Medaille College has named Mike Blaine and Rachelle Matthys as the new coaches of men's and women's basketball programs. Blaine succeeds Mike MacDonald, while former University at Buffalo standout Matthys replaces retired Pete Lonergan.
Blaine joins Medaille community at a time when the Mavericks made several appearances at conference playoffs and at NCAA tournaments.
Medaille College Athletic Director Amy M. DeKay said that Blaine has significant coaching experience at prominent higher educational institutions including Cornell, UMES, Hampden-Sydney and Radford.
"He has extensive athletic administrative experience from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point as well. His experience and coaching combined with the team's talent will continue to make them a force in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference," DeKay said in a statement.
Matthys - a Saint Clair, Mich., native and 2009 graduate of UB - was a co-captain, four-year player for the Bulls (Division I Level) and has played four years of professional basketball overseas including Germany, Australia, and England.
"Her knowledge of the game, coaching experiences, and familiarity with the Lady Mavs makes her an invaluable asset to the program as we hope to continue to compete for Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference titles year in and year out," DeKay said.
MacDonald coached at Division I Canisius College for nine years before taking office at Division III Medaille. MacDonald posted a 135-61 record and led Mavericks to six straight post-season tournaments, an NCAA tournament win and four 20-win seasons. Last season, Medaille went 14-11 overall. He has now been hired by Daemen College to take over the men's basketball program.
