STAUNTON — Mary Baldwin University enjoyed a historic men’s basketball season last year, winning the USA South Tournament championship and advancing to the NCAA Division III Tournament for the first time in just its third season as a college sport.
Much of this has been attributed to coach Matt Griggs, who started the program as a club sport in 2020 before basketball transitioned to a college sport the following year. In May, however, Griggs left the position to become the head coach at Lake Forest College in suburban Chicago.
Mary Baldwin has now found Griggs’ replacement, naming Daniel Eacho as just the second head coach in Mary Baldwin men’s basketball history. The announcement was made through a press release this Tuesday.
Eacho comes to Staunton after serving as associate men’s basketball coach at Millersville University in Pennsylvania. His management there began in 2021 as an assistant coach. Previously, Eacho was an assistant coach for the Hampden-Sydney College men’s basketball team.
Eacho played college basketball at Division III Roanoke College, twice captaining the Maroons, earning first-team honors on the Old Dominion Athletic Conference team and being selected in 2015 as the ODAC Farm Bureau Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
As a player, the 6’8” forward totaled 1,309 points, 724 rebounds and 35 blocks, and averaged 24.4 minutes per game in his college career.
During Eacho’s coaching tenure at Millersville, the Marauders have compiled a 68-25 record, won the division title twice and advanced to the NCAA Division II Tournament in two of the last three years.
“Throughout the hiring process, it became clear to me that Mary Baldwin University is a special place,” Eacho said in the release. “My family and I are excited to join this close-knit community.”
At Millersville, Eacho helped recruit 16 scholars, including nine who earned all-conference recognition. Other duties included overseeing players’ academic progress, the program’s logistical and financial operations, and fundraising activities.
“Daniel Eacho is inheriting a program that has made great strides and success in three seasons under the guidance of the first head coach in team history, Matt Griggs,” said Director of Athletics Tom Byrnes.
Eacho, a four-time ODAC All-Academic team member himself, is poised to lead the Fighting Squirrels to success on and off the court.
“I look forward to working with the young men in the men’s basketball program, helping them grow not only as basketball players, but as student-athletes in the classroom and in the community,” Eacho said. the MBU men’s basketball program has established a foundation of success. I can’t wait to build on this foundation and take the program to new heights.”
More: After a wet May, June turns to drought in the Shenandoah Valley
More: ‘Rails, Rust and Rivets’ and ‘You Belong Here’: Staunton Augusta Art Center’s Newest Exhibition
– Patrick Hite is a reporter for The News Leader. Story ideas and tips are always welcome. Contact Patrick (he/him/his) at phite@newsleader.com and follow him on Instagram @hitepatrick. Subscribe to us at newsleader.com
This article originally appeared in the Staunton News Leader: Mary Baldwin names new men’s basketball coach
