Mike Brennan (basketball)

{{Infobox college coach

| name = Mike Brennan

| image =

| alt =

| caption =

| current_title = Assistant coach

| current_team = Loyola (MD)

| current_conference = Patriot

| current_record =

| contract =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1972|5|18}}

| birth_place = Elizabeth, New Jersey, U.S.

| death_date =

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| alma_mater =

| player_years1 = 1991–1994

| player_team1 = Princeton

| player_positions = Guard

| coach_years1 = 1995–1996

| coach_team1 = Columbia (vol. asst.)

| coach_years2 = 2000–2007

| coach_team2 = Princeton (assistant)

| coach_years3 = 2007–2009

| coach_team3 = American (assistant)

| coach_years4 = 2009–2013

| coach_team4 = Georgetown (assistant)

| coach_years5 = 2013–2023

| coach_team5 = American

| coach_years6 = 2023–2024

| coach_team6 = Loyola (MD) (assistant)

| coach_years7 = 2024-present

| coach_team7 = Cornell (assistant)

| overall_record = {{winpct|125|165|record=y}}

| bowl_record =

| tournament_record =

| championships = Patriot League tournament (2014)

| awards = Patriot League Coach of the Year (2014)

| coaching_records =

}}

Michael Richard Brennan (born May 18, 1972){{Cite web|title=Michael Richard Brennan {{!}} EuroLeague Men (1997) {{!}} FIBA Europe|url=http://www.fibaeurope.com/compID_,Uz02qBnJiADOq5VntEf53.roundID_2568.season_1997.teamID_1059.playerID_10711.html|access-date=2020-11-22|website=www.fibaeurope.com}} is an American college basketball coach. He was head coach of American University and is also a former professional European basketball player who played for teams in Germany,{{Cite web|date=2004-03-27|title=TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen 97/98|url=http://www.uni-giessen.de/~gl23/club/buli9798/lev9798.html|access-date=2020-11-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040327074728/http://www.uni-giessen.de/~gl23/club/buli9798/lev9798.html|archive-date=2004-03-27}} Belgium and Portugal. He previously served as an assistant coach for Columbia University, Georgetown University, Princeton University and American University.{{cite web|title=American set to hire Georgetown assistant Mike Brennan April 30, 2013|url=http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/blog/eye-on-college-basketball/22170577/american-set-to-hire-georgetown-assistant-mike-brennan-|work=CBSsports.com|accessdate=2013-06-06}} Brennan also holds an Irish passport.{{Cite web|title=Breves Sports|url=https://www.lesoir.be/art/%2Fbreves-sports_t-19980903-Z0FPRF.html|access-date=2020-11-22|website=Le Soir|language=fr}}

Playing career

Brennan won two Ivy League titles with the Princeton Tigers men's basketball. He played for the Tigers between 1990 and 1994, averaging 5.0 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game.{{Cite web|title=Mike Brennan College Stats|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/mike-brennan-2.html|access-date=2020-11-22|website=College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com|language=en}} Professionally, he spent time in the German Basketball Bundesliga (at Bayer Leverkusen in 1996–97 and Braunschweig in 1997–98), Belgium (at Pepinster in 1998–99) and Portugal.

Assistant coaching career

Brennan was a volunteer assistant coach at Columbia University for one year then served as an assistant coach for Princeton University from 2000 to 2007. After being the assistant coach of Princeton, he became the assistant coach of AU from 2007 to 2009. The next four years he served as an assistant coach for Georgetown University. His overall record as an assistant coach was 252–163. Brennan returned to assistant coaching in 2023-2024 when he was a member of the staff of Tavaras Hardy with the Loyola Greyhounds.

Head coaching career

Brennan was named the head coach of AU in April 2013.{{cite web|title=Mike Brennan Named Head Men's Basketball Coach|url=http://www.aueagles.com/sports/m-baskbl/2012-13/releases/20130430a|work=American University|accessdate=2013-06-04}} In his first season with the Eagles, Brennan led them to a second place regular-season finish in the Patriot League, a Championship in the Patriot League Tournament, and a bid to the 2014 NCAA Tournament after being picked to finish just ninth in the Patriot League in the preseason poll. He was named 2014 Patriot League Coach of the Year based on this turnaround.{{cite news |url=http://www.patriotleague.org/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/030314aac.html |title=2013–14 Men's Basketball All-Patriot League Team and Major Awards Announced |publisher=Patriot League |date=March 3, 2014 |accessdate=March 3, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160205213710/http://www.patriotleague.org/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/030314aac.html |archive-date=February 5, 2016 |url-status=dead }} On March 9, 2023, Brennan was fired following a March 5 double overtime loss in Patriot League semifinals.{{cite web |title=Men’s Basketball Coach Mike Brennan Will Not Return to American University |url=https://aueagles.com/news/2023/3/9/mens-basketball-mens-basketball-coach-mike-brennan-will-not-return-to-american-university.aspx}}