Mount St. Mary’s has hired Donny Lind as the 23rd head coach in men’s basketball program history. An assistant coach at University of North Carolina Greensboro for the past several years, Lind, who has been successful at every stop, brings tremendous energy along with an up-tempo offense and defense.
Lind will be introduced at a press conference on Tuesday, April 23 at 2:30 p.m. on the concourse in Knott Arena. The event will be shown live on ESPN+.
“My family and I are so excited to return to Mount St. Mary’s as the head coach.” Lind said. “I truly appreciate President Trainor, President-Elect Joyce, and Athletic Director Brad Davis for entrusting me to lead this program. To have the opportunity to build upon the rich basketball tradition that Coach Phelan started and has continued throughout the years is a responsibility I don’t take lightly. I’m looking forward to honoring that legacy while pushing the Mount to even greater heights.”
Lind served on coaching staffs at both Radford and UNCG under head coach Mike Jones. Radford won back-to-back Big South regular season titles in 2018-19 and 2019-20 during his tenure in Virginia. He also helped the Highlanders win the 2017-18 Big South Tournament, leading to a First Four win over LIU Brooklyn for the program’s first NCAA Tournament win. Earning high marks at UNCG as well, the Spartans earned the No. 2 seed in the SoCon last year after earning a 21-11 record. Electric from long range, UNCG ranked fourth in the country for three-point percentage, making 39.7 percent of all shots and drilling over 10 shots per game from beyond-the-arc.
“From our first conversation, Donny’s vision for the Mount, combined with his creative coaching skillset and incredible recruiting reputation stood out to me.” Davis said. “I am thrilled to welcome Donny back to the Mount and am excited to partner with him to take our men’s basketball program to the next level.”
Serving as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the Mount from 2013 to 2016, Lind was on staff for the 2014 Northeast Conference Championship and helped put many of the pieces together for the team’s 2017 run. He worked on both sides of the ball, improving the Mountaineers offense before transitioning to directing the “Mayhem” full court pressure defense. Using a background in basketball analytics, he improved both sides of the ball, producing the top offense in the NEC for the 2013-14 season.
“We are excited to welcome Donny Lind back to Mount St. Mary’s,” said Dr. Trainor. “During his time as an assistant coach here, Donny oversaw the famous Mount Mayhem full-court pressure defense. I am confident that he will take the Mount to higher levels of success in men’s basketball. The Mount community looks forward to the arrival of Donny, his wife Ciara, and their two children on Mary’s Mountain.”
Following the 2019-20 season after Radford went 21-11 with a 15-3 Big South record, Lind was recognized as a Top 50 Impactful Low Major Coach in D1 by Silver Waves Media and a top five assistant coach for the Big South by Jeff Goodman.
Korn Ferry assisted with the Mount’s national search for its 23rd head men’s basketball coach.
“I want to thank Jenna McLaughlin and Korn Ferry for all of their help throughout this process,” said Davis. “Jenna and her team worked tirelessly with our staff for nine days, helping us find the perfect fit for this position.”
Former Mount Head Coach Jamion Christian brought Lind along from Virginia Commonwealth University where he worked as a graduate manager before being elevated to video coordinator. He was part of the Rams’ storied run as the team won 84 games, including seven NCAA Tournament games and the team’s run to the 2011 Final Four.
Originally hailing from New Knoxville, Ohio, he graduated with an economics degree from Loyola in Baltimore in 2010. He went on to earn his MBA from VCU while employed there.
Lind returns to Emmitsburg with his wife, Ciara, and his two children, Magnolia and Silas.
OFFICIAL: Lind named Head Basketball Coach at The Mount
