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Posted April 22, 2004

Lonergan jumps from D-III to ACC
By Pat Coleman
D3hoops.com

Photo by Pat Coleman, D3hoops.com Mike Lonergan became Catholic's all-time winningest coach with his 177th career win, defeating William Paterson in the 2001 national championship game.

He leaves the program slightly better than he found it, with nine NCAA Tournament appearances (including each of the last seven years) and a national championship banner. But even that wasn't enough to keep Lonergan, 38, in Division III and at his alma mater.

"I just didn't want to be 50 years old and saying what-if," Lonergan told D3hoops.com hours after Maryland's announcement April 22 made official the word that had been circulating through the Mid-Atlantic region for weeks — that Lonergan would be hired as an assistant coach at Maryland. "I feel like I've done everything I can at Catholic.

"I needed a new challenge."

Lonergan, who was offered the head coaching job at Division I Colgate following the 2001 season, when Catholic won the Division III men's national championship, follows his former college teammate and roommate, Jimmy Patsos. Patsos coached at Maryland until March, when he got the head coach job at Loyola (Md.).

"That's kind of strange," said Lonergan. "It definitely helped me (get the job) because I was around the program a lot. Not many guys would hire a Division III coach."

"Mike Lonergan is a proven winner and a former national championship coach," Maryland head coach Gary Williams said in a department release. "He is very familiar with the Baltimore-Washington area and brings a strong recruiting background to our staff."

Lonergan hopes to leave the Catholic program in the hands of another alumnus, Steve Howes, who played under Lonergan in the mid-'90s and is currently an assistant. "I strongly support Steve Howes for the position. I've been tough on him, but he's been strong for us recruiting and would leave the program in good hands."

Although Catholic graduates two starters, Lonergan is excited for what's left behind. "I actually like the team at CUA and think we're returning maybe the best team we've ever had. That was hard to walk away from."

Catholic went 24-6 last year, won the Capital Athletic Conference and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Being an assistant coach will require an adjustment for Lonergan, who's patrolled the sidelines at Catholic for 12 seasons, amassing a 251-88 record for a .740 winning percentage. The fiery coach will now be working for another one in Williams. "I'm sick of being the bad guy, ranting and raving at the referees," said Lonergan. "When you're an assistant you can be the good guy."

Lonergan's the second CAC head coach to jump to a high-level Division I assistant's job in the last 12 months. But the other one has already been fired, as Chuck Driesell went from Marymount to Georgetown and is waiting for new Hoya coach John Thompson III to make a decision on his assistants. While Williams' job security is higher than that of Craig Esherick, that doesn't mean his assistants enjoy the same.

"It's exciting but definitely scary," said Lonergan. "If it doesn't work out here, it's not like I'm going to do something else in life. I'm going to keep coaching."

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