Eastern Kentucky University Athletics

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“We are going to bring excitement to McBrayer Arena with a fast paced style of play. It’s going to be fun for our players and our fans,” Dan McHale said when he was introduced as Eastern Kentucky’s 20^th head coach on April 9, 2015.
 
He delivered on that promise in his first season at the helm, bringing a high-intensity, high-scoring and high-flying brand of basketball to Richmond.
 
McHale’s Colonels ranked 18^th in the country in scoring offense

(80.5 points-per-game) and scored over 100 points in three games, all in front of a raucous McBrayer Arena crowd.
 
McHale’s up-tempo system led to gaudy offensive numbers. EKU was the only school in the OVC to rank in the top three in the conference in all shooting percentage categories – first in three-point percentage (39.5), second in field goal percentage (a school-record 49.1) and third in free throw percentage (73.0).
 
Players thrived under McHale’s tutelage. Nick Mayo developed into one of the top freshmen in the country, starting all 31 games and averaging 14.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.1 blocks-per-game while hitting 60.7 percent from the field, 55.6 percent from three-point range and 80.2 percent from the free throw line. He was voted the OVC Freshman of the Year and became one of only two freshmen in the last five years to be voted first team All-OVC, joining former Murray State guard and NBA first round draft pick Cameron Payne (2013-14).
 
Jarelle Reischel transferred to EKU from Rhode Island to play his senior season under McHale, and he quickly blossomed into one of the best all-around players in the nation. After averaging 4.8 points and 2.4 rebounds-per-game in his first three seasons of college basketball, Reischel exploded in McHale’s system. The 6-7 wing from Germany was the first player in America to reach 300 points, 100 rebounds and 50 assists in 2015-16, and he finished the year as EKU's leading scorer and the OVC's third-leading scorer (17.9 points/game). He also ranked in the top-15 in the OVC in rebounds (6.8 rebounds/game), free throw percentage (78.4), assists (3.2 assists/game) and steals (1.7 steals/game).
 
McHale’s 15 wins in 2015-16 were the most by a first-year Colonel head coach since Mike Calhoun also won 15 games during the 1992-93 season.

In 2016-17, McHale continued to recruit and develop some of the top talent in the OVC. Mayo was voted first team All-OVC for the second straight year after finishing the regular season ranked among the OVC's leaders in scoring (fifth / 18.5 points-per-game), rebounding (12th / 6.5 rebounds-per-game), assists (15th / 2.8 assists-per-game), blocks (third / 1.4 blocks-per-game), field goal percentage (12th / 50.4%), three-point field goal percentage (12th / 39.0%) and free throw percentage (14th / 77.4%). Freshman Asante Gist, meanwhile, was voted to the five-man OVC All-Newcomer Team in 2016-17 after ranking 10th in the OVC in scoring (15.9 points-per-game) and ninth in assists (3.8 assists-per-game). He led all freshmen in the league in both categories, and he broke EKU's freshman scoring record with 494 points.
 
Before being chosen as EKU’s head men’s basketball coach in the spring of 2015, McHale completed his second season as an assistant coach at the University of Minnesota where he worked under head coach Richard Pitino.  McHale got his coaching start under Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino as a staff assistant at Louisville from 2001 to 2003.
 
“Dan brings years of experience at some top-flight programs to

EKU, along with ties to Kentucky and this region,” Eastern Kentucky University President Michael Benson said. “He came to us with the highest recommendations from some of America’s best coaches and we have every confidence he will take our basketball program to the next level.”
 
In his first season at Minnesota, McHale helped the Gophers to a NIT Championship and a 25-13 record that included wins over No. 9 Wisconsin and No. 11 Ohio State.  The 25 victories are the second-most in program history.  The 2014-15 squad won 18 games, including a victory at Michigan State, a team that would reach the Final Four.
 
“I am extremely excited and proud of Dan McHale,” Richard Pitino said.  “Eastern Kentucky is getting a tremendous coach and recruiter, but more importantly a great person. He will represent the Eastern Kentucky program in a first-class manner. There is no doubt in my mind that he will do great things there.”
 
McHale served as a student manager for four seasons (1997-01) at Kentucky.  He was part of one national championship team, four NCAA Tournament teams and three Southeastern Conference championships while working with Tubby Smith’s Wildcats.
 
The Cardinals went 25-7, won the 2003 Conference USA Tournament title and reached the NCAA Tournament in McHale’s second season as a staff assistant at Louisville.  During his first stint he assisted with opponent scouting, game preparation and on-campus recruiting.  After one year as the director of operations at Manhattan College, McHale returned to UofL for two seasons as the director of video operations, overseeing advance scouting video and evaluation video of Cardinal players.  In his second two-year stint at Louisville, the Cardinals won 45 games and played in two NCAA Tournaments.
 
“Dan is one of the hardest working coaches in our profession,” Rick Pitino said.  “I have great admiration for his dedication to our game.  He is a great addition to our state.”
 
In 2007, McHale joined Kevin Willard’s first staff at Iona College.  As an assistant, McHale helped lead the Gaels from two wins the season before the duo arrived to 12 wins their first season and 21 wins in year three at Iona.  He recruited NBA draft pick and 2012 MAAC Player of the Year Scott Machado to Iona. 
 
McHale followed Willard to Seton Hall when he was named head coach in 2010.  In their second season, the Pirates won 20 games.  While at Seton Hall, McHale was responsible for the Pirates’ defensive game planning and spearheaded opponent scouting and game preparation.
 
“Eastern Kentucky has hit a home run with the hiring of Dan McHale, who is a rising star within the coaching ranks,” Willard said.  “He is not only a terrific recruiter and mentor of student-athletes, but he also has a great mind for the game of basketball.  Dan has earned the opportunity to lead a basketball program, and with his outstanding knowledge, personality and work ethic, he will make a positive impact at Eastern Kentucky.”
 
McHale will look to add to the success of the Rick Pitino coaching tree that includes Billy Donovan (Florida), Tubby Smith (Texas Tech), Mick Cronin (Cincinnati), Richard Pitino (Minnesota) and former EKU head coach Travis Ford (Oklahoma State). 
 
The Chatham, New Jersey native earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and graduated with honors from UK in 2001.  McHale and his wife Jackie have two daughters, Lilly and Molly, and a son, Daniel.
 
“Kentucky is home to me and my family,” McHale said.  “We are excited to be back and to coach basketball in this state.”