducted into the Toledo Area High School Hall of Fame, the Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame, and the University of Dayton Hall of Fame.[4] On November 20, 2015, Donoher was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame alongside fellow Final Four coach Lou Henson.[5] In 2017, Donoher received the prestigious Dean Smith Award from the U.S. Basketball Writers Association for embodying the spirit and values of the Hall of Fame North Carolina coach.[6]

In 1998, the University of Dayton named the new state of the art addition to the University of Dayton Arena after Donoher.[7]

Later life and death

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Donoher continued to reside in Dayton, Ohio, returning to basketball as an assistant coach at Bishop Fenwick High School in Middletown, Ohio,[8] where grandchildren Kevin and Shannon attended. Donoher was a celebrated guest at the March 7, 2020, first-ever College GameDay broadcast from the University of Dayton.[9]

Donoher's wife of 66 years, Sonia Donoher, died on November 17, 2020.[10] On April 12, 2024, Don Donoher died at the age of 92.[8] Before his death, he was the oldest living basketball coach to have coached a Final Four team.[11]

Head coaching record

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Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Dayton Flyers (NCAA University Division / Division I independent) (1964–1988)
1964–65 Dayton 22–7 NCAA University Division Regional Third Place
1965–66 Dayton 23–6 NCAA University Division Regional Fourth Place
1966–67 Dayton 25–6 NCAA University Division Runner-up
1967–68 Dayton 21–9 NIT Champion
1968–69 Dayton 20–7 NCAA University Division First Round
1969–70 Dayton 19–8 NCAA University Division First Round
1970–71 Dayton 18–9 NIT First Round
1971–72 Dayton 13–13
1972–73 Dayton 13–13
1973–74 Dayton 20–9 NCAA Division I Regional Fourth Place
1974–75 Dayton 10–16
1975–76 Dayton 14–13
1976–77 Dayton 16–11
1977–78 Dayton 19–10 NIT Quarterfinal
1978–79 Dayton 19–10 NIT Second Round
1979–80 Dayton 13–14
1980–81 Dayton 18–11 NIT Second Round
1981–82 Dayton 21–9 NIT Quarterfinal
1982–83 Dayton 18–10
1983–84 Dayton 21–11 NCAA Division I Elite Eight
1984–85 Dayton 19–10 NCAA Division I First Round
1985–86 Dayton 17–13 NIT First Round
1986–87 Dayton 13–15
1987–88 Dayton 13–18
Dayton Flyers (Midwestern Collegiate Conference) (1988–1989)
1988–89 Dayton 12–17 6–6 4th
Dayton: 437–275 6–6
Total: 437–275

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "CBS Sports - News, Live Scores, Schedules, Fantasy Games, Video and more".
  2. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). www.ncaa.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 October 2005. Retrieved 12 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. ^ "USAB: Games of the XXIIIrd Olympiad -- 1984". Archived from the original on 2017-09-15. Retrieved 2015-02-17.
  4. ^ "Don Donoher - Hall of Fame 2000". Archived from the original on 2005-08-24.
  5. ^ Doug Harris (November 24, 2015). "DONOHER HAS MEMORABLE INDUCTION INTO COLLEGE HALL OF FAME". DaytonFlyers.com. Archived from the original on April 14, 2019.
  6. ^ https://daytonflyers.com/news/2017/10/12/mens-basketball-don-donoher-to-receive-usbwas-dean-smith-award.aspx?print=true [bare URL]
  7. ^ Ciaran Andrew Minch. "Don Donoher". Dayton Arena History Project.
  8. ^ a b Clark, Dave (12 April 2024). "Dayton Flyers coaching legend, former Fenwick assistant Don Donoher dies at 92". MSN News. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  9. ^ "College Gameday at the University of Dayton". YouTube. 22 February 2021.
  10. ^ < Sonia Donoher Dignity Memorial
  11. ^ https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2022-02-04/daytons-don-donoher-oldest-living-coach-who-appeared-national-championship [bare URL]
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