IONA Announces Contract Extension for Tim Cluess

IONA Announces Contract Extension for Tim Cluess

Written By: Talk of the Sound News

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — – Iona College is pleased to announce a contract extension for men’s basketball head coach Tim Cluess through the 2020-21 season.

“Coach Cluess continues to be the right man for Iona basketball,” said Iona College President Dr. Joseph E. Nyre. “We are proud to have him as the leader of our program in this time of unprecedented success for the Gaels.”

“Tim Cluess continues to lead the program the right way and his success in the MAAC and the New York Metropolitan Area speaks for itself,” said Director of Athletics Rick Cole Jr. “Coach Cluess’ commitment to Iona athletics’ mission of building champions both on and off the court is remarkable. I’m excited to work with him as he positions Iona College and our student-athletes for success.”

“Once again I thank the Iona College community, especially our alumni, for their support of our program, myself and my family,” said Cluess. “Thank you also for the support from President Nyre, Rick Cole and our administration. I am elated to be a part of the Gael Nation and look forward to building continued success for Iona College and Iona men’s basketball.”

Cluess is the winningest coach in the New York Metropolitan area over his six seasons at Iona. The Gaels’ 140 overall wins is the most among the 21 NCAA Division I programs within the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association coverage area. The Maroon & Gold’s six postseason appearances are one more than any other program during Cluess’ tenure.

Cluess is the 12th coach in Iona history and the program’s second winningest coach with an overall mark of 140-65 (.683). Cluess has guided the Gaels to six years with 20 or more victories, the only coach in program history to boast the accomplishment.

The Gaels earned postseason appearances in each of Cluess’ six seasons following the team’s automatic bid into this year’s NCAA Tournament. Iona appeared in the National Invitation Tournament in 2014 and 2015 after two straight MAAC Regular Season Championships with a 17-3 mark in league play in each season. Cluess led Iona to back-to-back NCAA appearances in 2012 and 2013 and in his first season, the Gaels played in the championship game of the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT).

Cluess’ Gaels earned MAAC Tournament Championships in 2013 and 2016 and three MAAC Regular Season Championships in 2012, 2014, and 2015. Iona has appeared in the MAAC championship game in five of the last six seasons. The Gaels’ 89 regular season MAAC wins over the time frame are 32 more than the second team on the list, an average of 3.4 wins per season.

TIM CLUESS COACHING ACCOMPLISHMENTS AT IONA:

Record at Iona: 140-65 (.683) / six seasons

Overall NCAA Record: 238-88 (.730) / 10 seasons

Career Head Coach*: 525-176 (.749) / 26 seasons

*- includes record at St. Mary’s Manhasset HS and Suffolk CC

2016 MAAC Tournament Champion / NCAA Tournament Appearance

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

10 All-MAAC First Team Performers

(A.J. English 3x, Mike Glover 2x, Scott Machado 2x, Sean Armand, Lamont Jones, David Laury)

Five All-MAAC Second Team Performers

(Armand, Jones, Laury, Schadrac Casimir, Jordan Washington)

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)

Two New York Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association Players of the Year

(Machado, Jones)

One MAAC Coach of the Year

(Cluess, 2014)

NEW YORK METROPOLITAN AREA SCHOOLS SINCE 2010-11

BY NUMBER OF WINS

SCHOOL

W

L­­

PCT

POSTSEASON APPEARANCES

 

IONA

140

65

0.6829

6 postseason appearances (3 NCAA, 2 NIT, 1 CIT)

Stony Brook

134

62

0.6836

5 postseason appearances (1 NCAA, 2 NIT, 2 CBI)

Princeton

120

59

0.67

4 postseason appearances (1 NCAA, 1 NIT, 2 CBI)

Yale

112

70

0.615

3 postseason appearances (1 NCAA, 2 CIT)

Wagner

109

78

0.583

1 postseason appearance (1 NIT)

 

LIU Brooklyn

109

82

0.571

3 postseason appearances (3 NCAA)

 

Seton Hall

107

90

0.543

2 postseason appearances (1 NCAA, 1 NIT)

Rider

103

93

0.526

3 postseason appearances (2 CIT, 1 CBI)

 

St. John’s

100

96

0.51

4 postseason appearances (2 NCAA, 2 NIT)

Columbia

98

82

0.544

2 postseason appearances (2 CIT)

 

N.J.I.T.

98

86

0.533

2 postseason appearances (2 CIT)

 

St. Francis (NY)

98

91

0.519

1 postseason appearance (1 NIT)

 

Manhattan

98

96

0.505

3 postseason appearances (2 NCAA, 1 CIT)

Fairfield

96

100

0.49

4 postseason appearances (1 NIT, 3 CIT)

 

Hofstra

92

106

0.465

3 postseason appearances (1 NIT, 2 CBI)

 

Army

88

97

0.476

1 postseason appearance (1 CIT)

 

Monmouth

88

106

0.454

1 postseason appearance (1 NIT)

 

Saint Peter’s

78

112

0.411

1 postseason appearance (1 NCAA)

 

Rutgers

73

119

0.38

   

Sacred Heart

66

117

0.361

   

Fordham

61

119

0.339

1 postseason appearance (1 CIT)

 

Marist

56

133

0.296

   

Fairleigh Dickinson

51

131

0.28

1 postseason appearance (1 NCAA)

 

METRO ATLANTIC ATHLETIC CONFERENCE SINCE 2010-11

 

REGULAR SEASON

MAAC CHAMPIONSHIP

TEAM

W

L

PCT

W

L

PCT

Iona

89

25

0.781

13

4

0.765

Rider

67

47

0.588

3

6

0.333

Monmouth

35

25

0.583

3

3

0.5

Manhattan

61

53

0.535

9

4

0.692

Fairfield

57

57

0.5

6

6

0.5

Quinnipiac

29

31

0.483

1

3

0.25

Canisius

54

60

0.474

2

6

0.25

Siena

51

63

0.447

5

6

0.455

Saint Peter’s

47

67

0.412

6

5

0.545

Niagara

41

73

0.36

3

6

0.333

Marist

34

80

0.298

3

6

0.333