The Iona Gaels men's basketball team represents Iona University in New Rochelle, New York in NCAA Division I competition. The school's team competes in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) and plays home games in Hynes Athletic Center. On March 21, 2023, the Gaels hired Tobin Anderson as their head coach.

Iona Gaels
2024–25 Iona Gaels men's basketball team
UniversityIona University
Head coachTobin Anderson (2nd season)
ConferenceMAAC[1]
LocationNew Rochelle, New York
ArenaHynes Athletic Center[2]
(capacity: 2,611)
NicknameGaels[3]
ColorsMaroon and gold[4]
   
Uniforms
Home jersey
Team colours
Home
Away jersey
Team colours
Away


NCAA tournament round of 32
1980*
NCAA tournament appearances
1979, 1980*, 1984, 1985, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2006, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2023
* – vacated by NCAA
Conference tournament champions
1982, 1984, 1985, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2006, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2023
Conference regular season champions
1983, 1984, 1985, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2019, 2022, 2023

History

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Iona University has been competing in Division I basketball since the school's inception in 1940. Their first taste of success came with the ECAC men's basketball tournaments (essentially regional tournaments played by Division I schools that were essentially independent, with Iona being in the Metro) in 1979 and 1980, winning the two years for an autobid to the NCAA Tournament.

Iona is also one of the founding members of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, which began play in men's basketball with the 1981–82 season, having been passed over by the Big East Conference for Seton Hall in 1980.[5] The Gaels have compiled the most victories of any MAAC team since the founding of the conference and have won a league record fourteen MAAC tourney titles (1982, 1984, 1985, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2006, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2023). They have appeared in the NCAA tournament in 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2006, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2023, with the first two of those appearances coming as a member of the Metropolitan Conference and in 2012 as an at-large selection out of the MAAC. The Gaels have also been to 7 NITs, in 1982, 1983, 1996, 1997, 2014, 2015 and 2022. In 2011, the Gaels made it to the final game of the CIT post-season tournament, losing at home to Santa Clara. Since the 1978-79 season, the Gaels have won 20 games or more in 23 seasons.

Notable coaches with Iona W/L record

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  • Jim McDermott 325–252
  • Jim Valvano 95–46
  • Pat Kennedy 124–60
  • Tim Welsh 70–22
  • Jeff Ruland 139–135
  • Kevin Willard 45–49
  • Tim Cluess 199–108
  • Rick Pitino 64–22

Postseason

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NCAA Tournament Results

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The Gaels have appeared in 16 NCAA Tournaments. Their combined record is 1–16. Iona's only NCAA Tournament victory to date, which took place in 1980, was vacated by the NCAA due to their star Center, Jeff Ruland, having signed a contract with an agent for professional representation a few months prior. Thus, NCAA record books attribute to them an 0–16 record in NCAA tournament games. The Gaels first five losses in NCAA tournament play were by a combined 11 points, including a heartbreaking buzzer-beater by Syracuse University in 1998.

Year Seed Round Opponent Result
1979 8 First Round Penn + L 69–73
1980* 6 First Round
Second Round
Holy Cross
Georgetown
W 84–78
L 71–74
1984 10 First Round Virginia + L 57–58
1985 13 First Round Loyola Chicago L 58–59
1998 12 First Round Syracuse L 61–63
2000 14 First Round Maryland L 59–74
2001 14 First Round Mississippi L 70–72
2006 13 First Round LSU + L 64–80
2012 14 First Four BYU L 72–78
2013 15 First Round Ohio State L 70–95
2016 13 First Round Iowa State L 81–94
2017 14 First Round Oregon + L 77–93
2018 15 First Round Duke L 67–89
2019 16 First Round North Carolina L 73–88
2021 15 First Round Alabama L 55–68
2023 13 First Round UConn ! L 63–87

* Indicates vacated by NCAA.
+ Indicates Final Four participant.
! Indicates National Champion.

NIT Results

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The Gaels have appeared in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) seven times. Their combined record is 1–7.

Year Round Opponent Result
1982 First Round Rutgers L 51–55
1983 First Round
Second Round
St. Bonaventure
Nebraska
W 90–76
L 73–85
1996 First Round St. Joseph's L 78–82
1997 First Round Connecticut L 66–71
2014 First Round Louisiana Tech L 88–89
2015 First Round Rhode Island L 75–88
2022 First Round Florida L 74-79

CIT Results

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The Gaels have appeared in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) one time. Their record is 3–1.

Year Round Opponent Result
2011 First Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Championship Game
Valparaiso
Buffalo
East Tennessee State
Santa Clara
W 85–77
W 78–63
W 83–80
L 69–76

Victories Over Ranked Opponents

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Gaels in the NBA

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References

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  1. ^ "About the MAAC". MAAC Sports. June 20, 2017. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  2. ^ "Hynes Athletics Center". Iona College Gaels. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  3. ^ "What is a Gael?". Iona College Gaels. February 23, 2007. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  4. ^ "Logo Library - ICGaels.com". June 26, 2017. Retrieved November 30, 2017.
  5. ^ Markowitz, Dan (1995-02-26). "What Happened to Iona's Once-Winning Team". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-05-17.

Rick Pitino returns to college basketball as Iona coach

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