Iona’s recent revival may just be getting started.
After two straight NCAA Tournament appearances and two MAAC regular-season titles in the past three seasons, Iona coach Tim Cluess was rewarded with a contract extension through the 2018-19 season, the school announced Thursday.
“The success Coach Cluess has had since arriving at Iona has been almost unprecedented,” Director of Athletics Rick Cole Jr. said in a statement. “We’re very excited to have him on board for at least another five years. His commitment to the overall success of his student-athletes is what makes Coach Cluess the right man for Iona.”
Heading into this weekend’s MAAC Tournament, in which the Gaels are the No. 1 seed, Cluess has led the team to a 90-43 record in four seasons, which includes a program-record 17 conference wins this season.
Already the fifth-winningest coach in program history, Cluess has led the team to at least 20 wins each season, becoming the only coach in school history to do so in his first four seasons.
“I’m very proud to be a part of the Iona College Community,” Cluess said in a statement. “We will continue to work hard to build on our recent success on the court and I’m very appreciative of the support [Iona president] Dr. [Joseph] Nyre and our administration has given us.”
Prior to his time in New Rochelle, the New York native and former St. John’s and Hofstra forward spent four seasons coaching at C.W. Post, one season at Suffolk Community College and 14 years at St. Mary’s High School in Manhasset.