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Don Donoher

Don Donoher (1932-2024)

Teams coached: Dayton Flyers
Dayton record: 437-275 (.614)
Overall record: 437-275 (.614)

Career Accomplishments:

  • NCAA National Championships:  0  (Runner-up in 1967)
  • NCAA Tournament Appearances:  8  (1965, 1966, 1967, 1969, 1970, 1974, 1984, 1985)
  • NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen:  5  (1965, 1966, 1967, 1974, 1984)
  • NCAA Tournament Final Four:  1  (1967)
  • NIT Championships:  1  (1968)
  • NIT Appearances:  7  (1968, 1971, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1986)

Awards:

  • National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame (inducted 2015)

Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):

1964-1989 Dayton
1963-1964 Dayton (asst)

Don Donoher Facts

  • Donald Donoher
  • Born January 21, 1932
  • Died April 12, 2024
  • Hometown: Toledo, Ohio
  • Alma Mater: University of Dayton (BA, 1954)
  • Attended Central Catholic HS in Toledo before going on to play for Tom Blackburn at Dayton
    • After graduating in 1954, Donoher enlisted in the US Army and served for two years
    • Returned to Dayton, where he worked part-time with the basketball program
    • Became an assistant coach for Blackburn in 1963, the first full-time assistant the program had ever had
  • Blackburn was forced to step aside in 1964 due to his deteriorating health and Donoher was named his successor
    • Coached the Flyers for 25 seasons, winning 437 games during his tenure and reaching eights NCAA Tournaments and seven NITs
    • Finished as the runner-up in the 1967 NCAA Tournament and the following year won the 1968 NIT
      • Reached the Sweet Sixteen five times and had an overall postseason record of 20-16 (.556)
    • Fired in 1989 after three straight losing season; left with an 437-275 overall record
  • Was an assistant to head coach Bob Knight with Team USA during the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles
    • The Americans, led by college stars like Michael Jordan and Patrick Ewing, cruised to a gold medal
  • Spent one season (1989-90) as an assistant at Indiana under Knight before retiring from coaching in 1990
  • In addition to the National Collegiate Basketball HOF, Donoher has also been inducted into Toledo Area High School HOF, Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association HOF and University of Dayton HOF
  • In his retirement, Donoher continued to reside in Dayton and helped out at Bishop Fenwick HS where his grandchildren attended
  • Donoher passed away in April 2024 at the age of 92

Don Donoher Coaching Tree

  • Johnny Davis (Memphis Grizzlies, Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers)
  • Anthony Grant (Dayton, Alabama, VCU)
  • Dan Hipsher (Wittenberg, Stetson, Akron, UTPA/UTRGV)