Coaching Carousel Conference Preview: MAAC

The MAAC is the first conference we’ve covered that doesn’t have any potential movers. Guys are either happy where they are, or just plain stuck. The league saw three changes this spring and none of them can really qualify as a “normal” move. Two coaches managed to survive the cycle, but find themselves back on the hot seat heading into next year. Let’s dive into the conference’s coaching carousel preview.

Newcomers

Tobin Anderson (Iona)

It’s not often a mid-major school has to replace a legendary, Hall of Fame coach with two national championships to his name. It’s also not often a mid-major school replaces that coach with a NCAA tournament darling who was the runner-up for the job the last time it opened. Tobin Anderson *finally* lands at Iona after a dream season with Fairleigh Dickinson. Anderson led the Knights to a historic upset of 1-seed Purdue and immediately vaulted himself onto the national stage. He’s no one-hit wonder, though. Prior to FDU, Anderson was one of the country’s most successful coaches at the D2 level, winning 11 total conference regular season and tournament titles at St. Thomas Aquinas. Anderson takes over one the most successful mid-major programs in the country and should have no problem continuing that winning tradition.

John Gallagher (Manhattan)

Manhattan’s administration was widely (and rightfully) criticized for their handling of Steve Masiello’s departure last October. Firing a coach just a week before your season starts will never end well. The school promoted RaShawn Stores to interim head coach and he led the Jaspers to a respectable 12-18 (10-10 MAAC) record. Most people around the business assumed Stores did well enough to earn the job outright, but athletic director Marianne Reilly thought otherwise. She opted to hire former Hartford coach John Gallagher, who ironically resigned from his job at the beginning of last season. Gallagher’s resignation came after Hartford decided to transition to D3. He had a winning season in four of his last five years at the school and made consecutive NCAA tournaments in 2020 and 2021. With Reilly now out of the picture, Gallagher should have a fresh start with fewer hurdles at his new school.

Tom Pecora (Quinnipiac)

Tom Pecora takes over at Quinnipiac after the sudden resignation of Baker Dunleavy. Dunleavy was angling for an extension, but didn’t get one and decided to take a General Manager role at Villanova. Pecora landed at Quinnipiac in 2017 after a five-year stint as the head coach at Fordham. In 14 seasons as a D1 head coach, he’s 199-232 overall and has yet to make a NCAA tournament appearance. At 65, Pecora is the second-oldest coach hired this cycle. The decision to promote him over conducting a national search raised some eyebrows, but the administration made it clear that Pecora has their full support. Pecora will look to lead Quinnipiac to its first NCAA tournament appearance in school history.

Hot Seat

Reggie Witherspoon (Canisius)

Reggie Witherspoon is 94-112 in seven seasons at Canisius. He hasn’t won more than 12 games in four consecutive seasons and the program has become stagnant since his first season in Buffalo. Athletic director Bill Maher had to issue a vote of confidence for the Golden Griffs head coach after rumors swirled of his potential dismissal. All signs point to this year being Witherspoon’s last unless there’s a quick turnaround on the court.

Jay Young (Fairfield)

Jay Young is 50-73 in four seasons at Fairfield. The former Rutgers assistant hasn’t had a winning season yet and the pressure to deliver is mounting. The Stags opened a brand new arena last season and they didn’t build it to house a losing product. Young was briefly connected to the open position on Steve Pikiell’s staff as a possible parachute move this spring. He’s under contract through 2026, but one more losing season might mean the end of his tenure. A pair of UConn assistants have their eyes on this one.

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