Tim Cluess steps down at Iona after historic 10-year run

Tim Cluess’ tenure at Iona is over after Gaels’ head coach stepped down Friday. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

Not even 24 hours after the abrupt end of the college basketball season, the end of an era has occurred in New Rochelle.

Tim Cluess, head coach at Iona for the past decade, announced Friday that he would step down from his position, but continue to serve the program in an advisory role.

“I want to sincerely thank the Iona College community and administration for the opportunity to be a part of Gael Nation for the past ten years,” Cluess said in a statement released Friday afternoon. “I appreciate the concern and care that the Iona community, particularly (President) Dr. (Seamus) Carey, has demonstrated for me and my family over the past few months as I have been dealing with a complicated health issue that kept me from coaching.”

“I look forward to my new role and assisting the College in every way I can going forward. On behalf of myself and my family, I want to thank Gael Nation, including every student-athlete I had the honor to coach, for all their ever-present and vocal support. I am proud of what we’ve accomplished together and look forward to supporting the program in my new advisory role.”

Cluess, who turned 61 this past Monday, made the jump from Division II LIU Post to Iona in 2010 and quickly made an impact, turning the Gaels back into the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference powerhouse they had been in the 1990s and 2000s. In his tenure on the Hynes Athletics Center sidelines, Iona went to six NCAA Tournaments and earned just the second at-large bid in MAAC history, in 2012. The Gaels also won five MAAC tournament championships under Cluess’ watch, including the last four prior to this now-concluded season, becoming the first MAAC program to ever win four consecutive postseason men’s basketball tournaments. Until the 2018-19 season, Cluess’ teams had won at least 20 games in every year at the helm. He was replaced by associate head coach Tra Arnold this season to tend to an undisclosed health issue, but Iona’s record remained credited to him. He leaves Iona with a record of 211-125, and an overall mark of 331-158 in the college ranks after an equally successful stint at St. Mary’s High School in Manhasset, where he went 265-78 and developed several future collegiate and pro players, most notably Danny Green of the Los Angeles Lakers.

At Iona, the list of Cluess’ players reads like a Who’s Who of MAAC history, with scores of all-conference honorees donning the maroon and gold such as Mike Glover, Sean Armand, A.J. English, Schadrac Casimir, Jordan Washington, Rickey McGill, E.J. Crawford and Tajuan Agee, and three more — Scott Machado, Momo Jones and David Laury — named MAAC Player of the Year during their senior seasons.

“We’re extremely proud of Tim Cluess and how he represented our program over the last ten years,” Iona athletic director Matt Glovaski said. “He elevated Iona men’s basketball and put us into the national spotlight on an annual basis. I want to recognize Coach’s resilience in dealing with a complicated health situation that kept him off the court this last season. We will continue to support Tim and his family as he manages this health matter, and are very happy he will continue to contribute in an advisory role and remain an important part of the Iona family.”

Several of Cluess’ former players and colleagues took to social media in the wake of the announcement to share their memories and support of their former coach.

“The man that changed my life,” Crawford tweeted. “I still remember the day Coach Cluess came to St. Thomas More and offered me my scholarship! Knew it was the right place from our first conversation.”

“TC changed so many young men’s lives during his years at Iona,” said Armand, Cluess’ first recruit at Iona. “Giving someone an opportunity is all you need sometimes, and he has done it for so many. Prayers up for my guy.”

“One of the best coaches I ever played for,” McGill echoed. “It hurts me that he has to end off his coaching career like this at Iona. Praying for him to get back 100% healthy.”

It is not known at this time exactly where Glovaski and Iona will go with a search process to find Cluess’ successor. Rumors have circulated that former Louisville head coach Rick Pitino is interested in the job and met with Iona boosters, but the leading candidate — and the most logical one at that — would be Jared Grasso, Cluess’ longtime former assistant who just completed his second season as the head coach at Bryant University. Grasso is also the popular choice among many of the former Iona players he helped recruit and develop in eight years on Cluess’ staff.

“Iona should hire Coach Grasso,” McGill added. “He helped build a legacy at Iona with Coach Cluess and produced over 20+ professional athletes.”

“To add to this, I know Jared Grasso would be the first person I would call if I was the AD,” Aaron Rountree III, an integral part of Iona’s 2016 MAAC championship team, tweeted. “(He) recruited basically every pro that helped build the dynasty that is Iona men’s basketball, and knows the MAAC (and what it takes to dominate it) as well as anyone. Ask any of the alumni.”