Don Harnum
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Following a highly successful eight year career as Rider’s head men’s basketball coach, Don Harnum is now finding success while leading the Rider Department of Athletics and the University’s 20 NCAA Division I programs, 355 athletes and 63 administrators, coaches and support staff.
In September 2005, Harnum was named interim director of athletics upon the retirement of Curt Blake and, following a national search, President Mordechai Rozanski officially named Harnum Rider’s new director of athletics in April 2006.
“It was difficult to leave the sidelines,” Harnum said. “But having been a part of the bigger picture for the last few years, I felt I could make a positive contribution to Rider, the athletics program, and most importantly, to the lives of our more than 350 student-athletes.”
Under Harnum’s guidance thus far, the semester grade point average for all Rider student-athletes in the spring 2007 was a best-ever 3.04, compared to the 2.96 grade point average for Rider’s non-student-athlete population. In addition, 55 percent of Rider’s student-athletes received a 3.0 or better grade point average and 14 of the 20 squads had a team grade point average at 3.00 or above. “We are extremely proud of the academic performance of our teams,” said Harnum. “It is a credit to our coaches for recruiting quality student-athletes, to the efforts of the students, and a testament to the dedication of everyone involved in the area of academic support at Rider.”
Harnum has already coordinated several initiatives during his brief term, including a new athletics logo which was unveiled in July 2007. He also led the creation of the new Athletics Hall of Fame display, oversaw renovations to the Alumni Gym lobby, established the annual Captains’ Leadership Seminar, hired Rider’s first-ever strength and conditioning coordinator and has increased corporate sponsorships and donor support over the last two years. A few of the most notable facility improvement projects completed since his appointment as athletics director include major renovations to the Maurer Center, specifically in the areas of the swimming and diving team locker rooms and hallway, and the creation of a state-of-the-art varsity athletics strength and conditioning center complete with new flooring, logos on all pieces of equipment, central air conditioning, recessed lighting and a sound system. In the fall, renovations to Sonny Pittaro baseball field and the softball field began including the addition of stadium seating and press boxes for both fields and an irrigation system, field re-grade and new fencing for the softball field.
Meanwhile, Harnum has also been involved in the planning and design of a new Rider athletics arena and served as a member of the Mercer County Sports and Entertainment Commission when Rider and the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) hosted the 2006 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament First and Second Rounds at Trenton’s Sovereign Bank Arena. Rider and the MAAC will team up again in 2009 to host the NCAA Women’s Basketball Regional at Sovereign Bank Arena. Additionally, Rider will serve as the host institution for the 2008 MAAC Baseball Championship to be held at Waterfront Park, home of the Trenton Thunder minor league baseball team, and the 2009 MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championship which will take place once again at Sovereign Bank Arena.
Harnum joined Rider’s Department of Athletics in 1989 as an assistant men’s basketball coach and continued to rise steadily through the ranks over the years following his arrival on campus. He became associate head coach in 1993 and head men’s basketball coach in 1997 following the departure of Kevin Bannon, a Rider Athletics Hall of Fame coach.
As head coach, Harnum led the Broncs to two MAAC titles in his last four years and to the first championship game appearance in Rider’s MAAC history. Rider basketball compiled the second best winning percentage in MAAC play during Harnum’s eight seasons as head coach and he was named MAAC Coach of the Year in 2002.
He recruited and coached the 2002 MAAC Player of the Year, Mario Porter, and also recruited 13 All-Rookie Team members, including the 2002 MAAC Rookie of the Year and eventual 2,000-point career scorer, Jerry Johnson. Porter and Johnson join several of Harnum’s graduates playing in the professional ranks overseas. Harnum also guided his team to its first National Invitation Tournament bid during his inaugural year as head coach. He compiled an overall record of 127-104 while at the helm for the Broncs.
While wins, championships and post-season awards are always great achievements, Harnum is most proud to have established a 100 percent graduation rate for seniors during his coaching years at Rider.
A native of Selingsgrove, Pa., Harnum received his master’s degree at Trenton State College where he was a graduate assistant coach. He earned his bachelor’s degree at Susquehanna University where he was a First Team All-America selection, an Academic All-American and an NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship recipient.
Harnum and his wife, Janet, have two children, Abigayle and Lucas.
