Back for his 23rd seasons as head coach, Mike Daley in 2007-08 added several new milestones to his already impressive coaching resume.
The Golden Flyers finished 20-8 overall and won the championship of the Empire 8 Conference. Along the way, Daley cashed in his 300th coaching victory while directing the Golden Flyers to their first NCAA Tournament berth in 10 years.
With an overall record of 305-270, Daley has guided the Golden Flyers several saisfying victories over the past two-plus decades with 11 post-season tournament berths and two JPMorgan Chase Tournament titles.
Nazareth reached the NCAAs three other times under Daley's direction and they also captured the ECAC Upstate title in 1997.
Daley came to Nazareth for the start of the 1986-87 season and helped the team to a record of 22-6 and a berth in the NCAA Tournament. They reached the NCAAs again in 1990, 1998 and 2008.
Daley twice has been honored as Empire 8 Conference Coach of the Year and in 2002-03 was the national recipient of the Schoenfeld Sportsmanship Award by the College Basketball Officials Association. The award is presented annually to the team that best exemplifies sportsmanship, character, and ethtics, traits that Nazareth teams have consistently exuded under Daley's direction.
A graduate of St. Bonaventure University, Daley brought to Nazareth an array of coaching experience. He coached high school basketball in Ohio for 14 years and has also coached football, swimming, track, cross country, and tennis at various levels.
In 1979, Daley moved into the college coaching ranks as he became an assistant coach to Pete Lonergan at Division I Niagara University. He stayed with the Purple Eagles for six seasons.
Well respected by his peers, Daley has been invited to speak at numerous camps and clinics. He also is director of the popular Nazareth College Basketball Camp during the summer.
In addition to coaching basketball at Nazareth, Daley serves as assistant athletic director and is active in game management and scheduling. He resides in Henrietta with his wife, Debbie. His daughter, Lea, is a 2007 Nazareth graduate.
