Iona Gaels men's basketball
Men's basketball team of Iona University
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The Iona Gaels men's basketball team represents Iona University in New Rochelle, New York in NCAA Division I competition. The school's team competes in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) and plays home games in Hynes Athletics Center. Iona hired Dan Geriot on March 20, 2025.[5] The Gaels have appeared 16 times in the NCAA tournament, most recently in 2023.
(capacity: 2,611)
| Iona Gaels men's basketball | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
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| University | Iona University | ||
| Head coach | Dan Geriot (1st season) | ||
| Location | New Rochelle, New York | ||
| Arena | Hynes Athletics Center[1] (capacity: 2,611) | ||
| Conference | MAAC[2] | ||
| Nickname | Gaels[3] | ||
| Colors | Maroon and gold[4] | ||
| NCAA Division I tournament round of 32 | |||
| 1980* | |||
| NCAA Division I tournament appearances | |||
| 1979, 1980*, 1984, 1985, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2006, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2023 | |||
| Conference tournament champions | |||
| 1982, 1984, 1985, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2006, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2023 | |||
| Conference regular-season champions | |||
| 1983, 1984, 1985, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2019, 2022, 2023 | |||
| Uniforms | |||
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* – vacated by NCAA | |||
History
Iona University has been competing in Division I basketball since the school's inception in 1940. Their first taste of success came with the ECAC men's basketball tournaments (essentially regional tournaments played by Division I schools that were essentially independent, with Iona being in the Metro) in 1979 and 1980, winning the two years for an autobid to the NCAA Tournament.
Iona is also one of the founding members of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, which began play in men's basketball with the 1981–82 season, having been passed over by the Big East Conference for Seton Hall in 1980.[6] The Gaels have compiled the most victories of any MAAC team since the founding of the conference and have won a league record fourteen MAAC tourney titles (1982, 1984, 1985, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2006, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2023). They have appeared in the NCAA tournament in 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2006, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2023, with the first two of those appearances coming as a member of the Metropolitan Conference and in 2012 as an at-large selection out of the MAAC. The Gaels have also been to 7 NITs, in 1982, 1983, 1996, 1997, 2014, 2015 and 2022. In 2011, the Gaels made it to the final game of the CIT post-season tournament, losing at home to Santa Clara. Since the 1978–79 season, the Gaels have won 20 games or more in 23 seasons.
Coaching history
| No. | Tenure | Coach | Years | Record | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1953–1973 | Jim McDermott | 20 | 217–208 | .511 |
| 2 | 1973–1975 | Gene Roberti*^ | 2 | 15–32 | .319 |
| 3 | 1975–1980 | Jim Valvano | 5 | 95–46 | .674 |
| 4 | 1980–1986 | Pat Kennedy^ | 6 | 124–60 | .674 |
| 5 | 1986–1991 | Gary Brokaw | 5 | 72–74 | .493 |
| 6 | 1991–1995 | Jerry Welsh | 4 | 47–63 | .427 |
| 7 | 1995–1998 | Tim Welsh^ | 3 | 70–22 | .761 |
| 8 | 1998–2007 | Jeff Ruland*^ | 9 | 139–135 | .507 |
| 9 | 2007–2010 | Kevin Willard | 3 | 45–49 | .479 |
| 10 | 2010–2019 | Tim Cluess | 9 | 199–108 | .648 |
| 11 | 2019–2020 | Tra Arnold^ | 1 | 12–17 | .414 |
| 12 | 2020–2023 | Rick Pitino | 3 | 64–22 | .744 |
| 13 | 2023–2025 | Tobin Anderson | 2 | 33–34 | .493 |
| 14 | 2025–present | Dan Geriot | 1 | 18–14 | .563 |
| Totals | 14 coaches | 73 seasons | 1,150–884 | .565 | |
| Records updated through end of 2025–26 season Source[7] *Alum ^Promoted from assistant to head coach | |||||
Postseason
NCAA tournament results
The Gaels have appeared in 16 NCAA tournaments. Their combined record is 1–16. Iona's only NCAA tournament victory to date, which took place in 1980, was vacated by the NCAA due to their star center, Jeff Ruland, having signed a contract with an agent for professional representation a few months prior. Thus, NCAA record books attribute to them an 0–16 record in NCAA tournament games. The Gaels first five losses in NCAA tournament play were by a combined 11 points, including a heartbreaking buzzer-beater by Syracuse University in 1998; five teams that beat them went on to reach the Final Four and one won the championship.
| Year | Seed | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 8 | First Round | Penn | L 69–73 |
| 1980* | 6 | First Round Second Round | Holy Cross Georgetown | W 84–78 L 71–74 |
| 1984 | 10 | First Round | Virginia | L 57–58 |
| 1985 | 13 | First Round | Loyola (Chicago) | L 58–59 |
| 1998 | 12 | First Round | Syracuse | L 61–63 |
| 2000 | 14 | First Round | Maryland | L 59–74 |
| 2001 | 14 | First Round | Ole Miss | L 70–72 |
| 2006 | 13 | First Round | LSU | L 64–80 |
| 2012 | 14 | First Four | BYU | L 72–78 |
| 2013 | 15 | First Round | Ohio State | L 70–95 |
| 2016 | 13 | First Round | Iowa State | L 81–94 |
| 2017 | 14 | First Round | Oregon | L 77–93 |
| 2018 | 15 | First Round | Duke | L 67–89 |
| 2019 | 16 | First Round | North Carolina | L 73–88 |
| 2021 | 15 | First Round | Alabama | L 55–68 |
| 2023 | 13 | First Round | UConn | L 63–87 |
* Indicates vacated by NCAA.
NIT results
The Gaels have appeared in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) seven times. Their combined record is 1–7.
CIT results
The Gaels have appeared in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) one time. Their record is 3–1.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals Championship Game | Valparaiso Buffalo East Tennessee State Santa Clara | W 85–77 W 78–63 W 83–80 L 69–76 |
Victories over ranked opponents
- Nov. 30, 1979: Iona 78, #14 Texas A&M 52 (Bucker Field House)
- Feb. 21, 1980: Iona 77, #2 Louisville 60 (Madison Square Garden)
- Dec. 27, 2002: Iona 65, #22 North Carolina 56 (Madison Square Garden)
- Nov. 26, 2005: Iona 89, #23 Iowa State 72 (Ames, Iowa)
- Nov. 25, 2021: Iona 72, #10 Alabama 68 (HP Fieldhouse, Orlando, FL)
Gaels in the NBA
- Richie Guerin (Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, 2013)
- Jeff Ruland (1984, 1985 All-Star Selection)
- Steve Burtt, Sr.
- Sean Green
- Scott Machado
- Bob Santini
- Daniss Jenkins
- Walter Clayton Jr.
