Bob Donewald Jr., who has more than 30 years of coaching experience at the professional, collegiate, and international levels, has been named an assistant coach for the University of South Carolina men’s basketball team, head coach Lamont Paris announced on Friday morning.
“I’m really excited about the addition of Coach Donewald to our staff,” said Paris. “As the landscape of college basketball continues to evolve, I believe Bob’s experiences in the NBA as well as his tremendous connections in the international basketball world will pay huge dividends for our program. Combine that with his college basketball pedigree, and his familiarity with the SEC specifically, and you have an extremely well-rounded coach who is ready to hit the ground running. Welcome home, Bob!”
“This is an incredible opportunity for my family and me,” said Donewald. “We’re truly excited to join the University of South Carolina and the city of Columbia. The passion and energy surrounding this school is undeniable. I’m looking forward to working with Lamont and contributing to the growth of this program. I’m grateful for the trust he has shown in me with this opportunity. I’m ready to get started and hit the ground running. Go Gamecocks!”
Donewald has spent the last six seasons as an assistant under head coach Chris Beard at Ole Miss (2023-26), Texas (2021-23) and Texas Tech (2019-21). In that span, Donewald has been a part of three NCAA Tournament teams and a trio of 20-win seasons.
In Oxford, he helped guide the Rebels to pair of 20-win seasons which included a Sweet Sixteen appearance in 2025 that featured a 91-78 win over No. 3 seed Iowa State in the round of 32.
At Texas, Donewald helped the Longhorns to 51 wins and a 22-14 record in the Big 12 over two seasons. Texas won the 2023 Big 12 Tournament to earn a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament where they advanced to the Elite Eight. He helped the Longhorns ink a four-man freshman class in 2022 that was ranked No. 6 by 247 Sports.
At Texas Tech in 2020-21, Donewald served as assistant coach for a Red Raider squad that went 18-11 (9-8 Big 12) and advanced to the round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament. Texas Tech was ranked in the AP Top-25 the entire season for the first time in program history reaching as high as No. 7 in February. In his first year in Lubbock in 2019-20, the Red Raiders went 18-13 and T-3rd in the Big 12 with a 9-9 league mark. The season, which saw the NCAA Tournament cancelled due to COVID, was highlighted by a 70-57 win over No. 1 Louisville at the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden and an 88-42 home win against TCU, marking the largest margin of victory (46 points) in Big 12 play in program history.
Piror to getting back into the collegiate coaching ranks, Donewald spent the 2018-19 season as the head coach of the PBC Lokomotiv Kuban in the VTB United League in Russia. He was the head coach for the Jilin Northeast Tigers in the Chinese Basketball Association during the 2016-17 season. He served as the head coach of the Iowa Energy as part of the Memphis Grizzlies organization in the NBA D League for two seasons (2014-15 and 2015-16). The Energy (now known as the Iowa Wolves) registered a 52-48 mark in his two years, and Donewald’s emphasis on player development led to call-ups to the NBA for Hassan Whiteside, Willie Reed, Kalin Lucas, Patrick Christopher, Tyrus Thomas, James Ennis III and Alex Stephenson.
Donewald was the head coach of Dnipro Dnepropetrovsk for one season (2008-09), when he coached Patrick Beverley and led the team to the Ukranian UBL Cup semifinals. He then took over the head coaching position with the Shanghai Sharks in China for two years (2009-11) under the ownership of Naismith Hall of Famer Yao Ming. Donewald guided the Sharks to the Chinese Basketball Association’s Final Four of the 2010 playoffs after inheriting a team that finished in last place the year prior to his hiring. He then served as head coach for the Xinjiang Flying Tigers in the CBA during the 2011 season. During his time in China, Donewald also worked as the head coach of the Chinese National Team from 2010-12, leading the team at the 2010 World Championships, the 2010 Asian Games and the 2012 London Olympics. Under his guidance, the Chinese National Team captured the gold medal at the 2010 and 2011 Asian Games and he was named the Asian Games’ Best Coach in 2010 and the 2011 Asian Championships’ Best Coach. The squad posted a 36-0 record in Asia during his time as head coach.
In 2007-08, Donewald spent a year as an assistant at UAB, helping the Blazers to a 23-11 record and an NIT appearance. He helped develop a pair of NBA Draft picks in Walter Sharpe (No. 32 overall by Seattle in 2008) and Robert Vaden (No. 54 overall by Charlotte in 2009).
From 2001-04, Donwald spent three seasons as an assistant coach in the NBA working for Charlotte (2001-02), New Orleans (2002-03) and Cleveland (2003-04) getting to work with the likes of LeBron James, Jamal Mashburn, Baron Davis and Carols Boozer.
Prior to his time in the NBA, Donewald spent five years as a head coach and general manager in the British Basketball League (BBL), leading his teams to the finals of the championship series three times. He served as head coach and general manager of the Leicester Riders for two seasons (1996-97 and 1997-98), guiding the Riders to the finals of the National Cup in his second year. Donewald was the head coach of the Derby Storm for one season (1998-99), leading the team to the finals of the uni-ball Trophy. He then served as head coach of the Greater London Leopards for two years (1999-2000 and 2000-01), helping the Leopards to a 24-10 mark and the finals of the National Cup in 2000-01.
He began his coaching career from 1989-93 working as a student assistant for four years under his father, Bob Donewald Sr., at Western Michigan. After graduating, he did an internship with the New Jersey Nets serving as an assistant to general manager and Naismith Hall of Famer Willis Reed. He then worked as an assistant coach at Morehead State from 1994-96 before getting into professional basketball at the international level.
https://gamecocksonline.com/news/2026/04/10/donewald-jr-joins-paris-staff-as-assistant-coach
