Penn basketball officially has its new basketball coaching staff … and it’s pretty similar to the old staff.
New head coach Steve Donahue kept assistants Ira Bowman and Nat Graham on the bench for the Red and Blue while adding Villanova alum Joe Mihalich Jr. as his third assistant, replacing Mike Lintulahti.
Mihalich Jr. is the son of long-time Niagara and current Hofstra head coach Joe Mihalich. Mihalich Jr. started as a graduate assistant at Villanova under coach Jay Wright before spending four years as an assistant at Division III Scranton under Carl Danzig. During his time at Scranton, the Royals won three conference titles, going 89-25 in his tenure.
“I am extremely excited about having Joe join our staff and family here at Penn,” Donahue said in a statement. “He brings a wealth of experience that will have a very positive impact on our players and program. He has an energy and passion that will not only resonate with our players, but also with our recruiting efforts across the country.”
“I am absolutely thrilled to join Coach Donahue’s staff here at the University of Pennsylvania,” Mihalich said in the press release. “This is a very exciting time to be a Quaker. Coach Donahue’s vision of passion, unity and competitiveness will help add to Penn’s already outstanding tradition. Each day, I want to bring energy and enthusiasm to everything we do, both on and off the court. I am looking forward to learning from Coach Donahue as well as Coach Graham and Coach Bowman.”
Graham and Bowman remain from former coach Jerome Allen’s staff. Both men played at Penn in the 1990s when Donahue was an assistant with the Red and Blue. Graham spent five years at Cornell and four years at Boston College as an assistant under Donahue before working last season at Penn.
As the third assistant, Mihalich will fulfill the role that Lintulahti and Jason Polykoff has had during the last few seasons. Similar to his two predessors, Mihalich has Philadelphia roots that could serve him well while working at his second Big 5 institution.
“After meeting our players, I am excited about coaching such respectful and talented young men as we strive for our goal: winning the Ivy League championship,” Mihalich said. “Penn Basketball is a program with a tremendous tradition, and as a native of Philadelphia I have always dreamed of being a part of such a historic program. Coming to work every day in The Palestra is a dream come true. I am very excited to be part of Penn basketball.”
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