“Brett’s a head coach,” Head Coach Mitch Henderson ’98 said of Associate Head Coach Brett MacConnell two years ago in an interview at Jadwin Gym after the Tigers defeated No. 2 seed Arizona and No. 7 seed Missouri in the same weekend to reach the Sweet 16.
Just two years later, MacConnell and assistant coach Lawrence Rowley have been asked not to return to the Tiger bench following a tumultuous season that saw the Tigers eliminated in the Ivy Madness semifinals despite being picked as the overwhelming preseason favorite to play in the NCAA tournament. While the news has not been announced by the athletics department, The Daily Princetonian was able to independently verify the information from sources close to the team.
Associate Director of Athletics for Communications Chas Dorman would not comment specifically on personnel matters other than to confirm that currently all members of the men's basketball coaching staff are employed by the University.
The 'Prince' independently verified that MacConnell's contract is not expected to be renewed and Rowley is not expected to be retained for the 2025-2026 season.
MacConnell has served as the team's recruiting coordinator since 2013, proving impactful in shaping the program’s identity and the team’s recent successes. Junior stars Xaivian Lee and Caden Pierce as well Tosan Evbuomwan ’23, Jaelin Llewellyn ’22, Devin Cannady ’19, and Zach Martini ’24 all have something in common: getting recruited by MacConnell.
MacConnell flew out to Leicestershire, England to watch Evbuomwan, giving him an offer despite his team getting blown out. Princeton was the only Division I school to respond to Evbuomwan, now the NBA’s only Ivy Leaguer.
He took a chance on Lee, an unheralded recruit in high school who has blossomed into an NBA prospect, and Martini, who received his first Division I offer from MacConnell.
MacConnell was also invited to Silver Waves Media’s Elite 75 Future Head Coach Power Lunch, an event that highlights potential future Division 1 head coaches at this year’s Final Four in San Antonio.
Rowley, meanwhile has been with Princeton since the 2022 season. From 2018 to 2021, Rowley played Division III basketball at Emory University before his senior season was cancelled due to COVID-19.
After graduating in 2021, Rowley spent a year at The College of New Jersey as a graduate assistant coach. The Lions went 10–14 overall that season, and the next year Rowley joined the Tigers’ coaching staff.
Since 2022, Rowley has been an assistant coach for Princeton, helping develop stars like Lee and Pierce. He contributed to a three-year stretch where the Tigers won 66 of 91 games and 30 of 42 in the Ivy League.
The coaching changes raise questions about the future of the Princeton basketball program. With the transfer portal now open, concerns about roster changes are also likely to pop up. In the new era of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) in college sports, star players Xaivian Lee and Caden Pierce are bound to be offered six-figure deals to leave Princeton. But NIL is not limited to these players, and others on the team may be tempted to consider the portal.
After a season marked by unmet expectations, these coaching changes add uncertainty to the offseason for Princeton basketball.
Doug Schwartz is an associate Sports editor for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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