MaxPreps 2015-16 National Boys Basketball Coach of the Year: Pat Donnelly, U-D Jesuit

Video: MaxPreps National Coach of the Year – Pat Donnelly
Former college coach and WNBA scout is 142-42 in eight seasons at Detroit Catholic League school.

Even with a star point guard and a pair of 6-foot-9 juniors returning from a 22-win team, history was not on the side of U-D Jesuit (Detroit) and its quest for a state title this winter.

The school itself opened in 1877 and Michigan began crowning high school basketball state champions in 1925.

The Cubs had never even reached a final.

No team from the Detroit Catholic League had won the big school Class A state title since 1976.

Legendary names in Michigan high school basketball like Kalamazoo Central, Muskegon, Pershing and Saginaw – schools with a combined 25 state titles – had all won in Class A in recent years, giving credence to the notion that the old guard was still firmly in place.

But history meant little this winter to U-D Jesuit and head coach Pat Donnelly. "State championship or bust was very much our mentality heading into the season," Donnelly said. "After being in the final four the last two years, we would have been disappointed with anything less than that."

Not only did the Cubs win a state title, they went undefeated in the process and finished the season ranked No. 4 nationally by MaxPreps.

For his efforts, Donnelly – 142-42 in eight seasons as head coach at U-D Jesuit – has been named the 2015-16 MaxPreps National Boys Basketball Coach of the Year.

The season began Dec. 7 with a game against then-nationally ranked Morgan Park of Chicago. All-American guard Cassius Winston, a Michigan State signee, scored 26 points in a 64-61 win that helped the Cubs make their Top 25 debut.

"That game really set the tone for the whole season," Donnelly said. "No. 1 in Michigan against No. 1 in Illinois, big crowd. That really gave us a big boost in confidence."

The Cubs won 17 of 20 regular season games by double digits and keeping with the program's defensive mentality, limited opponents to just 44.4 points per game. They held Brother Rice to just 12 in a league game in mid-January.

Playoff showdowns with defending champion Western International of Detroit and unbeaten Macomb Dakota reinforced U-D Jesuit's status as the best team in Michigan.

The Cubs ran away from North Farmington in the title game 69-49 behind 31 points and nine assists from Winston. It was a fitting end for the player who helped Donnelly elevate the program, going 95-12 in his four seasons at U-D Jesuit.

"Cassius started here in the seventh grade and could have gone to any high school he wanted to go to," Donnelly said. "He had people in his ear, prep school and all that. What can I say? He is an extremely loyal kid and a phenomenal person. Ton of credit to his parents, they raised him the right way."

Prior to arriving at U-D Jesuit in 2008, Donnelly spent time as an advance scout for the New York Liberty of the WNBA and had college coaching stints at Elmira College, Mansfield University and the University of Akron.

Past MaxPreps National Coaches of the Year
2015 – Sam Duane Jr., Corona del Sol (Tempe, Ariz.)
2014 – Gary McKnight, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)
2013 – Quincy Lewis, Lone Peak (Highland, Utah)
2012 – Danny Henderson, Marcus (Flower Mound, Texas)
2011 – Bob Hurley, St. Anthony (Jersey City, N.J.)
2010 – Ed Azzam, Westchester (Los Angeles)