Dan Bonner
{{Short description|American sports commentator}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox college coach
| name = Dan Bonner
| image =
| caption =
| birth_date = July 3, 1953
| birth_place = Pittsburgh
| death_date =
| death_place =
| current_team =
| current_title = Analyst and color commentator
| current_record =
| overall_record = 32–20 (.615)
| awards =
| championships =
| player_years1 = 1972–1975
| player_team1 = Virginia
| player_positions =
| coach_years1 = 1973–1975
| coach_team1 = Virginia (assistant)
| coach_years2 = 1975–1977
| coach_team2 = Virginia
| coach_years3 = 1978–1979
| coach_team3 = West Point High School
| coach_years4 = 1999–2003
| coach_team4 = Robert E. Lee High School
| CFBHOF_year =
| BASKHOF_year =
}}
Dan Bonner is an analyst and color commentator covering NCAA men's college basketball. He previously played basketball at the University of Virginia and coached the UVA women's team for two seasons. He also coached girls' basketball and soccer at Robert E. Lee High School in Staunton, Virginia.
Playing career
Dan Bonner, a Pittsburgh native, played at Avonworth High School.{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20061017051754/http://www.pahoops.org/individual_high_scoring_efforts.htm PAHoops.com]}} He attended the University of Virginia and played basketball from 1971 to 1975. In 1975 he was named captain and was named to the Academic All-Atlantic Coast Conference team.{{cite press release| title = CBS Sports Team – Dan Bonner (CBS Sports Analyst)| publisher = CBS Sportsline| url = http://cbs.sportsline.com/cbssports/team/dbonner| access-date = 2006-12-19| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061229234944/http://www.cbs.sportsline.com/cbssports/team/dbonner| archive-date = 2006-12-29}}{{cite news|last=Hite |first=Patrick |title=Inside the ACC with ... Dan Bonner |publisher=Augusta Free Press |date=2004-02-06 |url=http://www.augustafreepress.com/stories/storyReader$18383?print-friendly=true |access-date=2006-12-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050116114629/http://www.augustafreepress.com/stories/storyReader$18383 |archive-date=January 16, 2005 }}
Coaching career
After his playing career, Dan Bonner was an assistant coach under Barbara Kelly at the University of Virginia for the first two seasons of women's basketball ever played. He succeeded her as head coach in 1975 leading the women's team to a 32–20 (.615) record over two seasons at the helm.[http://www.virginiasports.com/sports/w-baskbl/spec-rel/history.html University of Virginia]{{cite press release | title = Player Bio: Debbie Ryan | publisher = VirginiaSports.com | url = http://virginiasports.cstv.com/sports/w-baskbl/mtt/ryan_debbie00.html | access-date = 2006-12-19 | archive-date = 2007-01-02 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070102204418/http://virginiasports.cstv.com/sports/w-baskbl/mtt/ryan_debbie00.html | url-status = dead }}
Bonner was head coach for the West Point High School men's basketball team in West Point, Virginia for one season in the 1970s.https://www.newsleader.com/story/sports/2019/02/10/acc-basketball-television-analyst-dan-bonner-espn/2722926002/M/
He was the assistant athletic director and assistant girls' soccer coach for Robert E. Lee High School (2004–2007), having previously coached the girls' basketball team from 1999 to 2003. He was named the Virginia Group AA Coach of the Year for the 2002–03 season.
Television career
He serves as an analyst for regular-season college basketball games{{cite news | last = Dopirak | first = Dustin | title = Zags? Yesterday's News – Staunton's Dan Bonner, a CBS Sports basketball analyst, isn't high on Gonzaga this year. | publisher = Daily News Record | date = 2006-03-15 | url = http://www.dnronline.com/sports_details.php?AID=3444&CHID=3 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070928115641/http://www.dnronline.com/sports_details.php?AID=3444&CHID=3 | url-status = dead | archive-date = 2007-09-28 | access-date = 2006-12-19 }} for CBS Sports, ESPN (1987–2001{{cite web | url=https://www.newsleader.com/story/sports/2019/02/10/acc-basketball-television-analyst-dan-bonner-espn/2722926002/ | title=Dan Bonner, the Tall Virginian, is as respected as they come in the ACC }} and 2019-present),{{cite web | last = Bonner | first = Dan | title = Chat with Dan Bonner on theACC.com | url = http://www.theacc.com/chat/020703aaa.html | access-date = 2006-12-19 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070929102926/http://www.theacc.com/chat/020703aaa.html | archive-date = 2007-09-29 }} and the ACC Network. He has previously called games for Fox Sports and Raycom Sports. Bonner began calling ACC games for Jefferson Pilot Sports{{cite interview |last= Bonner |first= Dan |title= Interview with Dan Bonner | work = The Mike Wise Show with Holden Kushner| publisher = WJFK-FM| date = February 16, 2011}} in 1983 while a manager at a Social Security office in Staunton, Virginia.
Beginning in 1986, Bonner covered games for NCAA Productions' broadcasts of the NCAA Tournament.{{cite web |last1=Fang |first1=Ken |title=CBS/Turner's Dan Bonner looks back at 31 years on the NCAA Tournament |url=https://awfulannouncing.com/2016/cbsturners-dan-bonner-looks-back-at-31-years-on-the-ncaa-tournament.html |website=Awful Announcing |access-date=14 December 2024 |date=25 March 2016}}{{Cite web |url=http://www.virginiasports.com/sports/m-baskbl/archive/va-m-baskbl-wherenow.html |title=University of Virginia |access-date=2013-03-22 |archive-date=2016-01-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160118191739/http://www.virginiasports.com/sports/m-baskbl/archive/va-m-baskbl-wherenow.html |url-status=dead }}
Starting with the 1991 NCAA Tournament, Bonner began calling tournament games for CBS. Bonner has worked alongside many partners for the NCAA tournament, but his most frequent pairing has been with Kevin Harlan from 2004 to 2012 and again from 2015-present.
He is quoted as saying, "The Monday after Selection Sunday, I'm scrambling to learn all the teams that I'll have to do later in the week. And then I'm out on the road."{{cite web|last=Bonner |first=Dan |title=Dan Bonner quotes |url=http://en.thinkexist.com/quotes/dan_bonner/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120710105803/http://en.thinkexist.com/quotes/dan_bonner/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-07-10 |access-date=2006-12-19 }}
His other broadcasting work includes play-by-play for baseball's Carolina League, women's college basketball, soccer play-by-play and an announcer for The ACC Regional Sports Networks coverage of ACC Baseball.
Personal
Dan is married to the former Terry Israel, who was the team captain and MVP of the 1975–76 Lady Cavaliers team. The Bonners have three children: Coleman, Keary and Sarah.
References
{{Virginia Cavaliers women's basketball coach navbox}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bonner, Dan}}
Category:American television sports announcers
Category:Minor League Baseball broadcasters
Category:Basketball coaches from Pennsylvania
Category:Basketball players from Pittsburgh
Category:College basketball announcers in the United States
Category:High school basketball coaches in Virginia
Category:Sportspeople from Staunton, Virginia
Category:Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball players
Category:Virginia Cavaliers women's basketball coaches
Category:Women's college basketball announcers in the United States
Category:American women's basketball coaches