Steve Donahue enters his fourth season as head basketball coach at Cornell with the program pointed in the right direction. A tremendous motivator, Donahue has set lofty goals for his program. While moving up the Ivy League standings is the immediate challenge, building a program that can compete for Ivy League titles and NCAA berths is the main focus.

Donahue's 2002-03 squad nearly doubled its previous season's win total with its 9-18 finish, while its fifth-place ranking in the Ivy League was its highest since 1999. Junior Ka'Ron Barnes was named second-team All-Ivy League, while freshman Lenny Collins earned the Ancient Eight's Rookie of the Year.

Along with his philosophies on the court, Donahue has accepted the gauntlet thrown down by the top programs in the Ivy League and upgraded the non-conference schedule. His first slate included games against 2001 NCAA tournament squads Georgia Tech, Notre Dame and Syracuse and NIT participant Richmond. Last season the Big Red played teams from power conferences such as the ACC, the Atlantic 10 and the Big East, as well as the champion from the America East. This year includes trips to New Mexico and Vermont, as well as a home game against Georgia Tech, the first ACC opponent to visit Newman Arena since North Carolina in 1990.

Off the court, Cornell players are expected to succeed in the classroom and contribute in their community. Big Red players make appearances in local schools, speaking to students of the importance of a good education.

Donahue became the fourth Robert E. Gallagher '44 Coach of Men's Basketball at Cornell on Sept. 6, 2000. He wasted little time making an impact on and off the court. Despite joining the program a little more than two months before the team's first contest in 2000, Donahue began molding his team. By the end of the season his emphasis on hard work and dedication to the program paid off in a win over Ivy League champ and NCAA participant Princeton and a two-point loss to league runner-up Penn, teams that defeated Cornell by a combined 40 points during the first turn through the Ivy schedule.

Despite a rash of injuries that cost the Big Red 54 games among its top eight players during the 2001-02 season, Donahue led a team that relied on eight freshmen, the most of any Division I school in the country, to a nearly identical record as in his first season. The team's biggest improvement could be seen in its defensive play, as the squad lowered its field goal percentage defense from .463 in Donahue's first season to .428 in his second year. The rookie class gained experience that continues to pay off, accumulating 53 percent of the minutes on the floor. The squad also broke school records for 3-pointers made in a game (14) and a season (200) as Donahue's full-court offensive philosophy began to take shape.

Renowned as a top recruiter and for his offensive mind while an assistant at the University of Pennsylvania, Donahue has learned the trade from some of the nation's top coaches.

Donahue had served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator under Fran Dunphy at Penn for 10 years. During his tenure as a Quaker assistant, he was heavily involved in the recruitment of five of Penn's top 20 all-time scorers. He was also instrumental in the Quakers winning six Ivy League titles in his last eight years there, advancing to the NCAA tournament five times and earning national recognition with a top 25 ranking.

Prior to joining Dunphy's staff at Penn, Donahue coached for two seasons at Philadelphia College of Textile and Science (now Philadelphia University). During his two seasons at Textile, the Rams won 20 games each season and also competed in the 1989 NCAA Division II tournament. Thus, since 1989, Donahue has been an integral part of programs that have gone to six postseason tournaments. Plus, he has the unique experience of qualifying for the NCAA tournament in all three divisions (including the Division III tourney as a player with Ursinus).

It was during his playing days at Ursinus College in Collegeville, Pa., that Donahue developed his leadership skills. He captained both the baseball and basketball teams as a senior, earning four letters in both sports. As a freshman, Donahue helped the basketball squad finish 23-8 and advance to the NCAA Division III tournament. A 1984 graduate of Ursinus with a bachelor of arts degree in economics and business administration, Donahue is currently working on his master's degree in organizational dynamics at the University of Pennsylvania.

Donahue and his wife, Pamela, reside in Ithaca with their four children, Taylor, Matthew, Katie Elizabeth and Jack.