In this week's basketball coaching conversation, Daemen University head coach Mike McDonald joins the Basketball Podcast to share insights on coaching backwards with success.

A fixture in the college basketball coaching fraternity, Mike MacDonald is entering his 29th season as a collegiate head coach. He was named the ECC, NABC District and BCANY Division II Coach of the Year last season after leading Daemen to a 28-1 record. He was also the recipient of the Clarence "Big House" Gaines Award given to the top coach in all of Division II basketball by collegeinsiders.com. MacDonald has led Daemen to a 232-84 record over his first 11 seasons, including eight 20-win seasons and five NCAA tournament berths. He enters the regular season just 11 wins shy of 500 for his career.

Mike MacDonald has led Daemen University through one of the most successful stretches in program history. Under his leadership, Daemen has emerged as a power in the NCAA Division II. The Wildcats are coming off the most successful season in program history when they posted a 28-1 overall record, won the ECC regular season and tournament championships and qualified for the NCAA tournament for the fifth time. Daemen rattled off 28 straight victories to start the season, earning the distinction of being the last remaining unbeaten team across all three levels of NCAA basketball. Along the way, they ascended to the No. 1 ranking in the National Association of Basketball Coaches Division II poll for the first time in program history.

With previous stops at Canisius University and Medaille University, MacDonald has worked across all three NCAA divisions. Before arriving at Daemen University, Mike MacDonald spent eight transformative years as head coach at Medaille College (2006–2014), where he turned a struggling NCAA Division III program into a regional powerhouse. Inheriting a team that had gone just 4–46 over the previous two seasons, MacDonald led the Mavericks to an average of 18 wins per year and six postseason appearances. His final five seasons were especially dominant—Medaille recorded 101 wins, the most of any Division III program in New York State during that span, and ranked 17th nationally in total victories. He was named Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Coach of the Year four times and left as the school’s all-time leader in wins (149) and winning percentage (.671).

Prior to Medaille, MacDonald spent 18 years at Canisius College, including nine seasons as head coach (1997–2006), where he guided the Golden Griffins to 108 wins and earned BCANY Division I Co-Coach of the Year honors in 2000–01. He also served as a longtime assistant at Canisius, helping the program reach the NCAA Tournament and two NIT appearances under head coach John Beilein.

In this week's basketball coaching conversation, Babson College head coach Stephen Brennan joins the Basketball Podcast to share insights on culture, clarity and consistency.

Stephen Brennan has served as the head coach of Babson College men's basketball for over three decades, building one of the most consistent and respected programs in Division III. With more than 560 career wins to his name, Brennan ranks among the top 25 active coaches in total victories across the D3 landscape. His tenure is defined by sustained excellence, highlighted by 11 NCAA Tournament appearances, multiple NEWMAC championships, and a national title in 2017—the first in program history.

A nine-time conference coach of the year and the 2016–17 NABC National Coach of the Year, Brennan has guided Babson through eras of transformation while maintaining a culture rooted in discipline, development, and competitive integrity. His teams have reached the NCAA Tournament Sectional Semifinals multiple times, including a Final Four run in 2015 and a dramatic national championship win in 2017, where the Beavers overcame a 25-point deficit in the semifinals before edging Augustana (Ill.) in the title game.

Brennan’s legacy is not only measured in wins and banners but in the program’s identity: a relentless commitment to excellence, player growth, and team-first basketball. Under his leadership, Babson has become a perennial contender and a model of long-term success in Division III athletics.

In this week's basketball coaching conversation, Concordia-St. Paul head coach Matt Fletcher joins the Basketball Podcast to share insights on playing fast and conceptual.

Matt Fletcher enters his sixth season as head men's basketball coach at Concordia-St. Paul in 2025-26, where he has quickly become the program's most successful leader. Culminating in the 2024-25 season, he guided the Golden Bears to their first-ever NSIC regular season title, first NCAA Division II Tournament appearance, and first NCAA Tournament win—all in the same year—earning him the 2024-25 NSIC Coach of the Year honor.

Prior to Concordia, Fletcher spent four highly successful seasons as head coach at Bethany Lutheran College, where he compiled a 76–33 record, won the 2017-18 UMAC Coach of the Year award, and led the team to two NCAA Division III Tournament appearances. His overall career head coaching record stands at 120–118 across nine seasons.

Fletcher's extensive assistant coaching experience includes stints at Concordia-Moorhead (2008–09), Kentucky Wesleyan College (2011–12), and three years at Upper Iowa University (where he was promoted to associate head coach). He holds a bachelor’s degree in sport management from Southwest Minnesota State and a master’s degree in education from Upper Iowa.