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Post by alum on Aug 22, 2019 4:57:54 GMT -5
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Post by WorcesterGray on Aug 22, 2019 8:04:04 GMT -5
Interesting.
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Post by bison137 on Nov 4, 2020 13:17:02 GMT -5
It is being reported that Daigneault, along with Bucknell's Charles Lee, are "strong candidates" for the OKC head coaching job. "Spurs assistant coach Will Hardy, Bucks assistant Charles Lee, and Oklahoma City assistant Mark Daigneault are among the candidates who have received strong consideration for the Thunder‘s open head coaching position, according to Marc Stein of The New York Times." www.hoopsrumors.com/2020/11/steins-latest-thunder-morey-rose.html
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Post by Tom on Nov 4, 2020 14:06:14 GMT -5
Couldn't read the Courant story, but nice to know our former assistant is still in the hunt of Oklahoma City
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Post by Sons of Vaval on Nov 4, 2020 21:34:32 GMT -5
Bison137, surely you are mistaken and Daigneault is headed for an administrative role in the front office.
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Post by bison137 on Nov 4, 2020 22:43:33 GMT -5
Bison137, surely you are mistaken and Daigneault is headed for an administrative role in the front office. Yes, I think I've heard that before.
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Post by bison137 on Nov 11, 2020 10:21:38 GMT -5
Daigneault reportedly has been named the OKC head coach.
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Post by bison137 on Nov 11, 2020 10:24:53 GMT -5
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Post by Sons of Vaval on Nov 11, 2020 10:35:21 GMT -5
Would be amusing to read some of those Mark D threads from the old board right about now.
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Post by bringbackcaro on Nov 11, 2020 10:43:56 GMT -5
Fr McFarland letting a stupid grudge with RW get in the way of Daigneault becoming the head coach at HC is the modern day turning down the Big East.
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Post by HC92 on Nov 11, 2020 10:50:18 GMT -5
Congrats to Mark D!
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Post by cmo on Nov 11, 2020 11:25:52 GMT -5
Fr McFarland letting a stupid grudge with RW get in the way of Daigneault becoming the head coach at HC is the modern day turning down the Big East. we couldn’t have messed that up anymore
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Post by Tom on Nov 13, 2020 11:38:27 GMT -5
Thunder made it official yesterday. Once again glad to hear our former assistant doing well. I'm guessing he's glad things didn't work out for him to stay here. His grad school experience seems to have paid off
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Post by sader1970 on Nov 13, 2020 11:44:06 GMT -5
Obviously didn't have the abilities to coach a PL team but apparently good enough to handle the lesser responsibilities of an NBA coach. So glad he didn't become a "Peter's Principle" victim.
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Post by A Clock Tower Purple on Nov 13, 2020 12:02:54 GMT -5
Guess he was more at HC than the pencil pusher a certain poster kept trying to tell everyone.
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Post by alum on Nov 13, 2020 12:19:44 GMT -5
Guess he was more at HC than the pencil pusher a certain poster kept trying to tell everyone. I posted a response to this quibbling about details about our several year old debates about hiring MD. I deleted it. I'll just be happy a guy who coached at HC is an NBA head coach.
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Post by timholycross on Nov 13, 2020 12:34:48 GMT -5
Lawrence Frank also was a team manager; at Indiana, I believe. George Blaney must be happy with this development!
Aside from the RW feud with Father McF; what probably worked against him was that he was 25 years old at the time Kearney got canned and Reagan felt like he didn't want to go down the "never been a head coach" road again.
Or was his name thrown into the mix when Milan left?
Or was it that Ralph would come back and Daigneault would later take over (never liked that approach, but that's just me)?
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Post by HCFC45 on Nov 13, 2020 12:52:00 GMT -5
Congratulations to Mark! Met him once years ago at a gathering in the Hart. Came over and introduced himself and had a nice conversation about basketball. He very professional and spoke very well. You just knew he was headed for bigger things!
Here's from yesterday's Worcester Telegram.... lots of quotes/comments from RW:
Mark Daigneault named coach of NBA’s Thunder
Leominster native was assistant at Holy Cross, UConn
By Jennifer Toland
Worcester Telegram & Gazette USA TODAY NETWORK
Mark Daigneault was 22 years old, eager and ambitious, when he joined Ralph Willard’s Holy Cross men's basketball staff in 2007, just a couple of months after graduating from the University of Connecticut, where he served as a student assistant under Jim Calhoun, as well as former HC coach George Blaney.
“Mark was one of the most unique people for his age that I ever encountered,” Willard said during a phone interview Wednesday from his home in Florida. “He was so mature beyond his years. I never looked at him as a 20-somethingyear- old kid; I always looked at him as a coach that got it, got everything about the profession.”
Daigneault, the Leominster native whose career has been on a steadfast and upward trajectory the last 13 years, was named coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday.
Daigneault succeeds Billy Donovan, who became coach of the Chicago Bulls in September.
Daigneault has been with the Thunder organization for six years, five as coach of the Oklahoma City Blue of the NBA’s G League, and last season as one of Donovan’s assistants. Daigneault previously coached under Donovan at the University of Florida.
“I’m so excited and so grateful,” Daigneault said during his introductory news conference. “Grateful for the last six years in this organization and in this community, grateful for the fact that the Thunder have raised me as a professional basketball coach and as a head coach. I can’t wait to continue to grow here with these people and with this organization.”
See DAIGNEAULT, B3
Leominster native Mark Daigneault, center, who has been with the Oklahoma City Thunder organization for six years, has been promoted to head coach. [FILE PHOTO]
DAIGNEAULT
From Page B1
Daigneault becomes the fourth head coach in Thunder history. At 35, Daigneault is the secondyoungest coach in the NBA. The Timberwolves’ Ryan Saunders is 34.
“Everyone is ecstatic in the city of Leominster,” said Leominster High principal Steve Dubzinski, who was Daigneault’s high school basketball coach.
Daigneault was a Blue Devils captain in 2002-03, his senior season.
“No one is surprised (Daigneault has become an NBA head coach),” Dubzinski said. “Maybe it’s a little earlier than people thought, but he’s a natural, and has definitely put in the hard work and climbed the ladder from the bottom rung all the way up to the top, so it’s a great tribute to him and his family where he is today. It’s great.”
During his news conference, Daigneault thanked “all the people who have had their fingerprints on my life and on my career,” including his wife, Ashley, his parents, Rick and Sandy, and his sister, Erica, as well as Dubzinski, Calhoun, Blaney, Willard and Donovan, “all the coaches who have had an unbelievable impact on my career and opened career doors for me.”
Willard said Daigneault called him Wednesday morning to share the good news.
“Obviously he was pumped,” Willard said. “He’s invested a lot of time and great relationships with all the people out there. He invested so much into the program, and now to get an opportunity to run it, it’s a dream come true.”
Daigneault spent three seasons at Holy Cross before joining Donovan at Florida, where he earned his master’s degree in sports management. During his four seasons, the Gators won three SEC championships and advanced to the Final Four in 2014.
“He always has a plan for everything he does,” Willard said. “He wanted to be a coach. That is what he was going to become. Some people just wish to become a coach. He worked to become a coach. He looks at every aspect of coaching and works to get better at it.”
Daigneault was hired to coach the Oklahoma City Blue in 2014. Under Daigneault, the Blue went 143-107 and advanced to the playoffs four times.
“We are thrilled to have Mark assume the role of head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder,' Thunder executive vice president and general manager Sam Presti said. “He has been a selfless and effective leader within our organization since his arrival in 2014. Mark is a values based leader, continuous learner, and someone that will help us continue the repositioning of our organization on and off the court.”
Presti is a native of Concord. Rob Hennigan, the Thunder’s vice president of insight and foresight, is a Worcester native and St. John’s High graduate.
Willard worked for the Thunder for one year as a scout. Two years ago, Daigneault invited Willard to a practice.
“He has a presence that is well beyond his years,” Willard said. “His presence is impactful on the people that he coaches.
“I’m not shocked by his rise,” Willard said. “I’m so impressed by him, not only as a coach, but as a person who has tremendous integrity, tremendous work ethic and tremendous empathy toward other people. I always thought Mark was a special person.”
—Contact Jennifer Toland at jennifer.toland@telegram. com. Follow her on Twitter @jentandg
“Obviously he was pumped. He’s invested a lot of time and great relationships with all the people out there. He invested so much into the program, and now to get an opportunity to run it, it’s a dream come true.”
Ralph Willard
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Post by Tom on Nov 13, 2020 12:55:21 GMT -5
Or was it that Ralph would come back and Daigneault would later take over (never liked that approach, but that's just me)? That was the offer reportedly on the table when Coach Kearney was fired
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Post by hchoops on Nov 13, 2020 13:03:08 GMT -5
“ Rob Hennigan, the Thunder’s Vice President of Insight and Foresight “ Certainly a new one for me
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Post by KY Crusader 75 on Nov 13, 2020 16:32:06 GMT -5
I met Mark once when I wandered up to the Hart after dropping my daughter off at HC and had a very nice basketball conversation with him. I hope he enjoys tremendous success as an NBA head coach
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Post by hceconhist on Nov 13, 2020 21:30:35 GMT -5
Lawrence Frank also was a team manager; at Indiana, I believe. George Blaney must be happy with this development! Aside from the RW feud with Father McF; what probably worked against him was that he was 25 years old at the time Kearney got canned and Reagan felt like he didn't want to go down the "never been a head coach" road again. Or was his name thrown into the mix when Milan left? Or was it that Ralph would come back and Daigneault would later take over (never liked that approach, but that's just me)? The hope was that RW would come back for a couple of years but make it known he was grooming Daigneault to be his successor. And yes, after the Kearney year, Reagan was adamant that he would only hire a head coach with previous experience.
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Post by Sons of Vaval on Nov 14, 2020 0:10:17 GMT -5
Lawrence Frank also was a team manager; at Indiana, I believe. George Blaney must be happy with this development! Aside from the RW feud with Father McF; what probably worked against him was that he was 25 years old at the time Kearney got canned and Reagan felt like he didn't want to go down the "never been a head coach" road again. Or was his name thrown into the mix when Milan left? Or was it that Ralph would come back and Daigneault would later take over (never liked that approach, but that's just me)? The hope was that RW would come back for a couple of years but make it known he was grooming Daigneault to be his successor. And yes, after the Kearney year, Reagan was adamant that he would only hire a head coach with previous experience. Any surprise that DR is running an aquarium in Florida now?
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Post by sader1970 on Nov 14, 2020 8:38:17 GMT -5
He always spoke well of you.😉
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Post by KY Crusader 75 on Nov 14, 2020 12:02:08 GMT -5
The hope was that RW would come back for a couple of years but make it known he was grooming Daigneault to be his successor. And yes, after the Kearney year, Reagan was adamant that he would only hire a head coach with previous experience. Any surprise that DR is running an aquarium in Florida now? Likely relocated to Florida to save on state income taxes as he draws down his 401-k and IRA's...and maybe he likes to golf as well. I knew Dick from Wheeler Dorm=always a nice guy
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