One day after announcing that former Penn men’s basketball coach Steve Donahue had signed a multi-year contract to become the next head coach at St. Joseph’s, the Hawks formally welcomed him with an introductory press conference on Thursday.
The presser, held on Zoom, took place less than 24 hours after the initial report that six-year St. Joe's head coach Billy Lange would leave the Hawks for a front office position with the New York Knicks. Donahue, who joined the program as an assistant in May, was named the Hawks’ new coach just hours later.
At the press conference, Donahue addressed the timeline of Lange’s departure, which comes just over seven weeks before St. Joe’s tips off their season against Lafayette.
“The first time Billy mentioned this to me was Sunday … He hit me with it — that he needed to talk,” Donahue said. “That was the first thing he mentioned, that [joining the Knicks] could be a possibility. He didn't say it was 100%, but he wanted to let me know that he was thinking about this move.”
Although the initial news of Lange’s departure and Donahue’s promotion came as a shock to the St. Joe’s fanbase, Thursday was a morning of celebration. St. Joe’s Athletic director Jill Bodensteiner specifically emphasized her excitement for the new era of Hawks hoops.
“Steve has a passion for teaching basketball that makes me certain that this is the only job in the world for him,” Bodensteiner said. “Steve has developed relationships with and gained the trust of 16 student athletes quicker than should be humanly possible.”
“Yesterday, Steve and I stood in a circle in our beautiful basketball practice facility with the entire team and the entire staff, and I looked around that circle,” Bodensteiner added. “And I knew Steve is right, these guys are talented, they are athletic, they are fiercely competitive, they are hungry and they're excited and ready. Ready to play for Coach Steve and the rest of our staff.”
Donahue was fired by Penn in March after leading the program for nine seasons. His successor, Fran McCaffery, praised Donahue during his own introductory press conference in April.
"I also want to recognize Steve Donahue, dear friend, been a good friend of mine for 25 years,” McCaffery said. “Terrific basketball coach, better person … Anybody that’s played for him will tell you that they were thankful for that opportunity.”
The two friends will face off on Nov. 17 in a Big 5 matchup at the Palestra.
NIL and the Ivy League
During his decade at Penn, Donahue dealt with a changing college basketball landscape and a conference that posed built-in recruiting challenges. Now, he helms a university that offers both athletic scholarships and NIL collective opportunities.
"This day and age of college basketball – the NIL, the transfer portal – how you build a program and sustain it are dramatically different than they were three years ago," Donahue said, "Honestly, we probably didn’t handle that well my last couple years at Penn.”
The Quakers suffered several notable transfer portal losses during Donahue’s tenure, including reigning Ivy League Player of the Year Jordan Dingle in 2023 and star freshman Tyler Perkins in 2024.
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Donahue also remarked on the quality of the Atlantic 10, drawing a comparison between the conference and the Ivy League.
“This conference – if you look at some of the sites, and you know I’m an analytics guy – Bart Torvik has the Atlantic 10 as the seventh best conference, and unfortunately the Ivy’s going in the other direction — 16th, 17th best conference.” Donahue said.
“And I can see it, I can feel it everyday," Donahue added, "These kids that are in this locker room … are really committed to basketball. They love the sport, they have aspirations of playing professionally, and it shows in their daily habits and work ethic.”
Big 5, Big Changes
Donahue has spent much of his coaching career in Philadelphia’s Big 5, primarily on Penn’s sideline. Now, he flips to the Hawks, where the colors are different but the tradition remains.
“To be one of typically five, now six coaches that get to represent our universities in the Big 5 is beyond my wildest dreams,” Donahue said. “Growing up in Delaware County, playing at [Cardinal O’Hara High School], supporting and watching Big 5 games and seeing the incredible coaches that were on the sidelines during those years. … I’m beyond excited.”
“I’m humbled that I get these opportunities. At Penn, for those 10 years, and now to represent St. Joseph’s University in the Big 5 and go try to hang our third straight banner,” Donahue added, referencing the Hawks’ Big 5 titles in 2023 and 2024.
With Lange’s departure, four of the Big 5’s six schools will now feature new head coaches: Donahue at St. Joe’s, McCaffery at Penn, Kevin Willard at Villanova, and Darris Nichols at La Salle.
In just over two months, Donahue will return to the Cathedral of College Basketball, a building he knows quite well. But this time, it will be with a new set of supporters behind him.
“Last year, St. Joe’s played Virginia Tech at the Palestra, and I was kind of jealous,” Donahue said. “I was looking at the energy and enthusiasm with that fanbase, and I’ve always felt that about St. Joe’s … I know the passion of this place. And my promise to you is: I believe you’re going to enjoy the way we play basketball.”
