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Joe Niland
Men's
Basketball Head Coach
Entering his fifth
campaign as the Rams head coach, Coach Joe Niland has the task of
turning this year's talented squad into the NAIA national caliber team
the Rams faithful are accustomed to watching. Niland is no stranger to
success as he has posted 20-plus win seasons in six of his ten years as
a head coach. After a two-year hiatus from the national tournament,
Coach Niland is ready to return.
In three years as the mentor of the Rams,
his teams have posted a 76-53 record overall, 38-28 in GCAC play. His
1999-2000 Rams went 24-10, earning a trip to the NAIA National
Tournament. No stranger to national tournament competition, Niland led
cross-town rival Spring Hill College to the NAIA Nationals on two
occasions in 1993-94 and 1998-99. During his tenure at Spring Hill,
the Badgers compiled a 127-60 overall record, 75-29 in the GCAC. In
six seasons, Niland's Badgers appeared in three GCAC Tournament
Championship games and won two GCAC titles. Niland had the privilege
of coaching four Honorable Mention All-Americans as well as Spring
Hill's all-time leading
scorer and two-time All-American Eric Campbell.
Of all his teams' successes, Niland is most proud of the off-the-floor
accomplishment that, in ten seasons, 31 of 32 seniors have earned
their bachelor's degrees.
Coach Niland has brought his philosophy of
coaching a student-athlete to achieve accolades both on the court and
in the classroom to Mobile. In 2002 alone, Niland saw four seniors,
who completed their eligibility, graduate. In addition, two-time All
American and former professional basketball player Rene Antee returned
to Mobile to finish his degree and graduated in 2002 as well.
Coaching runs in the Niland bloodline. Joe’s
father, Joe Sr., coached at Canisius College in Buffalo, NY from
1947-54 and was also the Director of College Scouting for the Buffalo
Braves of the NBA. It is from his father that Joe patterns his
hard-nosed defense-oriented style of basketball.
“That’s always going to be our base. We play
man-to-man defense and try to be aggressive with full-court pressure.
It’s a philosophy that I've learned from my father and his coaching
days,” he said.
Niland's younger brother, Dave, is the head
basketball coach at Penn State-Behrend College in Erie, PA; his uncle,
Tom Niland, coached at LeMoyne College in Syracuse, NY from 1947-1972
and served as the school's Athletic Director for 45 years, retiring in
1992. Also, University of West Virginia's head basketball coach, John
Beilein, is Niland's first cousin.
Prior to coming to Mobile, Niland spent
three seasons as an assistant at Florida Southern College where the
Mocs posted a 73-20 record, winning two Sunshine State Conference
titles and earning two NCAA National Tournament berths. From 1988-90
Niland served as an assistant at the University of Tampa. The Spartans
also won two SSC titles while twice appearing in the NCAA Tourney. The
1988-89 Tampa team finished #1 in the final regular season poll.
Niland lends his coaching expertise outside
of Pharr Gymnasium as he is active in the CYO (Catholic Youth
Organization) working with the youth teams at his church, St.
Dominic's. He also coaches various AAU and youth teams. In addition,
Niland does a number of clinics for youth coaches, including a few for
the City of Mobile Recreation Department. “I do it to help those who
don't coach, so that they can have an idea of how to organize
practices and how to work with and develop talent the right way and
have a positive influence on the kid,” he said.
Niland resides in west Mobile with his wife,
Ellen, and their four children: A.J., Katelin, Jake, and Patrick.
Sam Coates
Men's Basketball Associate Head Coach
Sam Coates enters his
third season with the University of Mobile's basketball staff. Sam
came to Mobile after coaching stints at Colorado School of Mines in
Golden, CO, Lee College in Houston, TX and Spring Hill College in
Mobile. In addition to on-the-floor coaching, Sam is heavily involved
in recruiting, scouting, fundraising for the media guide, and
monitoring the academic progress of the Rams players.
Sam played for Coach Niland from ’93-’94 and assisted him from ’94-’95
at Spring Hill College. This will be Sam's fifth year either playing
for or assisting Coach Joe Niland. Under Coach Niland, Sam learned the
hard-nosed philosophy of man-to-man defense. During that Spring Hill
stretch, they had a 43-18 record. Sam's next stop was Lee Junior
College, where he worked as Assistant Coach under Roy Champagne and
gained valuable recruiting contacts throughout Texas and Louisiana.
Next, Sam was off to Golden, CO, where he worked as an assistant under
Tim Harrison at Colorado School of Mines. Under Coach Harrison, Sam
gained computer knowledge and organizational skills that have become
key in leading the Rams. Sam has also attended numerous coaching
clinics conducted by Don Meyer, John Wooden, Dale Brown, Dick Bennet,
Jim Harrick, Sonny Smith, and Kevin Sivils. The skills Sam has aquired
by observing these experts are valuable tools for the UM team.
During the summer of 2001 Sam led the Mobile Raptors, a 17-and-under
All-Star team from Mobile, to YBOA (Youth Basketball of America)
Alabama State Runners-up. His team also won University of Alabama at
Birmingham's Shoot Out In The South. In addition they also finished in
the top four at University of Alabama's Summer Slam, and Jackson,
MS’s, Round Ball Classic.
Sam was born October 30, 1971, and raised in Baton Rouge, LA. He was a
four-year letterman at Runnels High School, where he was first team
All-State for four years, as well as Honorable Mention All-American
his senior year.
Sam completed his B.S. degree in education at
Spring Hill College, and is presently working on his Master's degree
at the United States Sports Academy. Married to the former Aislynn
O'Shaughnessy, the two are the proud parents of Collin Mitchell Coates
who was born Aug. 29, 2003.
Phillip Murphy
Men's Basketball Assistant
Coach
Spending
two years playing for Coach Scott Sanderson and two years under Coach Joe
Niland, Phillip has enjoyed exposure to two contrasting styles of
coaching. During the Sanderson years, Phillip learned about a full-court
philosophy that centered around up-tempo offense, and full court
man-to-man pressure defense.
Under Niland, Phillip learned the fundamentals of the half-court game.
Using principles also learned under Coach Niland such as building
character, education and good communication skills, Phillip will seek to
teach in his first year on the sidelines.
Phillip’s duties include film exchange, scouting, recruiting, academic
advising, study hall, and on-floor coaching. In addition to his coaching
responsibilities, Phillip also owns and operates his late father’s
business, Rene Burton, Inc.
Phillip graduated from Mobile with a B.A. in Psychology in 2001. He
currently resides in Mobile with his wife, Brandi.
Head Coach: Joe Niland/
442-2288/ jnmobile@hotmail.com
Assistant Coaches: Sam Coates/ Phillip Murphy/ 442-2399
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Athletic Department please contact us at the
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Information Department
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