Bryant Basketball Coach O'Shea to Retire at End of Season
GoLocalProv Sports Team
Bryant Basketball Coach O'Shea to Retire at End of Season
"I’m really happy I was able to do something I love for 34 years and it has been great. This was my decision which I’m really happy about, and my daughters in college which was a milestone for me so I’m really happy. I'm looking forward to doing other things that I've wanted to do," O'Shea told GoLocalProv on Sunday.
O’Shea is currently in the midst of his tenth season at Bryant after taking over the program in April of 2008.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTThe Bulldogs are currently 3-24 overall and 2-12 in conference, with four games left.
"I mean, look, if we were undefeated and nationally ranked, I'd probably feel great, the hardest thing for me is dealing with losing. But, I’ve been thinking about this for awhile so it is not just a knee-jerk reaction, it's not just because of this season. I just feel like I had a good run, 10 years is a long time, I just got to a point where I feel like this is not what I want to do anymore, I want to do some other things," O'Shea said.
Bryant will begin a national search for a new head coach immediately.
O’Shea at Bryant
Through his first nine seasons at Bryant, O'Shea took Bryant to three-straight NEC Tournaments from 2012-15, as well as a national postseason appearance in the College Basketball Invitational (CBI).
"I want to thank coach O'Shea for the incredible job of not only guiding our men's basketball team through a difficult transition to Division I but to lead Bryant to three straight Northeast Conference Tournament appearances," said President Ron Machtley in Bryant's press release.
Picked 10th in the NEC Preseason Coaches' poll in 2012-13, Bryant would finish with a 19-11 overall record and in a tie for second place in the NEC standings with a 12-6 conference record.
The Bulldogs spent seven weeks ranked in the Mid-Major Top 25 poll and would earn a berth in the CBI tournament in the program's first year of postseason eligibility.
In 2013-14, O'Shea led the Bulldogs to their second-consecutive trip to the postseason, finishing the regular season with an 18-14 overall record and a third-place finish in the Northeast Conference standings.
Bryant won double-digit games in back-to-back seasons for the first time in Division I history, with a 37-26 (.587) overall mark since the 2012-13 season.
In 2014-15, O'Shea led the Bulldogs to the program's first postseason win at the Division I level with a double-overtime 91-85 victory over Sacred Heart in the NEC Quarterfinals.
The Bulldogs finished tied for second in the regular-season standings and saw three players named all-conference selections.
Which RI College Basketball Coach Was The Best Player?
15.
Brian Blaney
College: Roanoke College
Graduated: 1994
- Led the Maroons to a 61-20 record during his 4 seasons.
- Led Roanoke to a berth in the NCAA Division III tournament as a senior
14.
John Mariano
College: Saint Anselm
Graduated: 2011
- Served as team captain in his senior year.
- Played 113 games in his career
- Two time recipient of the Al Grenert Coach's Award for sacrifice
PHOTO: Twitter
13.
Tyler Simms
College: Trinity
Graduated: 2008
- Named team captain in 2007-2008
- Helped Bantams win NESCAC tournament championship in 2007-2008 for first time in school history.
12.
Ed Cooley
College: Stonehill College
Graduated: 1994
- Three time captain of the basketball team
- Finished his career with 795 points and 594 rebounds in 107 games
11.
Chris Burns
College: Bryant
Graduated: 2007
- Helped Bryant get to the 2005 NCAA Division II National Championship game
- Named Player of the Game in championship game
- Helped Bryant reach 4 straight NCAA Division II Tournaments
- Named Northeast-10 2003-04 Freshman of the Year
- All-Northeast-10 First Team in 06-07
PHOTO: Delaware online
9.
David Cox
College: William & Mary
Graduated: 1996
- 4 year letter winner and 3 year starter
- Finished career with 670 points, 216 rebounds, 336 assists and a .352 3-point field goal %
- Recorded a career high 12 assists against George Mason in 1995
8.
Jeff Battle
College: Marshall University
Graduated: 1985
- Helped Thundering Herd to a 82-38 record from 1982 to 1985.
- Led Marshall to 2 consecutive NCAA Tournament beths.
- Team captain in both junior and senior seasons
- Played 4 seasons at Marshall
8.
Frankie Dobbs
College: Bryant
Graduated: 2012
- Bryant captain in 2012-13
- Led Bryant to first ever Division I postseason berth
- Netted 1,232 career points (1,172 of them at Bryant) and 500 career assists.
- Averaged 13 points per game, shot 39% from the field and 35% from three-point land in 4 seasons.
- Dobbs still ranks in 2nd all-time at Bryant in assists and assists per game.
- He still ranks 4th all-time at Bryant in free throws made, 5th in free throw percentage and 6th in three-pointers.
7.
Tim O'Shea
College: Boston College
Graduated: 1984
"Tim was a very good player an a parade all-american coming out of high school," sai O'Shea's former teammate Jay Murphy.
- Helped the Eagles to two Big East regular season titles and 4 post season tournament berths
- Helped BC to two Sweet 16 appearances and one Elite 8 appearance.
- Shot 47% from the field and 53% from the free-throw line at BC
6..
Mike Martin
College: Brown
Graduated: 2004
- Part of winningest class in Brown history with a 4-year record of 63-45, including 39-17 in the Ivy League.
- Ranked 3rd all-time with 143 three-pointers, 9th with 113 steals and 10th with 232 assists when he graduated.
- Was part of the 2003-04 team that beat Princeton in Princeton for the first time ever.
- Helped Brown to 4 straight winning seasons.
- Averaged 11 points per game as a senior.
5.
Dan Hurley
College: Seton Hall
Graduated: 1996
- Scored 1,070 career points
- Led Seton Hall to 3 NCAA Tournament appearances, 1 NIT appearance
- Ranked 4th in the Big East with 5.3 assists per game in 1994-95
4.
Antonio Reynolds Dean
College: URI
Graduated: 1999
- One of 3 players in program history to recored at least 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds
- Helped lead URI to the 1998 NCAA Elite 8
- Led URI to A-10 Tournament title in 1999. The only title in school history.
- Ranks 3rd all-time in blocked shots with 235 and career games played with 131.
- A-10 Rookie of the Year in 1995-96
- A-10 all-defensive team in 1996-97
3.
John Linehan
College: Providence College
Graduated: 2002
“I remember not only competing against John in college, but also playing on some summer league teams with him during that time. He was one of my all-time favorite teammates," said Brown head coach Mike Martin.
- NCAA all-time career record holder for steals with 385 which he did on February 26, 2002 against Miami at the Dunkin' Donuts Center
- Two-time Big East Defensive Player of the year, 2001 & 2002
- Bob Cousy Award Winner in 2002
- NCAA Defensive Player of the Year Award winner in 2002
2.
T.J. Sorrentine
College: Vermont
Graduated: 2005
- Led Vermont to two NCAA Tournament appearances in 2004 and 2005.
- Hit the game winning three-pointer to beat Syracuse in the first round in 2005
- America East Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year
- 3-time first team all-conference player.
- Member of the University of Vermont basketball Hall of Fame
PHOTO: Brown
1.
Frank "Happy" Dobbs
College: Villanova
Graduated: 1984
- Dobbs was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 8th round of the 1984 NBA Draft
- Helped Villanova to 4-straight NCAA tournament appearances
- Two Sweet 16 appearances and 2 Elite 8 appearances.
- Started all 4 seasons
