UNC Greensboro (UNCG) head men’s basketball coach Mike Jones announced the addition of Donny Lind to his staff Thursday.
Lind joins the Spartan program after spending the last five years at Radford as an assistant coach.
He enjoyed plenty of success during his time at Radford.
“I am excited that Donny has joined our staff,” Jones said. “His recruiting effort and work with our guards has resulted in unprecedented success in recent years. What sets him apart is his tireless work ethic, creativity with all things, and his unquenchable thirst for knowledge. He has utilized those attributes to win over the hearts and minds of the young people he coaches and motivates them to become their best.”
From one Big South regular season title to another, the squad’s 21-11 record during the 2019-20 season carried them to their second straight regular season conference title for the second time in program history. The season featured wins over Northwestern, Richmond and James Madison and a 15-3 conference record. The 20-win season gave Lind and company its third straight 20-win season – the most consecutive 20-win seasons in program history.
Lind’s hard work for the 2019-20 season didn’t go unnoticed as he was named a top 50 Impactful Low Major Coach in DI and the third best assistant coach in the Big South by Jeff Goodman, Stadium Basketball Insider. Lind has been known to be one of the most energetic coaches in the game and coaches with passion. His energy rubs off on the team and players and he has great relationships with the guys. He also works with the guards, who have been good over the years.
One of those guards he has worked with went on to become the Highlanders’ first Big South Player of the Year in a 10-year span. Carlik Jones, one of the most prolific scorers in Radford and Big South history, went on to score the third-most points in a single-season in 2019-20 and ranks eighth in scoring at Radford.
Winning has followed Lind throughout his coaching career and his tenure in Radford was no different. The 2018-19 season saw the Highlanders go 22-11 overall and 12-4 in conference play to win a share of the Big South regular season title for the first time since 2008-09. The team reached the Big South Tournament championship game for the second consecutive season as well.
Under Lind’s direction, Radford’s offensive output jumped up to 73.9 points per game with a scoring margin of +5.8. The Highlanders ranked top-50 in the nation for fewest turnovers per game, assist-turnover ratio and three-point field goal percentage. Following the season, he was one of only 11 assistant coaches in the nation invited to participate in the inaugural Coaches Leadership Program at the Jay Bilas Skills Camp.
During the 2017-2018 campaign, Lind played a vital role in Radford’s run to a Big South championship and a berth in the NCAA Tournament that included the program’s first ever NCAA Tournament victory. He served as Radford’s Recruiting Coordinator and assisted with on-floor coaching and scouting.
He has taken the lead in the development of Radford’s perimeter players, notably 2018 Big South Rookie of the Year Carlik Jones. Jones learned under Lind during his redshirt season before his breakout 2017-2018 campaign.
Lind oversaw the Highlander offense, which demonstrated marked improvement during his time with the team. Bringing an analytics background to the attack, the Highlanders focused on improving their offensive efficiency which rose from eighth in the Big South in 2016-2017 to third in 2017-2018.
Lind’s winning ways were on full display before his time in the New River Valley.
Prior to arriving in Radford, Lind was an assistant at Mount St. Mary’s University where he worked for current George Washington head coach Jamion Christian. In his first season with the Mountaineers, the team won the NEC Tournament and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. Lind served as The Mount’s recruiting coordinator, helping to recruit the winningest class in school history. In April 2016, Lind was named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Under Armour 30-under-30 list as one of the top young assistant coaches in the nation.
The 2017 Mount St. Mary’s graduating class was the first class to go to two NCAA Tournaments and had the second most wins in school history. This included senior Junior Robinson, a Lind mentee, who finished his career as The Mount’s third all-time leading scorer, the 2018 NEC Player of the Year, and a 2018 AP All-American.
Much like in Radford, Lind oversaw the Mount St. Mary’s offense. During his three years, the Mountaineers led the NEC in scoring offense, free throw percentage, three-pointers made and tempo. The team was in the top 100 nationally in offensive efficiency, effective field goal percentage, scoring offense, three-pointers attempted, three-pointers made per game, and free throw percentage.
Outside of basketball, Lind played a pivotal role in The Mount’s “Separation Seminar,” which was the team’s leadership seminar that focused on team building, goal setting, and community service. For those efforts, Lind watched the men’s basketball team win The Mount Cup during each of his three years in Emmitsburg, Md. The Mount Cup is rewarded to the athletic program that excels in academics, athletics and community service.
Prior to Mount St. Mary’s, Lind spent three seasons at Virginia Commonwealth University, where he worked under now Texas head coach Shaka Smart. His tenure with the Rams started as a graduate manager while he finished his M.Ed in Sports Leadership at VCU’s prestigious Center for Sports Leadership.
After one year with the program he was elevated to video coordinator. Lind provided insights through film, analytics, and organization. He assisted with post player development, on-campus recruiting, and oversaw the Rams’ community service efforts where he was rewarded with the Athletic Department Community Service Award in 2012.
During his time in Richmond, Va., Lind was an integral piece in the Rams unprecedented success. They won a historic 84 games, a CAA Championship, and appeared in the NCAA Tournament in each of his three years. Prior to Lind’s time at VCU, the program had won one NCAA tournament game, but during Lind’s tenure, they won seven, including the legendary 2011 VCU team that advanced to the Final Four.
Lind, a New Knoxville, Ohio native, graduated from Loyola University Maryland with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics in 2010, after serving as a student manager and video coordinator for the men’s basketball program under head coach Jimmy Patsos.
Lind and his wife, Ciara have two children, Magnolia and Silas.
“Under his guidance, our offensive efficiency has steadily improved,” Jones said. “He has been a winner at every stop, and he is the common denominator. His recruiting ties and contacts in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, and Tidewater area of Virginia will be incredibly valuable here. His dedication to the craft is a welcome addition to our program and will help make a great impact on Spartan Basketball for years to come.”
https://uncgspartans.com/news/2021/4/29/mens-basketball-lind-joins-uncg-basketball-staff.aspx
