University of Dayton Athletics

Don Donoher was born on January 21, 1932.  Donoher played high school basketball in Toledo.  He attended the University of Dayton from 1950-1954 and played three of those years on the varsity basketball team under Coach Tom Blackburn.  He scored 578 total points in 72 games.  Following his graduation in 1954, Donoher served a two year enlistment in the US Army.  After serving, he returned home to Dayton and served as an assistant coach to Tom Blackburn from 1963-1964.  Due to coach Blackburn’s untimely death as a result of cancer in March, 1964, Donoher took the reigns as head coach at UD.  Donoher would go on to be one of the most decorated and accomplished coaches in the history of the University of Dayton.  He holds the record for most wins as a Flyer head coach, notching 437 victories.  During his tenure, he guided the Flyers to the NCAA tournament eight times, reaching the sweet sixteen five times, the elite eight twice, and the national final once in the 1967 season.  He also led them to seven NIT appearances, winning a championship in 1968.  Donoher was chosen as an assistant coach to Bobby Knight for the Gold-medal winning Olympic Summer team in 1984.  In 1989, coach Donoher retired as one of the all time greatest coaches in the history of Flyer Basketball.

In 1998, UD arena added a new state-of –the-art addition equipped with locker rooms, a weight room, a training room, and a lounge area.  It was named “The Donoher Center” in honor of him and his accomplishments.