Sean McDonnell enters his 13th season as head coach at Case Western Reserve in 2015-16. He was named just the third men's basketball coach in program history in 2003.
Over the past five seasons, McDonnell’s program has produced four Capital One Academic All-Americans® as well as the program’s second all-time finalist for the Jostens Trophy (Division III Player of the Year).
The Spartans finished the 2014-15 campaign at 15-10 overall, the third-best win total in program history. McDonnell also coached senior forward Dane McLoughlin to an honorable mention berth on the Division III Men's Basketball News All-America Team.
Prior to taking the reins at Case Western Reserve, McDonnell served as the men's basketball coach for three seasons at Hiram College in Hiram, Ohio. As a member of the North Coast Athletic Conference, McDonnell coached the Terriers to two postseason appearances and developed two All-NCAC performers. Hired at the age of 25, McDonnell was the youngest NCAA men's basketball coach in America in 2001.
From 1996-2000, McDonnell served as the assistant men's basketball coach at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts and at Le Moyne College in Syracuse, New York. As an undergraduate at Boston College, McDonnell was a student assistant coach where he contributed to the development of six future NBA players. As an assistant, McDonnell was mentored by two coaches who earned National Coach of the Year honors from the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC).
Between 1995 and 2005, McDonnell directed a number of developmental summer basketball clinics in Greece, South Africa, the Republic of Macedonia and the Czech Republic. These experiences abroad motivated McDonnell to organize Spartan summer trips to Brazil in both 2007 and 2010 as well as Costa Rica in 2013. Additionally, McDonnell led the central region's men's basketball team in New York's Empire State Games from 1998-2000.
McDonnell earned a Master of Science degree in education from Le Moyne in 2003 and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Boston College in 1996. McDonnell is a member of the NABC Division III All-America Committee and chairs the Nomination Committee for the NABC Division III All-Star Game in Salem, Virginia. He previously served on the Great Lakes Regional Advisory Committee for the Division III NCAA Tournament.
McDonnell resides in Shaker Heights with his wife, Angie, and their three children, Leah, Conor and Emily.
McDonnell Highlights
- 13th season at Case Western Reserve
- Four Capital One Academic All-Americans®
- Two Jostens Trophy finalists (Division III Player of the Year)
- Youngest men’s basketball head coach in the NCAA in 2001
- Led team foreign trips to Brazil (2007 & 2010) and Costa Rica (2013)
- NABC DIII All-America Committee
- Chairperson for the NABC DIII All-Star Game
