UMass Lowell Men’s Basketball Head Coach Pat Duquette has hired Tom O’Shea to take over the duties of Director of Basketball Operations beginning in 2015-16. O’Shea, who boasts over 25 years of coaching experience including a historic stint at Saint Michael’s College, joins the River Hawks after serving as Assistant Athletic Director and boys’ basketball coach at St. Johnsbury Academy in Vermont.
“I am absolutely fired up, on both a personal and professional level, to get a chance to work alongside Tom O’Shea again,” said Duquette. “We have known each other over twenty years and I would say that Tom is one the best coaches and people that I have ever met in basketball. He has an amazing feel for the game, a keen eye for talent and will serve as a tremendous mentor for our players. His resume and credentials speak for themselves, yet it is his integrity and compassion that best define him.”
O’Shea spent 21 seasons at Saint Michael’s as both an assistant and head coach. In his 13 years at the helm, he became the Purple Knights’ all-time leader in career wins with 176. Under his direction, the team achieved three straight 20-win seasons (1999-2001), a first in school history, in addition to making two NCAA Tournament appearances, and winning an ECAC Championship and two Northeast-10 Conference Tournament titles. During the 2000-01 season, Saint Michael’s reached the Sweet 16 of the Division II NCAA Tournament, establishing a new school record with 27 victories. In 1999, he was named New England Division II Coaches Association Coach of the Year, Northeast-10 Coach of the Year and Northeast Regional Coach of the Year, as well.
After moving on from Saint Michael’s to St. Johnsbury Academy, O’Shea continued to coach, but also took on an administrative role as an Assistant AD. In that position, he managed all of the fall and spring sports by scheduling officials, coordinating field setup, and supervising student workers and ticket sales. He also assisted in the coach interviewing/evaluation process for a variety of teams. As the boys’ basketball coach in 2012-13, he guided the team to a 23-1 record and an appearance in the Division I State Championship.
O’Shea is a 1986 graduate of the University of Vermont. A hard-working guard, he was awarded the Sunderland Award as Vermont’s outstanding senior-athlete in 1986, and was also honored as the first recipient of the Tom O’Shea Award, which is awarded annually to a Vermont player who exhibits the strongest commitment and dedication to the Catamount program. He received his master’s degree in education from his alma mater in 1990.
http://www.goriverhawks.com/news/2015/5/29/MBB_0529152937.aspx
Photo Courtesy UMass-Lowell Athletics
