I teased this one yesterday on X – it’s now official. Tim Sweeney has departed Connecticur College and has been named as the head coach at Franklin and Marshall. Here’s the release:
The Franklin & Marshall Athletic Department has announced Tim Sweeney as the next head coach of the men’s basketball team. Carefully crafting a strong reputation of excellence in high academic settings, Sweeney brings 12 years of heading coaching experience to the Diplomats, including the last seven as the head coach of Connecticut College where the Camels experienced an unprecedented run of success in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC).
“I am so grateful to be selected to lead such a historic program with a rich tradition of excellence! As a program, we will honor our past while pursuing our own journey of excellence with this current generation of Diplomats,” said Sweeney. “Many thanks to Athletic Director Lauren Packer Webster, President Andy Rich, and the entire search committee & players for their belief in me moving forward.”
Sweeney was an immediate catalyst for success as he guided Connecticut College back to the postseason for the first time in a decade during just his second full season as head coach. He sustained that success by making a program-record five consecutive NESCAC Tournament appearances through the 2025-26 season. That stretch included an 8-2 conference record during the 2023-24 season, where Sweeney’s first recruiting class helped the Camels to a runner-up finish in the regular-season standings.
While Sweeney’s teams defeated every NESCAC opponent at least once during his tenure, his players excelled as both scholars and athletes. Highlighted by the 2024 NESCAC Player of the Year, Sweeney mentored seven All-NESCAC selections during the past four seasons. Connecticut College also excelled academically as the team was recognized every year as a National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-Academic squad.
“Franklin & Marshall men’s basketball has a deeply rooted history of excellence and engagement, and Coach Sweeney is the perfect leader to steward that legacy,” said Director of Athletics & Recreation Lauren Packer Webster. “What sets him apart is his proven ability to elevate programs while protecting their academic mission. We believe in his vision, and we are confident he will inspire our student-athletes to excel in the classroom, engage with our community, and compete for championships at the highest level.”
Prior to becoming the head coach at Connecticut College, Sweeney spent five seasons as a head coach at Hobart. He piloted the Statesmen to 84 victories, featuring two Liberty League Tournament Championship appearances. In his final season at Hobart, the team finished with a 21-5 record for the highest winning percentage and national ranking in program history.
Excelling athletically and academically has been a trademark for Sweeney dating back to his playing days at the University of Rochester. As the starting point and two-year team captain, he led the Yellow Jackets to the Final Four during the 2002 season. He later became an assistant coach at his alma mater where he helped the team to the 2005 Division III National Championship game. Success continued to follow Sweeney as an assistant coach at Davidson when NBA superstar Stephen Curry and the Wildcats made their run to the March Madness Elite Eight during the 2008 season.
Sweeney also gained valuable experience at the Division I level as an assistant coach at Bucknell and Elon. He was named the associate head coach at Elon after developing 11 all-conference players and helping the team achieve its best two-year run in program history before making the jump to the head coaching ranks.
A native of Dumont, New Jersey, Sweeney graduated cum laude from Rochester in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in political science. He earned All-University Athletic Association (UAA) honors during each of his four seasons and earned his place on the conference’s academic honor roll three times. Sweeney later earned his master’s degree in administration from Rochester’s Warner School of Education in 2020.
