Florida Southern College men’s basketball head coach Mike Donnelly was named one of Silver Waves Media’s Top 50 Most Impactful NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Head Coaches. The recognition honors leadership, sustained success and impact on student-athletes, programs and the Division II basketball community. Donnelly has led the program since taking over in 2015.
Under Donnelly, Florida Southern has made six NCAA tournament appearances, won two Sunshine State Conference tournament titles and produced six 20-win seasons. The Moccasins finished 22-11 in 2025-26 and earned their third consecutive NCAA tournament berth. Donnelly is also a two-time Sunshine State Conference Coach of the Year.
Donnelly reached two coaching milestones
Donnelly became the third coach in program history to win 200 games at Florida Southern with an 81-73 victory over Florida Tech on Jan. 10. He earned his 400th career victory as a head coach with a 106-81 win over Eckerd on Feb. 11. Both milestones came during the 2025-26 season.
Donnelly also earned National Association of Basketball Coaches South Region Coach of the Year honors in 2019-20. During his tenure, four Florida Southern players have been named Sunshine State Conference Player of the Year. Four others have earned the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year award.
FSB Take
The recognition adds to a documented run of postseason and regular-season success for Florida Southern under Donnelly. The program’s six NCAA tournament appearances, two conference tournament titles and six 20-win seasons establish the results behind the honor. His 200th Florida Southern victory and 400th career win further mark the scope of his tenure.
Source: Original report