| Dan Engelstad played at St.
Mary's (Md.) and had only recently been brought on at Southern
Vermont before getting promoted. @CoachDan on Twitter photo |
Karen Gross, president of Southern Vermont College, today announced two important changes within the SVC athletic department effective today. Michael McDonough has been promoted to full-time athletic director and Dan Engelstad, until recently assistant basketball coach at Holy Cross, has been named SVC's head men's basketball coach.
"These are two very important roles for our campus. By promoting Mike to director of athletics in a full- time capacity, he will have an expanded role in growing the SVC athletic department through fundraising, building relationships with the local community and regional schools and fostering an atmosphere for achievement with student athletes both on the field and in the classroom," said Gross. "Mike has been an invaluable member of the Southern Vermont family for 12 years and I'm happy he will devote his time to taking our program to the next level."
"We are also very pleased that Dan Engelstad has agreed to become our new men's basketball coach," said Gross. "Dan has a strong work ethic and commitment to excellence in academics, athletics and the personal development of our student-athletes. We are looking forward to his years of success at SVC and are pleased to welcome him to the SVC community." Engelstad, who played basketball at St. Mary's (Md.), has served as an assistant coach for three seasons at the College of the Holy Cross.
McDonough coached the SVC men's basketball program for 12 seasons, nine of which he served as head coach and was responsible for managing all aspects of the program. During his tenure, the Mountaineers made seven postseason appearances and earned a conference championship, advancing to the second round of the NCAA tournament in 2003.
"It's an honor for me to serve as the director of athletics at the college in the town where I spent my childhood," said McDonough. "After working with the men's basketball program for over a decade, my new role will allow me to serve all student athletes at SVC and foster new ties with the local community. I am grateful to President Gross for this opportunity and look forward to working with her to continue the success of SVC athletics."
Engelstad helped lead the Holy Cross Crusaders to a 20-22 record in Patriot League regular season play over the last three seasons. During the 2011-2012 season, Holy Cross finished with an overall record of 15-14 and a fourth place finish in the Patriot League with a 9-5 mark in conference games.
Dan Engelstad said, "I'm thrilled to be appointed as the head men's basketball coach at Southern Vermont College. I have always wanted to be a D-III head basketball coach and am grateful to President Gross and the Southern Vermont College community for giving me this opportunity. I can already see the opportunities before us to develop a successful basketball program and insuring that we develop our student-athletes both academically and athletically."