MAAC Unveils Tribute to Former Coaches at Basketball Hall of Fame
MAAC Sports
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - The MAAC unveiled a new addition honoring its coaching history to the 600 square foot “MAAC Experience” at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The interactive piece features video from several successful college basketball coaches who began their coaching careers in the MAAC. Coaches highlighted include Michigan head coach John Beilein (formerly of Canisius), Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery (Siena), Hofstra head coach Joe Mihalich (Niagara), George Mason head coach Paul Hewitt (Siena) and Seton Hall head coach Kevin Willard (Iona). Additional coaches will be added in the near future.
“This addition honors the great legacy of coaching success throughout the history of the MAAC. Our league prides itself on giving coaches their first head coaching opportunity in Division I,” said MAAC Commissioner Richard J. Ensor, Esq. “The exhibit which includes the MAAC Honor Roll and the individual school presentations provides the league with a tremendous branding opportunity in the Hall of Fame. The MAAC membership is extremely proud of its association with Springfield, Massachusetts, the birthplace of the sport of basketball.”
Current Michigan head coach John Beilein guided Canisius College from 1992-1997. He led the Golden Griffins to a MAAC title in 1996 and was the 1994 MAAC Coach of the Year. Following Canisius, he has found success at Richmond, West Virginia and Michigan—amassing over 700 career wins. He led the Wolverines to the 2013 National Championship game and was the 2014 Big Ten Coach of the Year.
George Mason mentor Paul Hewitt first found Division I success as Siena’s head coach from 1997-2000. His four-year stint in Loudonville included three appearances in the MAAC Championship game. He led the Saints to their first ever MAAC title in 1999. He was the 2000 MAAC Coach of the Year before becoming head coach at Georgia Tech. In 2004, Hewitt led the Yellow Jackets to the National Championship Game joining Beilein as the two former MAAC coaches to lead a team to the NCAA Final Four.
Hofstra head coach Joe Mihalich holds several MAAC coaching records after a 15-year run at Niagara from 1998-2013. His 166 career conference wins are first overall in league history. He won two MAAC Championships (2005 and 2007) and he appeared in five MAAC Championship games--more than any other men’s head coach in league history. He earned MAAC Coach of the Year honors in 1999, 2005 and 2013 and enjoyed a winning record in 13 out of his 15 seasons at Niagara.
Fran McCaffery spent five memorable years at Siena winning three consecutive MAAC Championships from 2008-2010. He joins former LaSalle head coach Speedy Morris as one of two coaches to win three consecutive MAAC Men’s Basketball Championships. He posted a record of 112-51 in those five years, won an NCAA Tournament game in both 2008 and 2009 and was named MAAC Coach of the Year in 2009.
Kevin Willard coached at Iona College from 2007-2010 and in three seasons orchestrated one of the greatest turn-arounds in NCAA history. Taking over a program that went 2-28 the season prior to his arrival, his Iona team won 20 games in just his third season. He then moved to his current role as head coach at Seton Hall, while Iona continued its rise advancing to the MAAC title game in 2011 and capturing an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament in 2012. Those teams featured key players recruited by Willard. He was named the 2010 MAAC Coach of Year.
"The MAAC Experience" showcases the league's 11 institutions and features a digital display with the most up-to-date information about MAAC men's and women's basketball, as well as historical artifacts and memorabilia from the conference's 30+-year history. The 600-square foot exhibit opened in September of 2011 and includes the video "A Day in the Life," which features 11 basketball student-athletes from each of the MAAC institutions, giving viewers an insight to a typical day in their lives. The video was filmed on the league's 11 campuses and includes many of the MAAC's current standouts who will compete this season.