Michael Thomas Lonergan (born January 28, 1966) is the former
head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches. In some sports, the head coach is instead called the "manager", as in assoc ...
of the
George Washington University Colonials men's basketball team.
He replaced
Karl Hobbs.
He was formerly the coach of the
University of Vermont
The University of Vermont (UVM), officially the University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, is a public land-grant research university in Burlington, Vermont. It was founded in 1791 and is among the oldest universities in the United ...
Catamounts and the
Catholic University of America (CUA) and before that a point guard for CUA.
Biography
Early life and education
Lonergan grew up in
Bowie, Maryland
Bowie () is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 58,329. Bowie has grown from a small railroad stop to the largest municipality in Prince George's County, and the fifth most populous c ...
and attended
Archbishop Carroll High School in Washington, D.C. Lonergan's late mother and first coach, Maureen, was coach and athletic director at Bladensburg's
Elizabeth Seton High School
Elizabeth Seton High School is a private, all-girls Roman Catholic high school in Bladensburg, Maryland, United States. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington. Elizabeth Seton High School was established on March 15, 1957, ...
.
His father, Jack, was a successful college baseball player, gaining national attention for pitching a one-hitter for
Holy Cross in the 1952 College World Series.
Lonergan holds a B.A. in History from
CUA and an M.S. in Criminal Justice from
American International College
American International College (AIC) is a private college in Springfield, Massachusetts.
History
American International College was originally established on July 18, 1885, as the French Protestant College by Rev. Calvin E. Amaron, who soug ...
.
Coaching career
In 12 seasons at CUA, Lonergan guided the Cardinals to nine NCAA Tournaments, and an overall record of 251-88, a school-best .740 winning percentage. The Cardinals won seven straight regular-season conference championships (1997–2004). No other college coach in the nation during that time – at any NCAA division – accomplished that feat. Lonergan was recognized for the achievement during the
2004 NCAA Division I Final Four. The team won the
2001 Division III National Championship during that run.
After spending the 2004-05 season as an assistant at
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the University System of M ...
under
Gary Williams
Gary Bruce Williams (born March 4, 1945) is an American university administrator and former college basketball coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Maryland, the Ohio State University, Boston College, and American University. I ...
, where he helped the Terrapins to the NIT Semifinals, Lonergan accepted the head coaching position at the
University of Vermont
The University of Vermont (UVM), officially the University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, is a public land-grant research university in Burlington, Vermont. It was founded in 1791 and is among the oldest universities in the United ...
, replacing
Tom Brennan. Lonergan coached the Catamounts for six seasons where he averaged 21 wins a year and finished with a career record of 126-68 and .649 winning percentage at UVM, which is the second-highest in school history among coaches with at least 100 career decisions, behind current UVM coach
John Becker. In the last six seasons he guided Vermont to four postseason appearances, including a trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2010. He ranks third all-time at UVM in career wins.
In May 2011, Lonergan was hired by George Washington University athletic director and former America East commissioner Patrick Nero to take over as head coach of the Colonials. Early in his tenure, Lonergan highlighted his origins in the Washington, DC metropolitan area and his understanding of Colonials basketball's historical reliance on foreign-born recruits and committed to recruiting locally, nationally and internationally. His first complete recruiting class boasted two players from the DC area and players from Argentina, Greece and Denmark.
The Colonials struggled to consecutive losing records under Lonergan in 2011-12 and 2012–13, marking the first time in his Division I coaching career that a Lonergan-coached team failed to reach the postseason in consecutive seasons. In 2013-14, GW finished the year 24-9, finishing third in the Atlantic 10 and earning a ninth-seed in the NCAA Tournament, where the Colonials lost to Memphis.
Following the trip to the NCAAs, George Washington announced that Lonergan had signed a contract extension that keeps him at GW through the 2020-21 season.
Lonergan completed his fourth season as head coach for men's basketball at George Washington University in 2014-15, leading the Colonials to back-to-back 20-win seasons and postseason appearances for the first time since 2006 and 2007. He guided GW to 22 victories, seventh-most in a season in program history, and a return trip to the postseason with an at-large selection to the National Invitation Tournament. Coach Lonergan helped the Colonials post a 60-54 opening round victory at Pittsburgh for the program's first-ever win in five NIT appearances.
Lonergan led the Colonials to a 5-0 record to open the 2015-16 season, including a noteworthy upset victory over the No. 6 Virginia Cavaliers on November 16, 2015. This was George Washington's first win over an opponent ranked that high since beating No. 1 Massachusetts 78-75 on Feb. 5, 1995. The Colonials would go on to finish the regular season with a 23-10 record, good enough for an NIT invite for a second consecutive season. They would go on to win the NIT Championship Game that season.
In a July 21, 2016 article in the
Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large na ...
, several former players charged Lonergan with "verbal and emotional abuse", charges that Lonergan did not respond to in a statement. The article also noted that three players transferred out of the university after each of the previous four seasons. Later that day, George Washington University announced that it was hiring outside counsel to assist in the investigation of these allegations. Lonergan was fired on September 16, 2016, reportedly on the basis of the allegations. Nearly a year later on September 13, 2017, Lonergan and George Washington officials settled the former coach's legal dispute against the school over his firing. Both sides continue to maintain their initial positions, but per the agreement the settlement cannot be publicly discussed.
On the May 10, 2017 edition of
Randy Foye
Randy Foye (born September 24, 1983) is an American former professional basketball player. He played collegiately at Villanova University. He was selected seventh overall in the 2006 NBA draft by the Boston Celtics, but was immediately traded to ...
's Outside Shot podcast, guest
Jeremy Lin described an incident which alleged that a Vermont coach called Lin, an Asian-American, a racial slur while Lin was playing for Harvard in a game at Vermont in 2006. Lonergan refuted the allegation. On November 18, 2018,
Deadspin
''Deadspin'' is a sports blog founded by Will Leitch in 2005 and based in Chicago. Previously owned by Gawker Media and Univision Communications, it is currently owned by G/O Media.
''Deadspin'' posted daily previews, recaps, and commentaries o ...
published a story which detailed the conduct and dismissals of both former George Washington athletic director Patrick Nero and Lonergan along with the tumultuous relationship between the two.
Personal life
Lonergan and his wife Maggie have five children: John (Jack), Margaret, Michael Jr., Robert (Moe) and Regina.
Mike and Maggie met while both working at the basketball camp of legendary
DeMatha Catholic High School
DeMatha Catholic High School is a four-year Catholic high school for boys located in Hyattsville, Maryland, United States. Named after John of Matha, DeMatha is under the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington and is a member of the Washington ...
coach
Morgan Wootten
Morgan Bayard Wootten (April 21, 1931January 21, 2020) was an American high school basketball coach for 46 seasons at DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Maryland. He led the Stags to five national championships and 33 Washington Cathol ...
.
Lonergan has been involved with the Coaches vs. Cancer campaign from the beginning to help raise awareness about the devastating disease which took his mother's life.
Head coaching record
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Lonergan, Mike
1966 births
Living people
American International Yellow Jackets men's basketball coaches
American men's basketball coaches
American men's basketball players
Basketball coaches from Maryland
Basketball players from Maryland
Catholic University Cardinals men's basketball coaches
Catholic University Cardinals men's basketball players
George Washington Colonials men's basketball coaches
People from Bowie, Maryland
Sportspeople from the Washington metropolitan area
Vermont Catamounts men's basketball coaches
Point guards
Archbishop Carroll High School (Washington, D.C.) alumni