Dr. Karen Gross, President of Southern Vermont College, has announced
two important changes within the SVC Athletic Department effective today. Michael
McDonough has been promoted to full-time Director of Athletics and Dan Engelstad, until recently assistant basketball coach at the College of Holy Cross, has been named SVC’s head men’s basketball coach.
“These are two very important roles for our campus. By promoting Mike to Director of Athletics in a full- time capacity, he will have an expanded role in growing the SVC athletic department through fundraising, building relationships with the local community and regional schools and fostering an atmosphere for achievement with student athletes both on the field and in the classroom,” said Gross. “Mike has been an invaluable member of the Southern Vermont family for 12 years and I’m happy he will devote his time to taking our program to the next level.
“We are also very pleased that Dan Engelstad has agreed to become our new men’s basketball coach,” said SVC President Karen Gross. “Dan has a strong work ethic and commitment to excellence in academics, athletics and the personal development of our student-athletes. We are looking forward to his years of success at SVC and are pleased to welcome him to the SVC community.” Engelstad, a former DIII player, has served as an assistant coach for three seasons at the College of the Holy Cross.
McDonough coached the SVC men’s basketball program for 12 seasons, nine of which he served as head coach and was responsible for managing all aspects of the program. During his tenure, the Mountaineers made seven postseason appearances and earned a conference championship, advancing to the second round of the NCAA tournament in 2003.
“It’s an honor for me to serve as the director of athletics at the College in the town where I spent my childhood,” said McDonough. “After working with the men’s basketball program for over a decade, my new role will allow me to serve all student athletes at SVC and foster new ties with the local community. I am grateful to President Gross for this opportunity and look forward to working with her to continue the success of SVC athletics.”
Engelstad helped lead the Holy Cross Crusaders to a 20-22 record in Patriot League regular season play over the last three seasons. During the 2011-2012 season, Holy Cross finished with an overall record of 15-14 and a fourth place finish in the Patriot League with a 9-5 mark in conference games.
Dan Engelstad said, “I’m thrilled to be appointed as the head men’s basketball coach at Southern Vermont College. I have always wanted to be a DIII head basketball coach and am grateful to President Gross and the Southern Vermont College community for giving me this opportunity. I can already see the opportunities before us to develop a successful basketball program and insuring that we develop our student-athletes both academically and athletically."
Founded in 1926, Southern Vermont College offers a career-enhancing, liberal arts education with 17 academic degree programs for more than 550 students. SVC recognizes the importance of educating students for the workplace of the twenty-first century and for lives as successful leaders in their communities. SVC's athletic teams are part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III and the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC).
The College is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and has been designated by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as a Community-Engagement Classification institution.
Prior to his arrival at SVC, McDonough served 18 years as boys’ freshmen and varsity assistant coach at Mt. Anthony Union High School in Bennington, during which time MAU won five consecutive Division I State Championships and made seven final four appearances. He previously coached in and directed the Mount Anthony Youth Athletic Association Basketball Program. He is a camp director of Coach Mike Brey’s Notre Dame University Boys Basketball Camps.
McDonough, a graduate of the University of Notre Dame with a degree in Architecture, worked in private practice locally for 33 years. While at Notre Dame, he served as a student football manager under Coach Ara Parseghian and as head manager of the men’s basketball program under Coach Richard “Digger” Phelps.
McDonough, who resides in Bennington with his wife, Sandy, has had considerable involvement in community affairs, currently serving on the Bennington Planning Commission, the Vermont Downtown Development Board and the Better Bennington Corporation Board. He is a past President of the Park-McCullough House Association and the Better Bennington Corporation, and served as Chair of the Bennington Historic Preservation Commission
His civic efforts have been recognized with service awards from Mt. Anthony Union High School, the Chamber of Commerce, the Better Bennington Corporation and the Bennington County Regional Commission, and being named a Paul Harris Fellow by the Bennington Rotary Club.
Before going to Holy Cross, Engelstad served as an assistant coach at Mount St. Mary’s University for the previous three years. During that time, Engelstad helped the Mount’s Mountaineers to an overall record of 54-44 and a 35-19 mark in the Northeast Conference. Mount St. Mary’s also appeared in postseason play twice during that time frame, advancing to the NCAA Tournament in 2008 and the College Insider Tournament in 2009. In 2008, the Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers won the Northeast Conference Tournament title and posted the first NCAA Division I Tournament victory in school history, with a 69-60 win over Coppin State in the opening round.
Engelstad is a 2007 graduate of St. Mary’s College (Md.) with a bachelor’s degree in political science. He served as a team captain for the Seahawks, and graduated as the school’s second all-time leader with 419 career assists. He also was the coordinator of the Milan Brown Basketball Camp during his time at Mount St. Mary’s.
Engelstad was an intern in the Washington Wizards front office in 2006, and coached the Walt Whitman Varsity Summer League team in 2005 and 2006. He is a member of the Walt Whitman High School Athletics Hall of Fame.
