SoCalHoops Recruiting News

Donny Daniels Hired As
Cal State Fullerton Coach--(Apr. 20, 2000)

Cal State Fullerton finally made it official, and with plenty of time left to spare in the NCAA late spring signing period: The Titans now have a new coach, Donny Daniels, who has been at Utah since 1989, and who is not only a great "big man" coach, but he's also a great recruiter.  Donny has been hanging around the SoCal area since the end of March, undergoing a series of interviews and checking out most of the local talent, including especially the local high school seniors. And remember, Fullerton is still on NCAA probation  and is prohibited from recruiting any JUCO players, so he's really looking at the local high school guys.  Here's the official press release from Cal State Fullerton:

Donny Daniels Hired as Mens Basketball Coach
April 20

University of Utah Assistant Coach Donny Daniels today signed a four-year contract to serve as head men's
basketball coach at Cal State Fullerton. The appointment was made by President Milton A. Gordon.

Daniels, 45, played at Fullerton and had served as a Titansí assistant coach for three separate terms before he was appointed an assistant to Coach Rick Majerus in Salt Lake City in 1989. The Utes reached the NCAA Tournament eight times in 11 seasons and were national runnersup in 1998. Daniels received his bachelorís degree from Fullerton in criminal justice in 1977.

"Donny has been an integral part of an established, successful program at the highest level of intercollegiate basketball," said Director of Athletics John Easterbrook. "The fact he is a former Titan player and coach is a bonus. Heís an exciting match for the job."

Daniels will begin immediately his fifth term on the Titansí campus. He played on the schoolís first Division I teams in 1974-75 and 1975-76 under Coach Bobby Dye. In his senior year he was selected the top defender on a team that won the schoolís only conference basketball championship by earning a share of the 1976 Pacific Coast Athletic Association title. 

He returned as a volunteer assistant coach under Dye for the 1978-79 season and was a paid assistant in Dyeís final season (1979-80) before becoming an assistant at his high school alma mater, Verbum Dei, in Los Angeles. Daniels returned again as a part-time assistant coach under George McQuarn in the 1981-82 through 1983-84 seasons before becoming head coach at Los Angeles Harbor College in Wilmington for two years. His third return to Fullerton came as a full-time assistant to McQuarn and successor John Sneed for the 1986-86 through 1988-89 seasons.

"I've walked the halls as a student and I've played in the gym, and I consider this a great opportunity," said Daniels. "The University showed that it was making a commitment to the program with the length of the contract."

The Titans have not had a winning season since they went 15-12 in Coach Brad Hollandís initial season in 1992-93. They have not qualified for the NCAA tournament since gaining the Elite Eight in 1978 but made NIT appearances in 1983 and 1987 during Daniels' tenures. 

Daniels increases to six the number of head coaches on the current Cal State Fullerton staff who are former Titan student-athletes. He joins wrestling Coach Ardeshir Asgari, cross country and track and field Coach John Elders, softball Interim Coach Michelle Gromacki, baseball Coach George Horton and womenís gymnastics Coach Julie Knight.

"It's an honor to be a part of this coaching staff," added Daniels. "As a Titan graduate and former player and assistant coach, there can be no one more motivated than I to see this athletics department enjoy success. 

"One thing I really want is for our playes to graduate at Fullerton. Iíll do everything I can to help them take advantage of the resources that are available."

Daniels was born on Aug. 3, 1954, in New Orleans, Louisiana. He has three children ó Eric (15), Kalynn (13) and Sarah (9). A search will begin immediately to hire a staff of three assistant coaches.

The head coaching position was vacated on Feb. 23 when Bob Hawking announced his resignation after six seasons. Last yearís team lost its last 11 games to finish 8-19 overall and 3-13 in the Big West Conference. Returning scholarship players are Matt Caldwell, Brandon Campbell, Josh Fischer, Mitch Deveí and Dan Thompson along with redshirt Daniel Kohn. Ike Harmon hopes to graduate in the summer and regain a year of eligibility.

The Utah Utes' site also has some great info on Donny (including that picture shown above of him that we lifted. . . but then the Utes won't be needing it much longer anyway :^) ).  Here's what they have to say about their eleven year assistant coach:

Daniels coaches the big men extensively and, off the court, is in charge of the Utes' recruiting efforts. Daniels played an integral role in recruiting former All-Americans and current NBA players Keith Van Horn and Andre Miller. 

The Utes have had great success with their front line players during the last decade, much of it due to Daniels' coaching ability. Players such as All-American Michael Doleac, who was taken 12th in the 1998 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic, as well as all-conference selections Paul Afeaki and Walter Watts, have all benefitted from Daniels' tutelage. One of his current pupils, senior Hanno Möttölä, is a Wooden Award candidate and a Playboy All-American. 

Daniels has also stepped in for Majerus as acting head coach on three occasions, coaching the Utes to a pair of wins over Hawaii and San Diego State during the 1993-94 season and a road win over the Rainbows during the 1995-96 campaign. 

Daniels came to Utah from Cal State-Fullerton, where he spent three years as an assistant coach from 1986-89. Before working for the Titans, he was the head coach at Los Angeles Harbor Junior College in Wilmington, Calif. In two seasons at Los Angeles Harbor, he posted a 33-29 record and made two trips to the state playoffs, advancing to the final round of eight in 1985-86. His coaching experience also includes stints as an assistant coach at Verbum Dei High School during the 1978-79 season, and a part-time assistant coaching job at Cal State-Fullerton from 1979-84. 

A native of the Los Angeles area, Daniels graduated from Verbum Dei High School, where he was an excellent all-around athlete. He played two seasons at L.A. Harbor Junior College and was named team MVP as a sophomore. He spent the last two seasons of his college career (1974-76) at Fullerton under coach Bobby Dye and was selected the team's top defensive player as a senior. He graduated from Cal State-Fullerton in 1977 with a degree in criminal justice. 

The 45-year-old Daniels has three children, Eric (15), Kalynn (13) and Sarah (9). 

The Daniels File

Personal
Birthdate: August 3, 1954
Hometown: Los Angeles, Calif.
High School: Verbum Dei

College Education:
Cal State-Fullerton, B.A. Criminal Justice '77

Playing Experience
1972-74 Los Angeles Harbor  Junior College
1974-76 Cal State-Fullerton

Coaching Career
1978-79 Verbum Dei High School (Los Angles, Calif.), Assistant Coach
1979-84 Cal State-Fullerton,  Part-Time Assistant Coach
1984-86 L.A. Harbor Junior College (Wilmington, Calif.), Head Coach
1986-89 Cal State-Fullerton, Assistant Coach
1989-Present Utah, Assistant Coach

©Copyright 1997-2000 All rights reserved
Questions? Comments? Need Information?
E-mail: jegesq@socalhoops.com