Antoni Wyche 2022-23 Men's Basketball Staff

Glenn and Stacey Murphy Head Men’s Basketball Coach Mike Brey has announced the hiring of assistant coach Antoni Wyche, former Notre Dame team captain, for the 2021-22 season. Wyche now boasts over 13 yeas of Division I coaching experience. 

“Antoni is part of the Notre Dame family and I am excited to be able to bring him back to campus,” Brey said. “He has a proven track record of identifying and developing talent. There’s a toughness about him, a grinding work ethic and pride to be back working at his alma mater.”

The Irish achieved tremendous success in Wyche’s first year on the sidelines, posting a 24-11 record and earning a No. 11 seed in the NCAA Tournament. In March Madness, Notre Dame won an overtime First Four thriller against Rutgers, advanced past Alabama, and nearly surpassed Texas Tech in the second round. During the year, the Irish went 15-5 in ACC play, good for second place in the league. They also protected the home court, going 14-1 inside Purcell Pavilion, which included an upset over No. 10 Kentucky. The year also witnessed Dane Goodwin, Paul Atkinson Jr and Blake Wesley all earning ACC honors. In addition, Wesley was the program’s first one-and-done after being selected by the San Antonio Spurs 25th overall in the 2022 NBA Draft.

Prior to Notre Dame, Wyche was an assistant coach at Siena, serving as the recruiting and defensive coordinator for the Saints. He helped guide the team to the 2020 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference title in 2019-20, earning what would have been an NCAA tournament berth before the event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

His two-year stint with Siena was preceded by 10 outstanding seasons at Lehigh, helping the Mountain Hawks amass 189 wins, 102 Patriot League victories and two NCAA tournament appearances. 

“I am extremely excited and grateful for this opportunity to return home and can’t wait to join the staff and team on campus,” Wyche said. 

“Notre Dame is a special place as I was fortunate enough to have met my wife here and I genuinely feel my experiences both on and off the court really helped mold the player and coach I became after graduation. The opportunity to work with this staff and team as we build back to the goal of postseason success is something I take with pride and look forward to attacking daily.”

Wyche helped recruit and develop high level talent throughout his career, including 2013 NBA Top-10 Draft Pick C.J. McCollum. McCollum was the driving force behind Lehigh’s legendary upset of second-seeded Duke in the 2012 NCAA tournament, with Wyche helping the Mountain Hawks become just the sixth No. 15 seed to earn a first-round victory in the history of the event. 

Wyche also helped guide Lehigh to a 2013 College Basketball Invitational appearance and consecutive Patriot League Championship Game berths in 2016 and 2017.

Wyche also has worked with several other top student-athletes throughout his career, including two-time Patriot League Player of the Year Tim Kempton and the first four-time All-Patriot League honoree in program history in Kahron Ross. At Siena, Wyche helped develop back-to-back MAAC Players of the Year in Jalen Pickett and Manny Camper. 

A four-year letterwinner for former Irish head coach John MacLeod from 1995-99, Wyche appeared in 108 games with 64 starts while scoring 825 points, grabbing 222 rebounds and dishing out 193 assists. He served as team captain as a senior (1998-99) when he averaged 11.3 points and 2.5 rebounds while starting all 30 games. 

Before joining the coaching ranks, Wyche enjoyed a decorated professional playing career in which he competed all over the globe, featuring stops in Macedonia, Mexico, Finland, Japan, Qatar, and Jordan. He averaged 21 points while leading Fersped Rabotnicki in Macedonia to a 33-4 record and a Macedonian First Division Championship, amassed 26 points and six assists per game for Club de Mayas in Mexico in 2002, tallied 17 points and four assists per contest for Kouvot in 2002-03 in Finland, and nine points, five rebounds, and a league-leading six assists for Niigata Albirex in Japan in 2006-07 to highlight his stops. Wyche also played in the United States Basketball League for the Adirondack Wildcats (2003) and New Jersey Shorecats (2000).

Wyche, who starred in high school at Bishop Gibbons in Schenectady, New York, and his wife, Jill, are the proud parents of daughters Keilah (13) and Jaya (11).

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT ANTONI WYCHE: 

“I’m really happy for Coach Wyche. He’s a good guy who works hard, does things the right way and deserves to be coaching at the highest level. Quite frankly, he will be a great head coach one day but I’m glad he is heading home to his alma mater. He will be a huge value addition for the University.”

– Portland Trailblazers guard C.J. McCollum, played for Wyche at Lehigh from 2009-12 

“Antoni Wyche is one of my favorite players that I have ever coached. He has a tremendously successful coaching career and I am thrilled for him to have the opportunity to go back to Notre Dame to be a part of Coach Brey’s staff.” 

– Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery, assistant coach at Notre Dame from 1988-99

“Antoni Wyche is a terrific hire for Coach Brey and the Notre Dame Men’s basketball program. He brings a wealth of coaching experience and a blue-collar mentality that will make an impact on this team for years to come. Antoni understands the mission of our University and will work hard to recruit the best and brightest student-athletes to South Bend. Welcome home, Tone”

 – Delaware head coach Martin Ingelsby, teammate of Wyche at Notre Dame 1997-99

“I’m thrilled Mike Brey and the University of Notre Dame’s Men’s Basketball program is adding Antoni Wyche to the coaching staff. Not only was Antoni a great teammate and competitor, but he has also proven to be a rising star among college coaches because of his ability to recruit, develop and form meaningful relationships with the players he’s coached throughout his career.”  

– Pat Garrity, 10-year NBA veteran, 1997 BIG EAST Player of the Year, teammate of Wyche at Notre Dame 1995-97

ANTONI WYCHE FILE

COACHING CAREER: 

PLAYING CAREER:

PLAYING CAREER HONORS AND AWARDS: 

• 2001 Madedonian Cup Finalist
• 2001 Macedonian League Champion
• 2006 Japanese BJ League Regular Season Runner Up
• 2006 Japanese BJ League Finalist