I mentioned this one back on 4/1 (DAILY DIRT) – it’s now been made official. Ben Lee has been hired as an assistant at Siena. Here’s the release:
New Siena Men’s Basketball Head Coach Gerry McNamara has announced the hiring of Ben Lee as an assistant coach. The Long Island native joins the Saints after spending the past two seasons on staff at the University of Washington.
“I’m thrilled to have Ben Lee join our program,” said McNamara. “He brings an incredible energy and relentless work ethic. His ability to recruit, develop, and connect with the guys he works with is high-level!”
Lee arrives in Loudonville after serving for the previous two seasons in his second stint on staff at Washington. He was promoted to Assistant Coach and Director of Recruiting this past year, where he helped develop 2023-24 Pac-12 Sixth Player of the Year Koren Johnson and First Team selection Keion Brooks, Jr., who was also one of five finalists for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame 2024 Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award. Lee served as the Huskies Director of Basketball Operations during the 2022-23 season.
“I want to thank Coach McNamara for this incredible opportunity,” said Lee. “My family and I are excited to get back home to New York and the Capital Region. Siena is a great job with an elite fan base and championship tradition. I can’t wait to get to work!”
Prior to his most recent appointment as Washington, Lee spent two years as the Director of Marquee Hoops and Vice President for Events for MADE Hoops, industry leaders in grassroots basketball. A total of 83 of the top-100 players in ESPN’s 2023 Recruiting Rankings were MADE Hoops alumni.
Lee began his first stint at Washington as a graduate assistant during the 2019-20 season, while earning his Master’s in Education from the Intercollegiate Athletic Leadership Program. As part of his role, he worked directly on player training and development with Isaiah Stewart and Jaden McDaniels, who were both selected in the First Round of the 2020 NBA Draft following their freshmen seasons.
No stranger to the Capital Region, Lee is a 2019 graduate of nearby Union College where he earned a bachelor’s degree in economics. He starred at point guard for Union from 2015-19, where he was part of the first team in school history to win consecutive Liberty League Championships. Lee served as a team captain, and earned the Paul Rieschick Award for “exemplifying the team concept through desire, attitude, and loyalty to the program.”
A native of Great Neck, New York, Lee is married to his wife, Liana.
