In yesterday’s Daily Dirt, I teased the news that D2 UMary would hire a current NAIA head coach. Here is the official announcement from UMary announcing the move…
Darren Tighe, a proven program builder with multiple national tournament appearances and conference championships to his credit, has been named the new head men’s basketball coach at the University of Mary. A meet and greet social will take place following the groundbreaking ceremony for the new University of Mary Marauders Athletics Complex Friday, April 11, at 4:30 pm, in the University of Mary Fieldhouse and Wellness Center.
In previous stops, Tighe (pronounced TIE) led Mayville State University to three national tournament appearances, three conference tournament championships, and a regular-season title while earning both conference and North Dakota Associated Press Sportscaster and Sportswriters Association (NDAPSSA) coach of the year recognition.
In 10 seasons as a collegiate head coach, Tighe owns an overall record of 169-112. He spent the last two seasons at Dakota State University in Madison, SD, after previously coaching five seasons at Mayville State University in Mayville, ND, and three seasons at Ridgewater Junior College in Willmar, MN.
“We are thrilled to welcome Darren and his family to the University of Mary,” said Marcus Wagner, the university’s director of Intercollegiate Athletics. “He brings a wealth of coaching knowledge and experience to the table. What ultimately drew us to Darren through this process is his ability to build programs with a focus on the development of young men both on and off the court. His program sets high standards and expectations for themselves which aligns well with our ‘Greatness through Virtue’ strategic plan for athletics. I am excited to see the future of Marauders men’s basketball under his leadership.”
“My family and I are extremely excited to be joining the University of Mary and the Bismarck-Mandan communities,” stated Tighe. “Within the NCAA Division II landscape, the NSIC is a blue-chip conference. I’m humbled at the opportunity to compete in such an established league and lead the men’s basketball program within the University of Mary. We would like to thank President Monsignor James P. Shea, Executive Vice President Jerome Richter, and Athletic Director Marcus Wagner for believing in us and entrusting the program to our family. We are excited to join the community and get to work.”
“It is a deeply exciting time to be a Marauder and to welcome Darren to the University of Mary” said University of Mary Executive Vice President Jerome Richter. “Between the hiring of our next head men’s basketball coach and the groundbreaking of our new athletics facility later this week, there are many reasons to be grateful. Our men’s basketball program has a rich history tracing all the way back to 1970 when Friz Fell started the program on our campus. We remain committed to our pursuit of greatness on the court, in the classroom, and in the lives of the young men within the program. Through this process, Darren has shown support for the integration of our ‘Greatness through Virtue’ athletics strategic plan and his clear alignment. I am eager to see where Darren takes our program in the future.”
In his first season at Dakota State University in 2023-24, Tighe led the Trojans to their first winning season in eight seasons with a record of 17-13. DSU also experienced its first home playoff win since 2016. The 17 wins was the most by a first-year head coach in program history while a nine-game win streak matched the school record. Last season the Trojans again earned a win in the conference playoffs and picked up their first victory over an NCAA Division II program in a decade.
He coached a pair of Trojans to North Star Athletic Association All-Conference honors and two Freshmen-of-the-Year winners.
Tighe took over the Mayville State program in 2017 and led the Comets to a record of 92-42 in five seasons. Inheriting a program coming off a nine-win season, Tighe doubled the Comets win total to 18 while claiming the North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) postseason tournament and earning the first-of-three berths to the NAIA Division II national tournament. It was the Comets first national tournament appearance in 11 years.
Mayville State improved to 20 wins in 2018-19 and won a second straight NSAA tournament to make another appearance at nationals. The Comets rolled to a record of 24-5 and a third straight conference tournament title in 2020, earning a third national tournament bid. Two more winning seasons followed in 2020-21, which included the school’s first regular season conference title in 14 years, and 2021-22.
Recognized as the NDAPSSA Coach-of-the-Year in 2018 and the 2021 NSAA Coach-of-the-Year, Tighe coached four NAIA honorable mention All-Americans, two NSAA Players-of-the-Year, five All-NSAA first-team performers, four second-team selections and five honorable mention choices plus one NSAA Freshman-of-the-Year recipient at Mayville State.
Placing a program emphasis on academics, his teams at DSU and MSU posted a 3.0 or higher grade-point average all seven seasons.
Tighe tipped off his collegiate head coaching career at Ridgewater in the 2014-15 season. In three seasons he led the Warriors to a record of 48-34, including a 20-win season that broke a 50-year-old school record. In 2016, the Warriors advanced to the Region 3 tournament for the first time in seven seasons. While at Ridgewater he coached a 2-time NJCAA Second Team All-American.
As a college student at Minnesota State University, Mankato, Tighe served as an assistant coach at Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato, MN, for four seasons (2007-08 through 2010-11). He later served as the head coach at JWP High School in Janesville, MN (2011-12) and an assistant coach at Redwood Valley High School in his hometown of Redwood Falls, MN (2012-14).
Twice a Minnesota State University graduate, Tighe earned a bachelor’s degree in English Studies in 2008 and a master’s degree in teaching in 2014.
Tighe becomes the 10th head coach in UMary men’s basketball program history and the sixth of the Marauders NCAA era. The first intercollegiate sport in school history, the Marauders first took to the court for the 1970-71 season. UMary began competing in NCAA Division II and the Northern Sun in the 2006-07 season.
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