Raider Feature: Billy Donlon
12/28/2010 12:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 28, 2010
First-year men's basketball head coach Billy Donlon talks about his playing and coaching past.
In his words:
1. What originally got you interested in coaching basketball?
I chose coaching because I grew up in a basketball family. My father was a coach for over 35 years and my grandfather (mom's dad) played basketball and baseball at Saint John's University. My mom played and my oldest sister Heather was a terrific player at Fordham University in the Bronx, New York. I love the competition, the work ethic and the lifelong relationships that are built from being involved in sports.
2. What have you learned through playing and coaching?
The two greatest lessons that sports teaches us is the value of hard work. One cannot succeed without a great work ethic. The other is it teaches you to remain calm during the good and bad times. It is critical in life to have an even keel because basketball and life has ebbs and flows. I am not saying that I coach or our players play without enthusiasm or passion but during the high of highs and the low of lows it is important to stay grounded.
3. Do you have a favorite memory of coaching or playing?
I don't have one favorite memory. Wining 6 Championships over the past 8 seasons(3 Regular Season and 3 Conference Tournament Championships) is a great point of pride but just as significant is seeing our young men grow and develop as people, students and players. It is very rewarding to go to former players' weddings and those memories are even more significant than winning games.
