Billy Donlon has been announced as the next head coach at Eastern Michigan. Donlon is the former head coach at Wright State and Kansas City and spent the last four seasons as associate head coach at Clemson.
“We cast a wide net and conducted a national search, evaluating outstanding candidates from across the country,” AD Scott Wetherbee said in a release. “Billy quickly separated himself. He has won at every level, developed high-level talent, and led teams to postseason success on the national stage. His experience in elite conferences, along with his ability to build a strong culture and connect with student-athletes, made him the clear choice to lead our program. We are excited for the future of Eastern Michigan basketball under his leadership and look forward to our community embracing him and this team.”
Donlon spent six seasons as the head coach at Wright State, leading the Raiders to three 20+ win seasons. He was hired in 2019 as the head coach at Kansas City and stayed there for three seasons, building towards a 19-12 (12-6) record in year three, before leaving to join Brad Brownell’s staff at Clemson in 2022. He had previously worked under Brownell at both Wright State and UNC Wilmington. The Tigers won 23+ in all four seasons that Donlon spent with the program, reaching the Elite Eight in 2024 and earning additional NCAA bids in 2025 and 2026.
“I am humbled and honored to be named the Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Eastern Michigan University,” Donlon said. “Thank you to President-Elect Kelly, Director of Athletics Scott Wetherbee, and the entire search committee for believing in me and entrusting me with this incredible opportunity. President-Elect Kelly’s energy and passion are truly inspiring. There is something special about competing for championships alongside a president who is also a proud EMU alumnus. Scott has shown unwavering support for his coaches and has already elevated the men’s basketball program by increasing resources and investing in success. I’m excited to build on that foundation.”
EMU agreed to part ways with previous head coach Stan Heath earlier this month after five seasons, during which time the Eagles went 57-99 and failed to appear in any postseason tournaments. The team last played in the NCAA Tournament in 1998.
credit to Eastern Michigan Athletics for the image