UC Alum Mark Downey Hired as Head Basketball Coach
- Release Date:Tuesday, April 13, 2010
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The University of Charleston is proud to announce the hiring of alumnus Mark Downey ('95) as the head men’s basketball coach. University of Charleston President Dr. Edwin Welch made the announcement at a 1:30 pm press conference, Tuesday afternoon.
"Our goal was to hire the best Division II coach in the country, and we did. The fact that he’s an alum coming back to his alma mater makes it even more special," Welch stated on the hiring of Downey.
Downey joins a Golden Eagle program after a four year stint as the head coach at NCAA DII member Arkansas Tech where he accumulated a 77-43 overall record, which included a school-record 30-2 finish this past season en route to finishing the season with the No. 1 ranking in the NABC DII Coaches Poll. He is currently the reigning NABC South Region Coach of the Year after his team's performance last season.
The future looks promising for Downey as the UC program returns the entire team from the 2009–10 campaign where the Golden Eagles finished 19-11 and 15-7 in WVIAC play. Downey, whose balanced attack at Arkansas Tech provided scoring opportunities for all players on the floor, will have plenty of options with standout guards Bahaadar Russell and Jonathan Liggins, both of whom finished in the top 10 in scoring for the WVIAC.
Downey takes over the program for Greg White who announced his resignation on March 18th. The two coaches connection runs back many years to Downey's second position in the coaching profession. He worked for White as an assistant coach at Marshall University from 1996–98. "I am very proud of my West Virginia roots and this opportunity at UC allows me to return home and be close to my family, while taking over a program with a strong tradition," says Downey.
As a player at UC, Downey lettered for two seasons (1993–95) and was a member of the school's WVIAC Tournament Championship Team in 1993. While at UC, Downey served as the team's captain for two straight seasons and earned his bachelor’s degree in sports medicine. Prior to playing at UC, Downey spent two seasons at Wheeling Jesuit University where he was named an All-WVIAC performer in 1992 and set the league record for three-point field goals in a single-season with 111. As a high school player, Downey was named a two-time All-State selection at St. Francis High School, including being the runner-up for the West Virginia High School Player of the Year as a senior in 1990 when he was the state's leading scorer at 37.6 points per game.
Downey’s Prior Coaching Positions:
- Arkansas Tech University — Head Coach (2006–10)
- University of New Orleans — Assistant Coach (2001–05)
- Independence Community College — Assistant Coach (1998–99) & Head Coach (1999–01)
- Marshall University — Assistant Coach (1996–98)
- Barton College — Assistant Coach (1995–96)
University of Charleston Sports Information
William McDaniel — williammcdaniel@ucwv.edu
304.720.6690
