Long-time Penn men's basketball assistant coach Steve Donahue has been named as a finalist for the position of head men's basketball coach at the University of Albany.
Donahue, who just completed his tenth season as a Quakers assistant, has been heavily involved in every aspect of the program, from conducting floor practice to game coaching to recruiting.
In fact, Donahue has been involved in the recruiting of five of the top-20 all-time scorers in Penn history. Along with Quakers assistant Gil Jackson, Donahue was recently recognized by Dan Wetzel as a member of one of the best coaching staffs in the East.
Donahue, who was on a Quakers recruiting trip and could not be reached for comment by press time, will interview for the Albany job within the next week, according to Quakers head coach Fran Dunphy.
Dunphy said he has spoken with his assistant and encouraged Donahue to pursue the job.
"We talked about the opportunity that presents itself at a place like Albany, the opportunity to be one of the 310 Division I coaches on the market," Dunphy said.
Dunphy, who said that he had no doubts as to Donahue's ability to be an NCAA head coach, expected to be contacted by Albany sometime in the next week, and said he would give Donahue a glowing recommendation.
"I'll tell them that he's ready to be a D-I head coach," Dunphy said. "That he's worked very hard for this chance and that he deserves it. He's earned that right, to be his own head coach."
Donahue, a 1984 graduate of Ursinus, got his coaching start at Springfield High School under his old college coach, before moving on to Monsignor Bonner High School.
At Bonner, Donahue assisted current Lafayette head man Fran O'Hanlon in leading the team to a Philadelphia Catholic League Championship.
Besides Penn, Donahue's only other collegiate coaching experience was as an assistant at the Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science, where he helped legendary coach Herb Magee guide the team to two 20-win seasons and the NCAA Division II playoffs in each of his two years there.
Should Donahue be turned down at Albany, the Quakers would welcome him back to the fold with open arms.
"If he does not get the job at Albany," Dunphy said. "The duties and expectations will be the same here, and he'll do a great job."
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