Billy Lange departs St. Joe’s for NBA return; Steve Donahue promoted to head coach

As first reported by ESPN’s Pete Thamel earlier Wednesday morning, Saint Joseph’s head coach Billy Lange is departing Hawk Hill after six seasons with the program.

The announcement comes just under two months from the start of the 2025-26 campaign with Lange accepting a job in the New York Knicks organization and returning to the NBA.

In those six seasons at St. Joe’s, he amassed just an 81-104 record and finished above .500 only twice despite producing multiple pro talents and the school’s all-time leading scorer.

The Hawks never finished better than sixth in the Atlantic 10 standings during Lange’s tenure and failed to advance past the semifinals of the conference championship in either 2024 or 2025.

Though no doubt the program underachieved during his time on Hawk Hill, Lange does leave having secured back-to-back Big 5 titles with St. Joe’s. The 2023-24 championship was the Hawks’ first within the city since 2012, which they shared. The last time the Crimson & Gray won the Big 5 in consecutive seasons was during historic 2003-04 run behind Jameer Nelson.

As confirmed by Athletic Director Jill Bodenstiner in a message to students and alumni, associate head coach Steve Donahue was elevated to head coach.Donahue brings plenty of experience from previous stints with Cornell, Boston College and Penn and his background within the city of Philadelphia will be invaluable during a time of transition.

In nine seasons with the Quakers, he led the program to four Ivy League titles, a 2018 NCAA Tournament appearance and a 2018-19 Big 5 Championship — Penn’s first since 2002.As per the NCAA’s regulations surrounding the transfer portal, all active players with St. Joe’s will be awarded a 30-day window in which they can decide to enter the portal in search of a new destination.

Derek Simpson, Anthony Finkley, Justice Ajogbor, Dasear Haskins and more were all set to return for the 2025-26 season while Lange added pieces like Jaiden Glover and Deuce Jones II via the portal this offseason.

Though a baseline of familiarity with Donahue definitely makes returning a possibility for some, he only arrived in May so the timing of Lange’s decision leaves those within the program limited options.

Less than two months before the Hawks season opener against Lafayette and with almost no scholarship opportunities still available in the portal, it’s a difficult situation for everybody on the roster.

Lange, who replaced legendary St. Joe’s head coach Phil Martelli, was supposed to help bring stability to a program that had seen three consecutive losing seasons for the first time since the 1990s.

However, his tenure undoubtedly left fans underwhelmed, and his subsequent departure on short notice leaves the program in a really tight spot now just weeks out from season’s tip.

The timing is inconvenient, but Lange’s exit should benefit St. Joe’s in the long run. Though he essentially improved each season on Hawk Hill, the failure to win given last year’s roster only fueled the fire under his already hot seat.

With the program’s all-time leading scorer in Erik Reynolds, NBA draftee in Rasheer Fleming and Xzayvier Brown, who’s likely to start in the SEC this season, St. Joe’s finished just sixth in the A10.

As all three moved on this offseason either to start a pro career or enter the portal, many questioned whether Lange would even be given the opportunity to return for this upcoming season.

Despite falling short of the goals this athletics department set upon his hiring, St. Joe’s granted him this season to return and to continue developing the program. But instead, it feels like Lange repaid that faith by leaving his post with limited time before the start of the season and after recruiting a roster that now might not be there because of his decision.

Jon Rothstein reported that St. Joe’s has already extended a multi-year contract to Donahue so the program is all in with him at the helm, which likely helps to retain a few players.

But even his recent resume looks questionable. Donahue finished below .500 in five of those nine seasons as a Quaker and closed out his stint with the program by managing just eight wins with a roster that included Ethan Roberts, Nick Spinoso and Sam Brown.

Regardless, this once historic program has seen a lot of turmoil over the past few years and undoubtedly the decision from Lange only adds to what’s been a lengthy saga on Hawk Hill since Martelli’s firing.

Hopefully, a well respected Big 5 coach in Donahue can be the one to provide stability for a St. Joe’s program that has the capability and resources to be competitive in a premier mid-major conference like the A10.