April 24, 2006
PRESS CONFERENCE VIDEO | PHOTO GALLERY
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DALLAS (SMU) - Matt Doherty has been named the head men's basketball coach at SMU, incoming Director of Athletics Steve Orsini announced Monday, April 24. Doherty becomes the 16th head coach in SMU history and is one of most heralded coaches ever to come to the Hilltop, bringing with him 16 years of coaching experience, eight NCAA Tournament berths, seven conference titles, a Final Four appearance and the 2001 Associated Press National Coach of the Year award.
Doherty comes to the Hilltop after spending last season as the head coach at Florida Atlantic, where he led the Owls to a 15-13 season that included a 14-6 record in Atlantic Sun play, the best in school history. The 15 wins were also five more than FAU had managed in the year prior to his arrival.
Doherty possesses a dynamic basketball background that includes coaching at the highest levels as well as affiliations with some of the best teams, coaches and players in the game's history.
As a player, Doherty earned national recognition as a collegian at North Carolina, where he played in 129 games from 1980-84 under legendary coach Dean Smith. Doherty was a starter as a sophomore on UNC's 1982 National Championship team that went 32-2, playing alongside Michael Jordan and James Worthy. In all, North Carolina won at least 28 games in each of the four seasons Doherty starred as small forward and garnered three ACC regular season and two ACC Tournament titles, as well as four NCAA Tournament appearances. Doherty became only the second player in ACC history to post 1,000 points, 400 rebounds and 400 assists in a career. In his four years, North Carolina went 117-21 (.848).
As a senior, Doherty received the Jim Tatum Award, which is given to the UNC student-athlete with the most outstanding achievements in his or her sport while constructively participating in the community. He graduated in four years and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration in 1984.
He began his coaching career in 1989 with a three-year stint as an assistant at Davidson College. He then moved on to Kansas, where he spent seven years as an assistant with Roy Williams and one of the nation's top programs. During his time in Lawrence, the Jayhawks went 202-42 (.828), posting an average of 29 wins per season. Doherty recruited eight McDonald's All-Americans and coached five All-Americans and eight future NBA players. Those recruits included Jacque Vaughn, Raef LaFrentz, Paul Pierce, Eric Chenowith, Jeff Boschee and Nick Collison. Kansas would win six conference championships and play in the NCAA Tournament in each of Doherty's seasons, reaching the 1993 Final Four.
In 1999, he was named head coach of Notre Dame, and guided the Fighting Irish to their best season in a decade. In just one season, he turned around a team that was without a 20-win season since 1988-89. By the time the year ended, the Fighting Irish had finished with a 22-15 record, defeated five ranked opponents and played in the championship game of the NIT. That season, Doherty led Notre Dame to a pair of victories over defending national champion Connecticut. He also coached future NBA players Troy Murphy, Ryan Humphrey and Matt Carroll.
Following his extraordinary season in South Bend, Doherty was named the head coach at North Carolina, his alma mater, in 2000. In his first season at UNC, Doherty led the Tar Heels to a 26-7 record and was named Associated Press National Coach of the Year. The team won the Atlantic Coast Conference regular season co-championship and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. UNC earned a No. 1 ranking during the season and two Tar Heels, Brendan Haywood and Joe Forte, were tabbed All-Americans and became first-round NBA draft choices. Doherty capped off his first year by putting together one of the top-five recruiting classes in the nation.
Doherty's reputation as one of the nation's top recruiters continued in his second season at North Carolina, when he signed Raymond Felton, Sean May and Rashad McCants, all of whom would play instrumental roles on North Carolina's 2005 National Championship team. In his final year at North Carolina, Doherty's team won the Preseason National Invitation Tournament and was ranked as high as No. 12 in the nation before advancing to the NIT following the season.
After his time in Chapel Hill, his basketball success made him a natural as an analyst, a role he has served for ESPN, CSTV and C-SET (Carolinas Sports Entertainment Television) in various capacities since 2003. Doherty has also worked as a scout for the NBA's New York Knicks.
Doherty is married to the former Kelly Propst of Concord, N.C. They have a son, Tucker (8), and a daughter, Hattie (6).
Doherty File
Birthplace: East Meadow, N.Y.
Education: North Carolina (BS Business Administration, 1984)
Coaching Experience
1989-92, Davidson, Assistant Coach
1992-99, Kansas, Assistant Coach
1999-00, Notre Dame, Head Coach
2000-03, North Carolina, Head Coach
2005-06, Florida Atlantic, Head Coach
Doherty's Coaching Record
1999-00 :: Notre Dame :: 22-15
2000-01 :: North Carolina :: 26-7
2001-02 :: North Carolina :: 8-20
2002-03 :: North Carolina :: 19-16
2005-06 :: Florida Atlantic :: 15-13
Total :: 5 years :: 90-71
Press conference quotes (April 24, 2006):
SMU President R. Gerald Turner:
"We have a very exciting announcement today that shows what kind of transition we are in. Steve Orsini has hit the ground running to say the very least and has done a great job in conducting a search. It shows his enthusiasm for SMU and his enthusiasm for getting the right people in the right places. I'm very pleased with how Steve has conducted this search. He and I have enjoyed working together on this."
Incoming SMU Director of Athletics Steve Orsini:
"This is definitely a great day for SMU athletics. Without a lot of help, we could not be where we are today. The search committee represented all the different constituents of SMU and SMU athletics. I thank the men's basketball student-athletes. I absolutely wanted to know what they wanted in the next leader of SMU basketball. Matt Doherty's name was quickly brought up and that was important for me to know."
"You heard me earlier set a standard for SMU athletics of being a top-25, nationally-competitive program. I am happy to present a major part in the plan. If you recall, people, facilities, and resources are the things we'll be focusing on. Matt Doherty definitely represents that. He is a former National Coach of the Year - a former head coach at Notre Dame, at North Carolina, and at Florida Atlantic University. The broad experience he brings to SMU was important. He's a winner - as a student-athlete, as a coach, and as a person. Matt was our first choice. We had a diverse pool of candidates to choose from, which says a lot about SMU and what this program stands for today. I'm grateful to be a part of this program as we continue to build it. Matt is a perfect fit. He fit every one of the traits that the all parties were looking for. Matt is a teacher - you have to show your student-athletes that you care. I could tell from talking with Matt - it was very natural and very sincere that he cared about his student-athletes. He will be a great teacher and role model for his student-athletes. He's a great recruiter and will continue to bring top quality players to SMU. As we grow this program, it is important to be a strong fundraiser - Matt is just that. Whatever Matt does, he will strive to maintain his commitment to excellence. He was taught that as a student-athlete, as an assistant coach and is that as a head coach."
SMU head men's basketball coach Matt Doherty:
"I'm excited - just met with this group of young men (the SMU team) and told them of my expectations on the floor, in the classroom and out in the community. I love their eye contact, the way they shook my hand, and how I know they will represent SMU and this program. We're going to work extremely hard, play hard, and play smart. I want to build a program. There is a difference between a team and a program. A team is a one-year deal; a program is built for the long run. I want to put systems in place to have a program that all will be excited about. I'm looking forward to getting started with these fine young men here. The vision for SMU is very exciting - top 25 and beyond."
"SMU is about the total package - not just about basketball. I'm excited about raising my family here. As exciting as this is for me, without the opportunity given to me by the administration at FAU, I would not be here today. I really appreciate what they have done."
Other comments:
Matt Doherty:
"I did not want to take this job to take another job - I look at SMU as a destination job. This may be the prettiest campus I've ever been on. With the commitment we have here, why can't we do special things here? Why can't we be in the top 25? Why can't we be one of the elite programs in the country? Why not?"
"My recruiting philosophy is to always start in your backyard, then you build out. The beautiful thing about SMU is that we can go nationally because everyone knows of SMU. But we're going to start in our home base - this may be the most fertile ground I've ever been in. I've spent plenty of time in Texas and the Dallas community. This is a basketball state whether people admit it or not - it is. So, we're going to start in our own backyard."
"I'll be a coach that will be spending time out in the community, shaking hands, taking time with coaches. I'll do my part to build bridges with the Dallas community."
"I am definitely a different coach now than I was when I first started. I didn't value experience because I thought I knew it all. What I've learned through the years is that coaching is 50% the science of coaching (x's and o's) and other 50% is the art of coaching - the relationships and the leadership. That's an area that I have worked very hard at over the last three years improving."
