Brett MacConnell - Men's Basketball Coach - Princeton University Athletics

Photo by: Beverly Schaefer

Brett MacConnell

Title:
Ted Athanassiades ’61 Associate Head Coach/Recruiting Coordinator
E-Mail:
bm10@princeton.edu
Phone:
609-258-2459

FEATURED
For Princeton Basketball, Assistant Coach Brett MacConnell's Skills Are Paying Off - Jerry Carino, Asbury Park Press
'You Just Have To Be Ready': Brett MacConnell Steps In As Princeton Men's Basketball's Acting Head Coach - Kyle Franko, The Trentonian

COACHING HONORS

Helped lead Princeton to the 2023 Sweet Sixteen
4x Ivy League Champion (2024, 2023, 2022, 2017)
2x Ivy League Tournament Champion (2023, 2017)
Six 20-win seasons
Nine wins over high major opponents
NABC Under Armour 30-under-30 Team (2016)
Coached four Ivy League Players of the Year
Coached 17 pro players, including two NBA players (Tosan Evbuomwan ‘23 & Devin Cannady ‘20)

SWEET SIXTEEN RUN
MacConnell helped lead Princeton to the Sweet Sixteen in 2022-23, becoming just the fourth No. 15 seed in history to do so. The Tigers defeated a pair of nationally ranked opponents (No. 8 Arizona & No. 23 Missouri), became the 11th No. 15 seed to beat a No. 2 seed after taking down Arizona 58-55 in the Round of 64, and earned the largest ever margin of victory for a No. 15 seed thanks to a 78-63 victory over Mizzou in the Round of 32.

WINNING WAYS
With MacConnell as Associate Head Coach, the Tigers have won three-straight Ivy titles, including two out of the past three outright, and four in the past seven years. Princeton has become a mainstay in the postseason throughout MacConnell’s tenure, making two NCAA Tournament and three NIT appearances.

HEAD COACHING EXPERIENCE
MacConnell is 3-1 as a head coach. Victories include at Hofstra in 2023-24, at Columbia in 2021-22 and at Dartmouth in 2018-19.

RECRUITING
MacConnell was named Recruiting Coordinator in 2015. Players recruited by MacConnell include:

Caden Pierce – ’23 Ivy Player of the Year, ’22 Ivy Rookie of the Year
Xaivian Lee – ’23 First Team All-Ivy
Tosan Evbuomwan – Member of Detroit Pistons, ’22 Ivy Player of the Year, 2x First Team All-Ivy, Ivy Tournament Most Outstanding Player, ’23 NCAA Tournament All South Region Team
Jaelin Lllewellyn – 2x All-Ivy, four star recruit, ESPN top-100 recruit
Richmond Aririguzoh – 2x All-Ivy
Devin Cannady – Former member of Orlando Magic, fifth all-time leading scorer in program history, 2x All-Ivy
Myles Stephens – 3x All-Ivy, ’17 Ivy Defensive Player of the Year, ’17 Ivy Tournament Most Outstanding Player
Amir Bell – ’18 Ivy Defensive Player of the Year

SUCCESS AGAINST HIGH MAJORS
Princeton have defeated nine high major opponents during MacConnell’s tenure which is the most of an Ivy program in that time. The victories include Rutgers (2023), No. 8 Arizona (2023), No. 23 Missouri (2023), South Carolina (2021), Oregon State (2021), No. 17 Arizona State (2018), USC (2017), Penn State (2013) and Rutgers (2013).

PRINCETON TO THE PROS
17 players have played professional basketball after being coached by MacConnell, including Tosan Evbuomwan ’23 who plays for the Detroit Pistons and previously spent time with the Memphis Grizzlies along with Devin Cannady ’20, who had a stint with the Orlando Magic in 2021 after being named NBA G League Finals MVP. Other pros to play under MacConnell include Jaelin Llewellyn ‘22, Ethan Wright ‘22, Ryan Schwieger ‘21, Richmond Aririguzoh ‘20, Myles Stephens ‘19, Amir Bell ‘18, Spencer Weisz ‘17, Steven Cook ‘17, Hans Brase ’17, Henry Caruso ‘17, Clay Wilson ‘15, Denton Koon ’15, T.J. Bray ’14, Jimmy Sherburne ’14 and Ian Hummer ’13.

PLAYER DEVELOPMENT
With MacConnell on staff at Princeton the Tigers have become known for their player development. Some of the players who have significantly elevated their games under MacConnell include:

Tosan Evbuomwan ‘23
Freshman year: 3.9 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 0.9 apg
Junior year: 16.0 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 5.1 apg (Ivy Player of the Year, First Team All-Ivy & All-District)
Senior year: 15.1 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 5.0 apg (Ivy Madness MOP, First Team All-Ivy & All-District)

Xaivian Lee ‘26
Freshman year: 4.8 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 0.9 apg
Sophomore year: 17.1 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 3.7 apg (First Team All-Ivy, First Team All-District)

Caden Pierce ‘26
Freshman year: 8.2 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 1.2 apg (Ivy Rookie of the Year)
Sophomore year: 16.6 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 3.2 apg (Ivy Player of the Year, First Team All-Ivy, First Team All-District)

Richmond Aririguzoh ‘20
Freshman year: 1.5 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 0.3 apg
Sophomore year: 2.7 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 0.7 apg
Junior year: 12.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 1.2 apg (Second Team All-Ivy)
Senior year: 12.0 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 2.2 apg (First Team All-Ivy, Second Team All-District)

IVY LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE YEAR (4)
2023-24: Caden Pierce ‘26
2021-22: Tosan Evbuomwan ‘23
2016-17: Spencer Weisz ‘17
2012-13: Ian Hummer ‘13

ALL-IVY LEAGUE SELECTIONS (27)
2023-2024: Caden Pierce ‘26 (First Team), Xaivian Lee ‘26 (First Team),
                    Matt Allocco ‘24 (Second Team)
2022-2023: Tosan Evbuomwan ‘23 (First Team), Matt Allocco ‘24 (Second Team)
2021-2022: Tosan Evbuomwan ‘23 (First Team), Jaelin Lllewellyn ‘22 (First Team),
                    Ethan Wright ‘22 (Second Team)
2020-2021: Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2019-2020: Richmond Aririguzoh ‘20 (First Team), Jaelin Llewellyn ‘21 (Second Team)
2018-2019: Myles Stephens ‘19 (First Team), Richmond Aririguzoh ‘20 (Second Team)
2017-2018: Devin Cannady ‘20 (Second Team), Myles Stephens ‘19 (Second Team)
2016-2017: Spencer Weisz ‘17 (First Team), Steven Cook ‘17 (First Team),
                     Myles Stephens ‘19 (First Team), Devin Cannady ‘20 (Honorable Mention)
2015-2016: Henry Caruso ‘17 (First Team), Spencer Weisz ‘17 (Second Team),
                    Steven Cook ‘17 (Honorable Mention)
2014-2015: Steven Cook ‘17 (Second Team), Spencer Weisz ‘17 (Second Team)
2013-2014: T.J. Bray ‘14 (First Team)
2012-2013: Ian Hummer ‘13 (First Team), T.J. Bray ‘14 (Second Team),
                    Denton Koon ‘15 (Honorable Mention)

ROAD WARRIOR
Princeton became the first DI team in the last 15 years to start 5-0 with four true road victories in 2023-24. Additionally, each of the Tigers’ first seven wins took place in different venues that season. Princeton was the only team in the nation to win its first seven games in such fashion.

IN THE RECORD BOOK
With MacConnell as Associate Head Coach, the Tigers have set several program records including:

2023-2024: Highest free throw percentage in a season (80.6%)
2022-2023: Most points scored in a season (2416)
2021-2022: Highest scoring average in a season (79.80)
                    Most field goals made in a season (910)
                    Most three-point field goals made in a season (327)

PERSONAL
MacConnell is married to Sarah (Samad) MacConnell, former Strength & Conditioning coach at Virginia Tech, Maryland and VMI. Sarah and Brett has two sons, Cooper, born in August 2022, and Paxton, born in October 2024. MacConnell’s father, Kevin, is a career sports administrator, currently serving as Chief of Staff for Rutgers Football.

HARD CUTS | SEASON 7 - EPISODE 15

HARD CUTS | SEASON 6 - EPISODE 8

MARCH OF THE TIGERS PART 4 - ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE

Year	School	Overall	Conference
2012-13	Princeton	17-11	10-4/2nd Ivy
2013-14	Princeton	21-9	8-6/3rd Ivy
2014-15	Princeton	16-14	9-5/3rd Ivy
2015-16	Princeton	22-7	12-2/2nd Ivy
2016-17	Princeton	23-7	14-0/1st Ivy
2017-18	Princeton	13-16	5-9/5th Ivy
2018-19	Princeton	16-12	8-6/3rd Ivy
2019-20	Princeton	14-13	9-5/3rd Ivy
2021-22	Princeton	23-7	12-2/1st Ivy
2022-23	Princeton	23-9	10-4/1st Ivy
2023-24	Princeton	24-5	12-2/1st Ivy
	Total at Princeton	212-110	109-45

EDUCATION
Rutgers University, Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science and Sports Studies, 2008

COACHING EXPERIENCE
Princeton University, Associate Head Coach (2018-present)
Princeton University, Assistant Coach (2013-18)
Princeton University, Director of Basketball Operations (2012-13)
Saint Peter's University, Director of Basketball Operations (2011-12)
Holy Family University, Assistant Coach (2010-11)
Delaware Valley College, Associate Head Coach (2008-10)