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Paul Cormier

Paul Cormier (born June 3, 1951)

Teams coached: Fairfield Stags, Dartmouth Big Green
Fairfield record: 86-111 (.437)
Dartmouth record: 142-211 (.402)
Overall record: 228-322 (.415)

Career Accomplishments:

  • NCAA National Championships:  0
  • NCAA Tournament Appearances:  1  (1997)
  • NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen:  0
  • NIT Championships:  0
  • NIT Appearances:  1  (1996)
  • CIT Appearances:  1  (2015)
  • MAAC Regular Season Champion:  1  (1996)
  • MAAC Tournament Champion:  1  (1997)

Awards:

Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):

2019-2020 UMass (special asst. to the HC)
2010-2016 Dartmouth
2006-2007 Memphis Grizzlies (asst)
2003-2006 Boston Celtics (asst)
1991-1998 Fairfield
1984-1991 Dartmouth
1980-1984 Villanova (asst)
1978-1980 Bentley (asst)

Paul Cormier Facts

  • Paul Cormier
  • Born June 3, 1951
  • Hometown: Lexington, Massachusetts
  • Alma Mater: University of New Hampshire (BA, 1973 & M.Ed, 1980)
  • Played baseball and basketball at New Hampshire, the latter under late head coach Gerry Friel
    • Drafted by three different MLB teams and spent two years pitching in the Cleveland Indians organization
  • Started his career as JV coach at Newmarket HS (NH), then coached the varsity team for three years at Concord HS (NH)
  • First collegiate coaching job was an assistant at Bentley College (now University) in Waltham, MA
  • Spent four years as an assistant under Hall of Fame Villanova head coach Rollie Massimino
    • Went to four NCAA Tournaments with Nova, including two trips to the Elite Eight
  • Hired in 1984 to be the head coach at Dartmouth, leading the Big Green for the next seven seasons
    • This would be the first of two stints at Dartmouth for Cormier, who coached there for 13 years in total
      • Won 87 games over those first seven years, finishing above .500 in three straight seasons (1987-90)
  • Became the head coach at Fairfield in 1991, going 86-111 in seven seasons with the Stags
    • Won the 1997 MAAC Tournament crown (despite going just 2-12 in conference play) to earn a berth in the NCAA Tournament, during which the Stags played 1-seed UNC and actually led in the second half (lost by 8)
  • Moved on to the pro ranks in 1998, spending a season as a scout with the New York Knicks (head coach was Jeff Van Gundy)
  • Later spent four seasons as an assistant with the Boston Celtics (under head coaches Jim O’Brien and Doc Rivers) and one more on Tony Barone‘s staff with the Memphis Grizzlies
  • Served a scout for the next three seasons: 2007-09 with the New Jersey Nets (coached by Lawrence Frank) and 2008-09 with the Golden State Warriors (coached by Don Nelson)
  • Returned to Dartmouth for his second stint at the helm, winning 55 games to bring his overall total to 142
    • Finished below .500 in each of his final six seasons, but reached the CIT in 2015
    • Was let go after the 2015-16 season with an overall D-I head coaching record of 228-322
  • After several years out of coaching, Cormier spent the 2019-20 season as special assistant to head coach Matt McCall at UMass
  • Along with his wife, Susan, has four sons

Paul Cormier Coaching Tree