The Le Moyne Dolphins men's basketball program is the men's college basketball team of Le Moyne College. The Dolphins compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as a member of the Northeast Conference and are currently coached by Nate Champion. The Dolphins have played their home games on Ted Grant Court at the Le Moyne Events Center in DeWitt, New York since 1962.
The Dolphins are currently transitioning to Division I and are ineligible to participate in NCAA-sponsored postseason play, including the NCAA tournament, until the 2026–27 season, assuming they meet the revised criteria under January 2025 NCAA legislation to have their four-year transition period reduced to three years. Le Moyne has notified the NCAA of its intention to accelerate its transition.
History Birth of a program (1948–1958)
The Dolphins' first varsity basketball game was a home game at the State Fair Coliseum against Siena on December 7, 1948, a 41–39 loss for Le Moyne. The opening game against Siena had been treated by Le Moyne's student body as not simply the debut of the Dolphins as a basketball team but as the first game of what was expected to become a heated rivalry. In anticipation of the game, "BEAT SIENA!" was emblazoned across the front page of the school newspaper. A pep rally was held the night before the Siena game and attended by the team, the head coach, the athletics moderator, Rev. Vincent B. Ryan, S.J., and, of course, the cheerleaders.
Le Moyne's first head coach and athletic director was Tommy Niland, who mentored the varsity basketball team for 25 years, until 1973. Niland remained at Le Moyne after his coaching career ended, continuing in his role as the athletic director until his retirement in 1990. Le Moyne's athletics center is named in his honor.
Le Moyne's first victory came on the road at the Geneva Armory against Hobart on December 10, 1948. Dave Lozo scored 13 points, and team captain Don Savage added 11, as Le Moyne cruised to a 50–37 victory.
During the first three years of its varsity basketball program, Le Moyne was led on the court by Don Savage. Savage had appeared in Le Moyne College's first ever intercollegiate contest on December 4, 1947, a 62–57 overtime victory for the freshman basketball team at Utica. More than 400 Le Moyne students made the trip to see the game. Savage had eight points in that game, while Dave Lozo scored a game-high 18 for the Dolphin Cubs. Joe Boehm served as captain of that freshman team, which went 16–4 and was coached by Tommy Niland in an effort to build the basketball program from the ground up. Niland pulled double duty, serving as coach of both the varsity and freshman teams through the end of the 1949–50 season.
The challenge faced by Le Moyne during its inaugural varsity season was unique. The Dolphins were not simply a first-year basketball team; Le Moyne College was a second-year institution. Therefore, the Dolphins were composed entirely of sophomores and faced teams with experienced juniors and seniors in every game.
In June 1950, Le Moyne became a charter member of the Eastern Catholic Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (ECIAC). After only one season, the ECIAC ceased publicizing itself as a conference and became an association of its member schools with no basketball champion crowned, leaving Le Moyne an independent again for 1951–52.
In June 1955, Le Moyne became a charter member of the new Middle Eastern College Athletic Association (MECAA).
The Dolphins produced seven winning campaigns and only two losing records in the first 10 seasons of their varsity program. They made their first postseason appearance in only their second season with no seniors on the roster at the 1950 Utica Optimist Club Invitational Tournament and took the title. Le Moyne followed up by repeating as champions in Utica in 1951 and 1952.
The Dolphins participated in the prestigious National Catholic Invitational Tournament (NCIT) in both 1951 and 1952. At the 1951 tournament, Le Moyne defeated archrival Siena, ranked no. 18 in the AP major program poll, on the Indians' home floor, the Dolphins' first victory over a ranked major program. Le Moyne finished third in the 1951 tournament and reached the quarterfinals in 1952.
The Dolphins had 25 wins over University Division/major programs during their first decade, three of which came against opponents ranked in the AP major program poll. Their record against such foes was 25–49, including 3–4 versus ranked teams.
Don Savage was drafted by the Syracuse Nationals in 1951, and, he is the only former Dolphin to play in the NBA. Savage was selected as the most valuable player of the 1950 and 1951 Utica Optimist Club tournaments and named to the 1951 NCIT all-tournament team. He ended his collegiate career as Le Moyne's all-time leading scorer with 1,341 points in three varsity seasons. Dick Kenyon, who played varsity basketball for four years, surpassed Savage's career total in 1956, finishing with 1,378 points.
Glory era (1958–1969) First two NCAA tournament berths (1958–1960)
The 1958–59 season marked the start of a golden era for Le Moyne Dolphins basketball. They appeared in seven of the 11 NCAA College Division tournaments between 1959 and 1969, reaching the Sweet 16 in 1959 and 1964.
The Dolphins were co-champions of the MECAA and made their first NCAA tournament appearance in 1959, ranked no. 20 nationally in the small college coaches poll. The Dolphins reached the Sweet 16, where they lost at Saint Michael's to finish the season 18–6. Junior Dick Lynch was unanimously named to the NCAA tournament All-Regional team and was also named to the All-MECAA first team for the second straight year. Senior Bob Hollembaek made the All-MECAA second team, and sophomore Chuck Sammons earned honorable mention. Dolphins head coach Tommy Niland was unanimously selected as 1959 MECAA coach of the year. Lynch also earned honorable mention on the Catholic All-America team.
The Dolphins won the MECAA championship outright and made their second straight NCAA tournament appearance in 1960. They lost the regional semifinal game to Saint Anselm and the regional third-place game to Assumption to finish 13–5. Le Moyne's head coach, Tommy Niland, was unanimously chosen as 1960 MECAA coach of the year. Niland was also named Catholic small college coach of the year. Dick Lynch was named a MECAA All-Star, a first-team Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) small college All-Star and a second-team Catholic small college All-Star. John Caveny and Bill Stanley were both named All-MECAA second team. The 1959–60 Dolphins were inducted into the Le Moyne College Athletic Hall of Fame as a team in 2011.
MECAA tournament title and an on-campus home (1960–1963)
The MECA organized an in-season tournament in December 1960, hosted by Saint Peter's. The Dolphins defeated the host Peacocks, Iona and Long Island to win the tournament title. Bill Stanley had 18 points and 17 rebounds in the final and was named the tournament most valuable player.
The Dolphins had their 22-game home winning streak snapped by Saint Anselm, losing, 83–68, on January 6, 1961. The Dolphins' previous home loss had been a 65–50 drubbing at the hands of St. Bonaventure on February 5, 1958. In early January, Le Moyne was ranked no. 13 in the country among all Catholic schools, including both University Division and College Division institutions. However, the Dolphins fell out of the rankings after the loss to Saint Anselm.
Bill Stanley grabbed 22 rebounds to break his own program record and scored a game-high 24 points in the Dolphins 73–69 loss at Buffalo State on February 2, 1961.
The losses of Bill Stanley, the team's leading scorer and rebounder, and Chris Pitman, a key rotation player off the bench, to injuries was too much for the Dolphins to overcome down the stretch, and they lost four of their final six games, finishing 16–7 in collegiate contests. Stanley was unanimously named a 1961 MECAA All-Star. John Caveny and Tom Burns were named second-team MECAA All-Stars.
The Dolphins were 13–9 overall and 4–1 in MECAA play in 1961–62, winning their third conference championship. Bill Stanley was the 1962 MECAA most valuable player and Tommy Niland was the conference's coach of the year. It was the first time a Le Moyne player had earned a conference MVP award and the third MECAA coach of the year honor for Niland. It was Stanley's second straight MECAA All-Star selection. John Caveny was named to the MECAA All-Star second team.
The Dolphins' first game in their new Le Moyne Athletic Center was a 43–41 victory over archrival Siena on December 1, 1962.
The Dolphins suffered through a mid-season slump and finished the 1962–63 season with a 12–10 record in collegiate contests. Mickey Flynn was named All-MECAA first team.
Three straight NCAA tournament bids (1963–1966)
The Dolphins returned to the NCAA tournament in 1964, for the first time in four years. They entered the tournament as MECAA champions with a 4–1 league record and 17–5 overall and winners of five straight and 14 of their previous 15 games. The Dolphins had two victories over University Division opponents. Le Moyne defeated Youngstown State, ranked no. 6 in the College Division poll, in the regional semifinals, but lost in the Mideast Regional Final Sweet 16 game to Akron.
Tommy Niland was named 1964 MECAA coach of the year, the fourth time he was so honored, Gary DeYulia was named All-MECAA first team, and Tom Cooney was selected for the second team. DeYulia was also named an ECAC All-Star.
In April 1964, Le Moyne College announced that it would sponsor and participate in a four-team Christmas invitational basketball tournament to take place on December 29 and 30. The Dolphins won the tournament, and Gary DeYulia was named most valuable player.
During the 1964–65 season, the Dolphins had a 15-game winning streak that improved their record to 17–2. Le Moyne accepted a bid to host the Northeast Regionals of the 1965 NCAA College Division tournament. Dolphins head coach Tommy Niland was named tournament director for the regional.
In 1965, The Dolphins won their second straight MECAA championship with a 4–1 league record and entered the NCAA tournament 18–3, including 3–0 against University Division opponents. However, they lost to Assumption, 76–58, and dropped the regional third-place game to Hartwick, 70–68.
Gary DeYulia was named a 1965 ECAC first-team All-Star, received honorable mention for the 1965 Little All-America team and was honored as first-team All-MECAA. Tom Mullen was named second-team all-conference, and Tommy Niland won his fifth MECAA coach of the year award.
For the second straight season, the Dolphins hosted NCAA tournament regional games in 1966. Le Moyne entered the tournament 14–5, including two wins against University Division opponents, but lost their first-round game to Philadelphia Textile, 83–61. Le Moyne defeated Potsdam State in their consolation game, 86–63. Gary DeYulia had 25 points in the consolation game, giving him 51 for the two tournament games, and was named a Northeast Region Section B All-Star.
After the tournament, the Dolphins closed the regular-season with an 88–72 home victory over Siena to finish 16–6. Gary DeYulia finished his career with 1,212 points, third on Le Moyne's all-time scoring list.
Gary DeYulia was named 1966 MECAA player of the year. Tom Mullen was selected second-team all-MECAA. DeYulia was also named to the first-team small Catholic college all-America squad and to the small college all-America team and received honorable mention on the Little All-America squad.
A rebuilding year and two more NCAA tournament berths (1966–1969)
After struggling through an 11–10 season in 1966–67, the Dolphins regained their form and, led by captain Gerry McDermott, went 14–8 in 1967–68, including a trip to the NCAA tournament.