The Brandeis University men's basketball team started a new era in 2003-04 when Brian Meehan took over as the 11th head coach in program history. In his first seven years in Waltham, Meehan has led a revival in the Judges' program. In 2006-07, the team won 20 games in a season for the first time since 1974-75 and a earn trip to the second round of the NCAAs in their first tournament berth in 29 seasons. 2008 was even better, as the Judges set a school-record with 23 wins and reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament, hosting the first two rounds of the tournament for the first time since 1976-77. In 2008-09, the Judges made an unprecedent third-straight trip to the second round of the Big Dance, while 2009-10 saw the squad's second trip to the Elite Eight in three years.
During Meehan's tenure, five different players (Bryan Lambert '06, Steve DeLuca '08, Joe Coppens '08, Terrell Hollins '10) have earned seven first-team All-UAA honors. Coppens was a D3hoops.com All-American in 2008, DeLuca earned NABC All-America honors as a graduate student in 2009 and Hollins was selected to the first NABC Senior All-Star Game in 2010. Additionally, Kevin Olson '09 led all NCAA division in 3-point shooting in 2009, while the team led Division III in 3-point percentage. The Class of 2010 recently graduated as the winningest class in school history, with 93 victories and four straight NCAA tournament berths.
Meehan arrived at Brandeis after 10 years at Salem State College. He served as an assistant coach from 1993 to 1996, when he became head coach. In his seven years at the helm, Meehan compiled an outstanding 160-39 record, including 87-10 in conference play.
Meehan led the Vikings to seven straight Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference (MASCAC) titles and six NCAA tournament appearances. In 2000, the team reached the Division III Final Four, finishing in third place. Meehan earned New England Coach of the Year honors from the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and the New England Basketball Coaches Association for his efforts. In 2010, Meehan was honored with induction in the Salem State Hall of Fame.
During Meehan's tenure, Salem State produced four All-Americans and seven first-team All-New England selections.
A native of Worcester, Mass., Meehan is a 1986 graduate of Clark University. Prior to coaching at Salem State, Meehan served as an assistant at Fitchburg State College (1991-1993) and at Clark (1990-1991). He was also head basketball coach at St. Mary's High School in Worcester (1986-1990) and served as St. Mary's director of athletics from 1988 to 1990.
Eric McKoy is in his 12th season under Brian Meehan, his eighth
as an assistant coach and third as the team's lead assistant. McKoy
played for Meehan at Salem State College from 1999 to 2001.
A native of Boston, Mass., McKoy graduated from Boston English
High School in 1995. After a prep year at Bridgeton Academy in 1996
and a year off, McKoy went to Mitchell College in New London,
Conn., from 1998 to 1999. He then went to Salem State for two
years, where his teams posted a 49-11 record and reached two NCAA
tournaments. McKoy played all five positions for Vikings, helping
them to the Division III Final Four as a junior and the regional
semifinals as a senior, when he was the starting point guard. McKoy
then spent two years as an assistant coach under Meehan at Salem
State.
Harry McShane is in his eighth season as an assistant coach
following a successful stint as head coach at Wentworth Institute
of Technology.
McShane spent eight years at Wentworth from the 1994-95 to the
2002-03 seasons. In his tenure as the Leopards’ head coach,
he took a squad that won three games the year before he arrived and
just two in his first season and quickly turned them into a force
to be reckoned with in the Commonwealth Coast Conference. They went
19-8 in his second season to earn “Most Improved Team in New
England” honors. WIT followed that up by going 20-8 in his
third campaign, winning the CCC and reaching the NCAA tournament.
His 1997-98 squad set a school record for wins in a season with a
22-7 record and an ECAC tournament berth. McShane coached three
CoSIDA Academic All-Americans and two NABC All-Americans in his
time at the Boston campus.
Prior to his stint at Wentworth, McShane served as an assistant
along with coach Meehan at Salem State under Jim Todd, helping the
Vikings to three NCAA appearances in that time. He also served as
an assistant for three years at Framingham State College. His first
coaching job came at Newton South High School under head coach Joe
Killilea.
McShane is a member of the National Association of Basketball
Coaches (NABC) and has served on the ECAC and NCAA tournament
selection committees.
McShane is a 1983 graduate of Northeastern University and a
resident of Charlestown, Mass.
Shawn Bloom is with Brandeis for his third season as a collegiate assistant. After walking on at the University of Memphis as a freshman, Bloom transferred to Salem State College, where he Bloom was a three-time Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference (MASCAC) All-Star, helping the Vikings to a pair of NCAA tournament appearances. After graduating in 2007, Bloom spent the last two seasons as an assistant at the Winchendon School while also garnering extensive experience as an AAU coach.
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