With conflicting reports from media outlets and the athletic department, the status of the Boston College men’s basketball team head coach Steve Donahue is uncertain as of this publishing. Sports Illustrated reported last Thursday that Director of Athletics Brad Bates told Donahue he would be returning to the team for the 2014-15 season. Donahue would then be entering the fifth year of the six-year contract he signed in April of 2010.
Despite the initial report, there has been no official comment from BC on whether or not Donahue is returning. Contacted for comment on Friday afternoon, Associate Athletics Director Chris Cameron said that no official announcement had been made regarding Donahue’s future.
Bates told the Boston Globe on Friday night that, “when we’re ready to make a public statement in the best interest of the program, we’ll do that.”
Bates was also asked how he felt about the direction of the program.
“The obvious answer is we’re not where we want to be,” he told the Globe. “Our University motto is ‘Ever to Excel’ and that’s where we want to be, whether it’s competitively or as scholars or as leaders and servers.”
Donahue’s teams have posted a record of 54-76 during his four years in Chestnut Hill, including an NIT bid in his first season and no trips to the NCAA Tournament. The Eagles were projected to compete for a postseason bid this season, but those hopes vanished with their 8-24 record after going up against one of the country’s toughest schedules.
Donahue made $1,001,551 during the 2011-12 season and $735,184 during the 2010-11 season, according to the University’s Fiscal Year IRS 990. Former head basketball coach Al Skinner, whose contract was terminated early when Donahue was hired, received $564,201 of “other reportable compensation” that year.
Heights Editor Alex Fairchild contributed to this report.
