Jack Donohue (basketball)


John Patrick Donohue, M.S.M. posthumous was an American-Canadian coach of the sport of basketball. Donohue was the head coach of the senior Canadian men's national basketball team for 16 years, and he led them to several international successes. He was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame, in 2013.

Coaching career

Donohue served as a basketball coach for St. Nicholas of Tolentine High School. He then served as the head coach of Power Memorial Academy, from 1959 to 1965. At Power Memorial, Donohue had a career win-loss record of 163–30, including winning 71 straight games with the star center of his team, Lew Alcindor. Donohue's 1963–64 Power Memorial team was named, "The High School Team of The Century".
He went on to work as the head coach of the College of the Holy Cross, from 1965 to 1972. With Holy Cross, he compiled a record of 106–66.
Donohue was also the head basketball coach of the senior men's Canadian national basketball team, from 1972 to 1988. Donohue coached Canada at three Summer Olympic Games, highlighted by two fourth-place finishes in 1976 and 1984. He also coached Canada at the 1974 FIBA World Championship, the 1978 FIBA World Championship, the 1982 FIBA World Championship, and the 1986 FIBA World Championship.
With Canada, he won the silver medal at the 1980 Tournament of the Americas. He also won bronze medals at the 1984 Tournament of the Americas and the 1988 Tournament of the Americas. He also led the Canadian national university team to the gold medal at the 1983 Summer Universiade, and the bronze medal at the 1985 Summer Universiade.

Awards and accomplishments

Donohue was married to Mary–Jane Donohue, whom was lovingly referred to as his "bride", in 1963. Donohue died from pancreatic cancer, in Ottawa, Canada, on 16 April, 2003.