Iona College has announced a contract extension for men’s basketball head coach Tim Cluess through the 2020-21 season.
“Coach Cluess continues to be the right man for Iona basketball,” said Iona College President Dr. Joseph E. Nyre. “We are proud to have him as the leader of our program in this time of unprecedented success for the Gaels.”
“Tim Cluess continues to lead the program the right way and his success in the MAAC and the New York Metropolitan Area speaks for itself,” said Director of Athletics Rick Cole Jr. “Coach Cluess’ commitment to Iona athletics’ mission of building champions both on and off the court is remarkable. I’m excited to work with him as he positions Iona College and our student-athletes for success.”
“Once again I thank the Iona College community, especially our alumni, for their support of our program, myself and my family,” said Cluess. “Thank you also for the support from President Nyre, Rick Cole and our administration. I am elated to be a part of the Gael Nation and look forward to building continued success for Iona College and Iona men’s basketball.”
Cluess is the winningest coach in the New York Metropolitan area over his six seasons at Iona. The Gaels’ 140 overall wins is the most among the 21 NCAA Division I programs within the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association coverage area. The Maroon & Gold’s six postseason appearances are one more than any other program during Cluess’ tenure.
Cluess is the 12th coach in Iona history and the program’s second winningest coach with an overall mark of 140-65 (.683). Cluess has guided the Gaels to six years with 20 or more victories, the only coach in program history to boast the accomplishment.
The Gaels earned postseason appearances in each of Cluess’ six seasons following the team’s automatic bid into this year’s NCAA Tournament. Iona appeared in the National Invitation Tournament in 2014 and 2015 after two straight MAAC Regular Season Championships with a 17-3 mark in league play in each season. Cluess led Iona to back-to-back NCAA appearances in 2012 and 2013 and in his first season, the Gaels played in the championship game of the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT).
Cluess’ Gaels earned MAAC Tournament Championships in 2013 and 2016 and three MAAC Regular Season Championships in 2012, 2014, and 2015. Iona has appeared in the MAAC championship game in five of the last six seasons. The Gaels’ 89 regular season MAAC wins over the time frame are 32 more than the second team on the list, an average of 3.4 wins per season.
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Photo Courtesy Iona Athletics
