Terps add Lonergan as assistant

Catholic University basketball coach Mike Lonergan was named Maryland’s No.2 assistant yesterday, giving the Terrapins two national championship coaches on their bench.

Lonergan departs Catholic after seven straight NCAA tournament appearances and nine overall since 1992, including the 2001 NCAA Division III title. The Cardinals’ winningest coach, Lonergan was 251-88 while averaging 24.7 victories over the last seven seasons.

“There’s nothing else we could have done,” Lonergan said. “I don’t think it will be that hard to be the assistant coach. I get to be the good guy and nicer to players. When you’re the head coach, you have to be the bad guy and tougher on officials.”

Lonergan, 38, replaces Jimmy Patsos, a former Catholic teammate from 1986 to 1988, as Maryland’s principle recruiter after the latter became head coach at Loyola College in Baltimore on April1. The Terps also are awaiting a decision by No.3 assistant Matt Kovarik whether he’ll return to law school this fall.

Terps coach Gary Williams, who led Maryland to the 2002 Division I national crown, considered several assistants in recent weeks, but Lonergan was always considered the front-runner. He even attended Maryland’s NCAA tournament games last month in Denver.

“Mike Lonergan is a proven winner,” Williams said. “He is very familiar with the Baltimore-Washington area and brings a strong recruiting background to our staff.”

Lonergan was an assistant at American University in 1988-89 and at Colgate from 1989 to 1992 before joining Catholic. His jump to Maryland is considered a step toward becoming a Division I head coach.

“I just didn’t want to coach Division III basketball forever,” Lonergan said. “I thought about it for years. I’ve interviewed for seven Division I head jobs and was only offered one. I thought if I stayed much longer at Catholic, I would be there forever. A lot of athletic directors wouldn’t hire me from Division III.”

Catholic assistant Steve Howes may be the front-runner to replace Lonergan.

“They need somebody who’s young and energetic and knows the school well,” Lonergan said.