Courtesy St. Michael’s Sports Information
COLCHESTER — Saint Michael’s College men’s basketball head coach Josh Meyer has stepped down after eight years with the program, including the past six as head coach, he announced on Tuesday. A national search for his replacement will be conducted.
“With much gratitude and appreciation for Saint Michael’s College and the people who make up this special community, I have decided to resign from my position as head coach of the men’s basketball program,” said Meyer. “I believe that it is the right time to move on and that this decision is in the best interest of the basketball program, as well as my family. It has been an honor to serve the College as an assistant coach and head coach for the past eight years. I have been blessed to work with exceptional people in the Athletic Department and College community.”
Following two seasons as the full-time assistant coach under Michael Harding, Meyer was promoted to the head position for the 2013-14 season. In his first two years at the helm, the Purple Knights went 36-20, qualifying for the Northeast-10 Conference Championship both seasons and narrowly missing bids to the NCAA Division II Tournament each winter. Meyer joined Barry Branon ’36, who coached from 1949-50 to 1951-52, as the only head coaches in program history to register at least 18 wins in each of his first two seasons. The 2014-15 campaign featured three wins over nationally-ranked Southern Connecticut State University, including an 81-79 triumph on the Owls’ home floor in an NE10 quarterfinal.
“I want to personally thank Josh for the eight years he dedicated to our program, and in particular for his six years of leadership as our head coach,” said Director of Athletics Chris Kenny ’86. “There is no question that he is a student-centered coach and educator who is personally invested in the holistic development of the young men in his program. It was never just about basketball for Josh – he fostered the growth and broadened the perspectives of his student-athletes in meaningful and tangible ways.”
Meyer coached five of the Purple Knights’ 26 1,200-point scorers during his eight years with the program, with two flourishing in his time as head coach. An all-region forward as an undergraduate and now a successful professional overseas, Matt Bonds ’17 graduated third in program history in rebounds (1,102) and 13th in scoring (1,523) as the Purple and Gold’s top rebounder of the last four decades. Levi Holmes III ’19 not only left Saint Michael’s as the only two-time Google Cloud Academic All-America pick in program history, but as the school’s fourth-leading all-time scorer (1,784). The all-region guard is the top three-point and free throw shooter ever at Saint Michael’s, and is among the top five in each in NE10 history.
“I am extremely grateful for the support of our Athletic Department staff and the leadership of directors Chris Kenny and Geri Knortz,” said Meyer. “I am especially thankful to have been part of teams with extraordinary student-athletes, managers and coaches, including our associate head coach, Michael Larkin, who has had such a positive impact on so many student-athletes during the seven years we have guided the program together. Ferene, Nala, Melodie and I will always have very fond memories of Saint Michael’s, and we will hold the people whom we have met here in our hearts. We look forward to staying in touch with students, alumni and colleagues who have become our close friends and family. We are excited to come back and see familiar faces and to cheer on the Purple Knights.”
The Purple Knights compete in the NE10, whose members routinely comprise at least half of the eight-team field in the NCAA Division II East Regional Tournament. This past winter, Saint Michael’s downed The College of Saint Rose, a qualifier for the prior two NCAAs, while 10 losses came by 11 points or fewer. The Purple and Gold bested regional power Saint Anselm College in 2017-18 and defeated a pair of ranked teams in No. 24 Southern New Hampshire University and No. 19 Saint Anselm the two previous seasons, respectively.