NEW ROCHELLE, NY – Iona College is pleased to announce a contract extension for men’s basketball head coach Tim Cluess through the 2019-20 season.
“Coach Cluess continues to lead our men to tremendous success,” said Iona College President Dr. Joseph E. Nyre. “We have always believed he is the right man for Iona basketball.”
“Five straight 20-win seasons and postseason appearances has never happened in the rich history of men’s basketball at Iona College” said Director of Athletics Rick Cole Jr. “Tim Cluess remains committed to Iona athletics’ mission of building champions both on and off the court and we’re proud to have him as our head coach.
“The Iona College community has embraced my family and I as one of their own and I thank them for it,” said Cluess. “I’m appreciative of the support President Nyre, Rick Cole and our administration have given us, and I look forward to continuing to lead the men’s basketball program.”
Cluess is the 12th coach in Iona history and the program’s fourth winningest coach with 118 total wins. Cluess has guided the Gaels to five years with 20 or more victories and is the only coach in program history to boast the accomplishment.
The Gaels have earned postseason appearances in each of Cluess’ five seasons following the team’s automatic bid into the National Invitation Tournament in 2015 due to its regular season championship and 17-3 mark in league play. Iona also participated in the NIT in 2014. Cluess led Iona to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2012 and 2013, earned a MAAC Tournament Championship in 2013 and three MAAC Regular Season Championships in 2012, 2014, and 2015. Cluess was recently named one of CollegeInsider.com’s 16 finalists for the 2014-15 Skip Prosser Man of the Year presented annually to those who not only achieve success on the basketball court but who also display moral integrity off of it as well.
Tim Cluess Coaching Accomplishments At Iona:
Record at Iona: 118-54 (.686) / five seasons
Overall NCAA Record: 216-77 (.737) / nine seasons
Career Head Coach*: 503-165 (.753) / 25 seasons
*- includes record at St. Mary’s Manhasset HS and Suffolk CC
2015 MAAC Regular Season Champion / NIT Appearance
2014 MAAC Regular Season Champion / NIT Appearance
2013 MAAC Tournament Champion / NCAA Tournament Appearance
2012 MAAC Regular Season Champion / NCAA Tournament At-Large Berth
2011 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament Finalist
Nine All-MAAC First Team Performers (A.J. English 2x, Mike Glover 2x, Scott Machado 2x, Sean Armand, Lamont Jones, David Laury)
Four All-MAAC Second Team Performers (Armand, Jones, Laury, Schadrac Casimir)
One All-MAAC Third Team Performer (Laury)
One MAAC All-Rookie Team Performer (Casimir)
Three MAAC Players of the Year (Machado, Jones, Laury)
One MAAC Rookie of the Year (Casimir)
One NY Met Basketball Writers Ass’n Player of the Year (Machado)