Coaching Carousel Conference Preview: Ivy

The Ivy League is unlike any other in college sports. Student-athletes don’t get athletic scholarships, only four teams make the conference tournament and there are no grad students on the court. The league’s coaching carousel preview is also unlike any other so far. There aren’t any newcomers and we’ve got an assistant coach on the potential movers list. Let’s dive into the preview.

Potential Movers

Brett MacConnell (Princeton assistant coach)

Mitch Henderson feels like a Princeton lifer, but one of his assistants is getting ready to move on. Brett MacConnell was one of the hottest names in the northeast this spring. He’ll be a head coach one day – it’s a matter of when, not if. He was in the mix for a number of jobs, but opted to stick around in Jersey for another season. MacConnell is sought after for his ability to identify and recruit talent that flies under the radar. He’s responsible for putting together nearly an entire Princeton roster that went to the Sweet 16 last season. If Princeton can repeat their success this season, his profile and the jobs he can reasonably get will skyrocket.

James Jones (Yale)

James Jones got his first head coaching job in 1999 and hasn’t left since. He’s 377-301 in 24 years at Yale with six regular season titles and four NCAA tournament appearances. The 59-year-old still has plenty left in the tank and hasn’t had a losing season in nine years. He’s qualified for most jobs that come available, but he’s known to be very picky about what he’s looking for. With three tournaments in the last four eligible seasons, he’s well-positioned to capitalize on any opportunity that suits him. There could be a coaching change in New Haven if the stars align next spring.

Hot Seat

Jim Engles (Columbia)

Jim Engles is 46-121 in six seasons at Columbia. He hasn’t won more than 11 games in a season and the Lions haven’t been remotely competitive in the league since the departure of Kyle Smith. Engles enters 23-24 on one of the hottest seats in the country. Plenty of people will lineup for this one if it becomes available and Engles will need his best season yet to keep his tenure going.

Dave McLaughlin (Dartmouth)

Dave McLaughlin is 56-110 in six seasons at Dartmouth. He finds himself in a very similar position as Jim Engles at Columbia. The Big Green are simply not competitive in the Ivy League. McLaughlin hasn’t been able to recreate the success he had in nine seasons at Stonehill. He’s got two years left on his contract, but new athletic director Mike Harrity is reportedly applying the pressure to improve this season. We could see a changing of the guard in Hanover next spring.

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