Welcome Home, Antoni Wyche

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 and 12-year Division I coaching veteran, for the 2021-22 season. 

“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.”

Wyche most recently 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.

“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

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. 

ANTONI WYCHE NOTRE DAME STATISTICS:

“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

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).

“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

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). Wyche’s first day with the Fighting Irish will be Tuesday, July 6, 2020. 

“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

Wyche will officially join the team for practice on July 6, 2021. His addition to the staff finalizes a series of changes to the Notre Dame men’s basketball staff for the 2021-22 season. After 12 seasons as Director of Operations, Harold Swanagan has moved to the athletic administration side as an Assistant Athletics Director in the GLD Center, the department formerly known as Student Welfare and Development and that empowers student-athletes to maximize their impact as people, leaders, and professionals.

Rod Balanis will lead Notre Dame’s team personnel, development and scouting functions with support from Scott Martin, who served as an interim assistant coach in 2020-21.  

Wyche joins associate head coach Anthony Solomon, who returned to the staff on May 27, 2021, and assistant coach Ryan Humphrey to complete the Notre Dame men’s basketball staff roster. 

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