New Assistant: Dan Engelstad [Official] | Page 6 | Syracusefan.com

New Assistant: Dan Engelstad [Official]

Somewhat surprised but I don’t know enough about him to say yay or nay.
yeah I don‘t think anybody really does around here. Interesting. At the end of the day, red is the head coach and it’s all his responsibility. Guy may have great contacts in the DMV but at Mt St Mary’s you aren’t going to get the best kids. Who knows.
 
Solid. Needed some new blood and someone without the Orange colored glasses on their whole career. This year we had 0 years of Head Coach experience on the bench. Every team needs the boss and a good cop / bad cop. Wonder what he’ll be cuz I got the feeling that our assistants last year were a little too chummy with the talent.

Also I wanted Mack but if we put the press on and still don’t have him locked down prob time to move on.

6’5 185 Leffew has gotta at least be tougher defensively than 6’1 170 Mack at least right?
 
Plus having an experienced coach helps with evaluating portal talent too. Straughn is a great game prep guy in addition to recruiting.
Also helps with maybe installing some discipline with a team that had major maturity issues last year. Seasoned former HC and younger (ish). Granted we have cut most of the cancer out (Copeland/Benny and Mintz) but bringing a leader there probably helps allot.
 
What style of offense did MSMU run? If he comes with his point guard, I think that's what he's coming in for.
 
Color me skeptical.
Pulp Fiction Listening GIF
 
This guy will instill a tough defense as he said " defense travels "
" Need to play great D to win on the road,"
Comes across as a level headed individual. Also Fran Brown is a legend in Jersey recruiting. So who does he hire?
Other coaches who are also strong in Jersey.
The DMV is loaded with talent. I think it's brilliant to bring in another coach with strong ties to the area.
It's working incredibly well for Fran my two cents is it will pay off for Red as well.
My money is on this guy doing very well.
 
This guy will instill a tough defense as he said " defense travels "
" Need to play great D to win on the road,"
Comes across as a level headed individual. Also Fran Brown is a legend in Jersey recruiting. So who does he hire?
Other coaches who are also strong in Jersey.
The DMV is loaded with talent. I think it's brilliant to bring in another coach with strong ties to the area.
It's working incredibly well for Fran my two cents is it will pay off for Red as well.
My money is on this guy doing very well.
The video interview was impressive. Very personable and has experience as a head coach. Seems to be a really good hire.
 
I couldn’t tell you this guys name 3 hours ago so I’m not going to comment on him. But all I’ve been reading on the board is:
We need to go outside the family ✅
We need someone with head coaching experience ✅

I think Red deserves the benefit of the doubt considering what he got out of a very flawed roster. It’s clear he’s executing his vision which gets me excited for new juice in the program.
 
Apologies if his full bio has been posted:

Dan Engelstad

DAN ENGELSTAD

  • TITLE Head Coach
  • EMAIL ADDRESS d..engelstad@msmary.edu
  • EXPERIENCE 6th Season
  • ALMA MATER St. Mary's College
  • GRADUATED 2007

Dan Engelstad added to the Mount's basketball tradition by leading the Mountaineers to the 2021 Northeast Conference Tournament. This past season, the fourth-year head coach guided the Mount to the NEC semfinals, where his team lost a hard-fought 70-69 game to eventual NEC champion Bryant. Named the 22nd head coach in Mount St. Mary’s men’s basketball program history on May 9, 2018, Engelstad led the Mount to road wins at Wagner and Bryant to secure the Mount’s sixth NEC title in 2021, guiding the Mount to a 12-11 season overall and a 9-7 mark in the NEC.

Engelstad, a former assistant coach at the Mount under Milan Brown, spent five seasons at the helm of Southern Vermont College (SVC) in Bennington, Vermont, where he led a remarkable turnaround and helped carry the program to new heights. The Bethesda, Maryland native posted a 104-34 (.754) career record at SVC, was named the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Coach of the Year three times, and helped guide the program to a pair of NECC Championships, including the school’s first-ever title in 2016.

Engelstad took over at Southern Vermont following a 1-24 season, and guided SVC to one of the top turnarounds in the country in 2013-14. The Mountaineers, who finished the campaign at 16-10 overall, opened the season with a victory over nationally-ranked Williams College, and went on to win the Tri-State Tournament and finish fourth in the NECC, as they earned their first playoff berth since 2011.

The following year, Engelstad led the Mountaineers to a historic season as they finished with the best record in program history at 25-4 overall, and went a perfect 16-0 in NECC play. Engelstad earned his first of three NECC Coach of the Year Awards that season after guiding Southern Vermont to a regular season title and an appearance in the conference championship game. Although the Mountaineers lost in the NECC Championship game, they were invited to the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III New England Tournament as the No. 1 seed, where they defeated Anna Maria and Fitchburg State to capture the school’s first-ever ECAC Championship in any sport. In addition to Engelstad earning coach of the year honors, he also saw his players collect the NECC Player of the Year (DeShawn Hamlet) and Rookie of the Year (Daemond Carter) Awards.

In 2015-16, Engelstad’s Mountaineers went 24-4 on the year and recorded their second straight undefeated record in conference play at 16-0, earning Engelstad Coach of the Year honors once again. Entering the conference tournament as the top-seed, SVC rolled past Regis College and Becker College to earn its first-ever NECC Championship and second berth to the Division III NCAA Tournament, where the Mountaineers were eventually edged by Tufts. Engelstad became the program’s all-time winningest coach during the season with a victory over Elms College on February 18.

During the 2016-17 campaign, SVC received weekly recognition in the NCAA Division III Northeast regional rankings and received votes for the national top-25 poll. Engelstad led the Mountaineers to their third consecutive Tri-State Shootout Tournament Championship during the regular season, and helped SVC reach the NECC Title game for the third straight season as well.

Engelstad guided the Mountaineers to another 20-plus win season in 2017-18 as they earned the No. 1 seed in the NECC Tournament for the fourth consecutive year. In the conference tournament, they topped Lesley College and Becker to capture the second NECC Title in program history, and Engelstad earned Coach of the Year honors for his third time in five seasons. In addition to his own personal honors, his players won two major awards as Mike Pierre was tabbed the NECC Player of the Year and Daemond Carter earned NECC Defensive Player of the Year honors.

Prior to his time at Southern Vermont, Engelstad served as an assistant coach for three years (2010-13) at Holy Cross, where he was the defensive coordinator and played a vital role in recruiting and scouting. While at Holy Cross, he recruited and assisted in the development of current Toronto Raptor Malcolm Miller.

Engelstad started his career as an assistant coach at Mount St. Mary’s from 2007-10 under Brown. He helped guide the Mount to a 2008 Northeast Conference Championship, which was the third title in program history. The Mountaineers went on to record their first-ever NCAA Division I Tournament win with a victory over Coppin State in the opening round.

Outside of the collegiate realm, Engelstad was a head coach in The Basketball Tournament, commonly known as TBT, which is a 5-on-5, winner take all tournament composed of professional players, some of whom have previously played in the NBA, at major Division I colleges, and on professional international teams.

Engelstad is also the director and founder of the Fast Break Basketball Camp in Bethesda, Maryland, and coached the Walt Whitman Varsity Summer League team in 2005 and 2006. In the summer of 2006, Engelstad served as an intern in the Washington Wizards front office, where he worked for President of Basketball Operations, Ernie Grunfeld.

Engelstad is a 2007 graduate of St. Mary’s College (Maryland) with a bachelor’s degree in political science. He served as a team captain (2004-07) for the Seahawks and graduated as the school’s all-time leader with 419 career assists.

Engelstad is married to the former Camille Trainor, and the two have three daughters Laney, Elise and Keira.

THE ENGELSTAD FILE
SeasonRecordConferenceNotes
2013-1416-1010-6NECC Tournament
2014-1525-416-0NECC Finalist, ECAC New England Champions
2015-1624-416-0NECC Champions, NCAA First Round
2016-1717-1014-2NECC Finalist
2017-1822-612-2NECC Champions, NCAA First Round
Total104-3468-10At Southern Vermont
2018-199-226-12
2019-2011-217-11NEC Tournament
2020-21 12-11 9-7 NEC Champions, NCAA First Four
2021-2214-169-7NEC Tournament
2022-23 13-208-12 MAAC Tournament
Total59-9039-49At Mount St. Mary's
OVERALL163-124107-59
 
I just hope we scouted Leffew and Williams well. If those guys are hits this is a great hire even if hes just here for 1 year you fill out the roster and don't risk getting outbid in the portal and ending up with consolation prizes. Sort of an anti G Mac or Hop because they've been the guy and he's made a dance no one is turning that program into a consistant winner or MAAC powerhouse.

Even if he doesn't love the program or the city and he's gone in a yaer so what you still got 2 players out of the deal.
 
Mount St. Mary's KenPom ranks

2024: 246 off 228 def
2023: 325 off 197 def
2022: 301 off 170 def
2021: 301 off 150 def
2020: 281 off 283 def
2019: 326 off 282 def

His best record was 12-11.
Good ’in grief. :-((
 
I just hope we scouted Leffew and Williams well. If those guys are hits this is a great hire even if hes just here for 1 year you fill out the roster and don't risk getting outbid in the portal and ending up with consolation prizes. Sort of an anti G Mac or Hop because they've been the guy and he's made a dance no one is turning that program into a consistant winner or MAAC powerhouse.

Even if he doesn't love the program or the city and he's gone in a yaer so what you still got 2 players out of the deal.
Why is that true? Do you know that?

They were only in the MAAC the last two years. The prior 4 years in the NEC, they were average at best. 6-12, 7-11, 9-7, 9-7.

He inherited a good job and for the NEC, it is a good job. A lot of fan support for that league. Good recruiting area. Jamion Christian had won 20 games, 5 of 6 years with 10+ league wins. From there he got Siena (paid better), then went to GW. Flamed out there. Milan Brown also did well and got Holy Cross (better paying job as well).

Mount is a stepping stone job, but this guy didn't knock it out of the park. Different era, sure, but the playing field is a lot more even in the NEC/MAAC.

We'll see. I don't get this one.
 
It means “haves” like us can outspend non P4 teams and just take their head coaches to be less than head coaches.
Yeah it happens. In all the sports. Hell I can think of 3 instances that were Syracuse related just in the last year. Sean Lewis left his head coaching gig at Kent St to be the offensive coordinator at Colorado under coach Prime. And both our lacrosse teams stole a head coach from lesser D1 schools to be assistants. Odierna from Manhattan and Rehfuss from Siena.
 
Why is that true? Do you know that?

They were only in the MAAC the last two years. The prior 4 years in the NEC, they were average at best. 6-12, 7-11, 9-7, 9-7.

He inherited a good job and for the NEC, it is a good job. A lot of fan support for that league. Good recruiting area. Jamion Christian had won 20 games, 5 of 6 years with 10+ league wins. From there he got Siena (paid better), then went to GW. Flamed out there. Milan Brown also did well and got Holy Cross (better paying job as well).

Mount is a stepping stone job, but this guy didn't knock it out of the park. Different era, sure, but the playing field is a lot more even in the NEC/MAAC.

We'll see. I don't get this one.
This is why he’s moving to Assistant Coach from a Head Coach gig. If he was winning 20 a year he’d be moving up to a P5 HC job.
 
Out of left field but...Division 1 head coaching experience, apparently has deep DMV connections, talks about defense first, Straughn likely had a lot of intel and input here.

This off season was always going to be a major test of Red's vision and ability to lead the program. Let's see how it plays out.
 

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