Penn names Steve Donahue men's hoops coach

Mar 17, 2015 - 12:02 AM Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - Onetime University of Pennsylvania assistant Steve Donahue was hired Monday as the head men's basketball coach at the Ivy League school.

Donahue, who has long roots in the area, replaces Jerome Allen and returns to Philadelphia after stints as the head coach at Cornell and Boston College and a season analyzing basketball on TV.

He was an assistant for the Quakers during a successful run under Fran Dunphy from 1990-2000, a 10-year span during which the program won six league titles and made five appearances in the NCAA Tournament.

"I am thrilled to be coming back to Penn as its head men's basketball coach," Donahue said in a statement released by the school. "Having been a part of Philadelphia and Penn basketball for the greater part of my life, I have a great passion for this city and this program."

Penn athletic director Grace Calhoun said Donahue's "knowledge of and appreciation for Penn basketball, the Ivy model of student-athlete development, and the Big Five were unparalleled in the search" for a new head coach.

Donahue was head coach at Cornell for 10 seasons between 2000-10, leading the Big Red to the NCAA Tournament in each of his last three years there which included a Sweet 16 run in 2010.

Less successful was his four-year stint at Boston College, where he went 54-76 before he was fired last March.

This past season, Donahue served as a regular analyst on college basketball broadcasts for ESPN and Fox.

Allen resigned last week after five-plus seasons leading the Quakers, who were 65-104 in his tenure.

Donahue is a native of nearby Delaware County (Pa.) and was an assistant under legendary Philadelphia University coach Herb Magee before arriving at Penn in 1990.

Prior to his college career, Donahue coached two high schools in Delaware County.