On October 4, 2010, Director of Athletics Susan Petersen Lubow named Danny Nee the next Head Men’s Basketball Coach at the United States Merchant Marine Academy. Nee brings with him an overwhelmingly-impressive resume, including several head coaching positions at Division I powerhouses.

“What a terrific day for the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and our Men’s Basketball program! We are thrilled to have Coach Danny Nee as a member of our academy family,” Petersen Lubow commented on the hire. “His expertise on the court and years of experience as a Head Coach bring a level of excitement to our program that I hope catapults us into a successful season.”

Nee, best known for revitalizing the men’s basketball programs at both Ohio University and the University of Nebraska, has coached at the NCAA Division I level for a quarter-century.

Nee has compiled a 410-381 (.518) record in his 26 seasons as a head men’s Division I basketball coach that included stints at Ohio (1980-86), Nebraska (1986-2000), Robert Morris (2000-01) and Duquesne (2001-06). Nee also served as the Director of Player Development at Rutgers after two years as a scout for the National Basketball Association’s Utah Jazz. Most recently, he was an assistant coach at Towson University for the 2009-10 season.

Nee cut his coaching teeth as assistant coach at Notre Dame for four years (1976-80) under the legendary Digger Phelps.

“I look at this as a great opportunity to be a head coach and do what I love. To do it at the United States Merchant Marine Academy, to settle back into the part of the country where I’ve wanted to be with my family, it’s a perfect fit,” Nee said. “The best part of the job is the quality of the players, the quality of the student-athletes here. I’m very impressed with them.”

He received his first head coaching position at Ohio University, where he started his reputation as a program-revitalizer. Nee built a 107-67 (.615) record in his six seasons while guiding the Bobcats to a pair of NCAA Tournament berths (1983 and 1984) and one NIT appearance (1986). He was named Mid-American Coach of the Year twice. His 1982-83 team recorded a program-record 23 wins en route to the Bobcats’ first NCAA appearance in nine seasons. He is a member of the Ohio University Hall of Fame.

Nee became Nebraska’s winningest head coach with his 254-189 (.573) record spanning 14 seasons. Prior to his arrival in Lincoln, the Cornhuskers had participated in one NCAA Tournament in 48 years. Under Nee, Nebraska made 11 post-season appearances that included five NCAA bids and winning the NIT Championship in 1996. His Cornhuskers had seven 20-game winning seasons compared to just four at Nebraska in the previous 98 years.

He also served as head coach at Robert Morris and Duquesne out of the Northeast and Atlantic 10 Conferences, respectively, adding to his experiences of coaching in the MAC and Big Eight.

“To me, Division III is just a number,” Nee commented about his first experience at this level. “The coaching is the same, the athletes want to win. Having my own team again is the best part. I don’t look at recruiting or coaching any differently. I also see the USMMA-Coast Guard rivalry the same as Nebraska-Oklahoma and Towson-Maryland. When we play Coast Guard, it’s going to be fun; it’s going to be loud.”

A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., Nee was a high school teammate of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at Power Memorial High School. He was a member of the late Al McGuire’s first recruiting class at Marquette. Nee was captain of the Warriors’ freshman team before answering the call to serve his country in the United States Marine Corps. He received Combat Air Insignia Medals and was honorably discharged in 1968 after serving in Vietnam.

Following his two-year tour of duty, Nee resumed his education at St. Mary of the Plains College in Dodge City, Kan. where he earned a degree in English and Physical Education in 1971. He completed work for a Master’s degree in Health, Physical Education and Recreation from Kansas State University in 1972.

Nee began his coaching career at the high school level, directing programs at New Jersey’s Red Bank Regional (1972-73) and Brick Township (1973-76) before taking the assistant’s job at Notre Dame where he recruited and coached 10 NBA players.

Nee is married to the former Janet Scheib and is the father of three children – daughter, Nora, and sons, Patrick and Kevin.