Jack Donohue

OBA Hof Jack Donohue

OBA Hall of Fame Inductee

Jack Donohue

Coach

Inducted in 2000.

  • 1950: Jack Donohue began his coaching career as an Assistant Coach while attending Fordham University.
  • 1952: Jack graduated from Fordham University, New York, with a Bachelor of Economics degree.
  • 1953-1954: After serving in the U.S. Army for two years, Jack received his Masters in Health Education from New York University and began his teaching career in American high schools.
  • 1955: Jack followed his passion back to coaching basketball.
  • 1959-1965: Jack coached at New York’s Power Memorial High School and helped build a basketball dynasty.
  • USA Today voted his Power Memorial High School Team the outstanding High School Team of the 20th Century.
  • 1965-1972: Jack coached at Holy Cross College in Massachusetts for seven years and was voted NCAA Division One Coach of the Year for his conference.
  • 1972: Jack arrived in Canada and was appointed the Head Coach of the Canadian National Men’s team.
  • 1972-1988: Coach Donohue took the Canadian program from a virtual nonentity on the world basketball scene to a contender at the 1976, 1984 and 1988 Olympic Games. Under Coach Donohue’s leadership, the Canadian Men’s Team also qualified for the Olympics in 1980.
  • 1974: Jack coached the Canadian Men’s Team to finish eighth in the World Championships.
  • 1975: Coach Donohue led the Canadian Men’s Team to finish sixth at the Pan American Games.
  • 1976: Coach Donohue’s Canadian Men’s Team finished fourth at the Montreal Olympic Games.
  • 1983: Coach Donohue and the eligible Canadian Men’s squad won Gold at the World University Games in Edmonton, Alberta.
  • 1984: Coach Donohue led the Canadian Men’s Team to finish fourth at the Los Angeles Olympic Games
  • 1988: In his final competition, Coach Donohue’s Canadian Men’s Team finished sixth at the Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea.
  • 1989: Champion Magazine named Coach Donohue Honourary Spokesperson for the Year of the Coach.
  • 1991: Inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame for being the most successful team sport coach and the longest serving head coach at the amateur level in Canada.
  • 1992: Inducted into the Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame and awarded a Canada 125 Medal.
  • 2002: Inducted into the New York City Coaches’ Hall of Fame.
  • 2003: The Toronto Raptors Basketball Club honoured Coach Donohue by naming him the recipient of the 2003 Coach Mac Award for his commitment to Canadian basketball.