John Linehan joined the Saint Joseph’s men’s basketball program as an assistant coach in April of 2022.
Linehan came to Hawk Hill after spending the previous three seasons as an assistant coach at Georgia. Joining the Bulldogs in 2019, he was instrumental in player development, including the No. 1 pick of the 2021 NBA Draft, Anthony Edwards.
“We are thrilled to add John Linehan to our staff on Hawk Hill,” Lange said. “John has developed into an outstanding coach through a diligent approach to his craft, an emphasis on connection, and a hunger to learn. I have seen firsthand John’s on-court teaching talent; he possesses an infectious, consistent, and authentic energy.
“His journey as a player and coach has afforded him a vast network of contacts that will sharpen our program in unique ways as the recruiting landscape of college basketball continues to change. Above all, John lives the core values of Saint Joseph’s Basketball: RESPECT, ELEVATE, SERVE. He is a good person who others want to be around.”
“I’m extremely excited and honored to be joining a program with such rich history and tradition. Growing up in the area, Saint Joseph’s was always an elite program producing so many high level student-athletes while being respected competitively on a national scale,” said Linehan. “I’m also thrilled to be joining a great staff led by Billy Lange. He, along with John Griffin, Justin Scott and the rest of the staff, have done a great job building the program the right way and are primed for take-off. This is a great time to be a Hawk.”
Prior to Georgia, Linehan served as an assistant coach at Hartford from 2017-19. Along with helping the Hawks to a 37-29 record and an appearance in the 2018 CIT, Linehan helped 10 players earn All-America East honors in a two-year period.
Linehan spent the 2016-17 season at Brown where he helped the Bears lead the Ivy League, and rank 37th nationally, in steals per game (7.6). Linehan began his collegiate coaching career as graduate assistant at Temple in 2014-15 before being named operations assistant at Drexel for the 2015-16 season. He also served as a volunteer assistant for the Philadelphia 76ers and Delaware 87ers in the summer of 2015.
One of the top defenders in NCAA history, Linehan was a four-year standout at Providence, setting a then-record for steals in a career (385). As a senior, Linehan was named the National Defensive Player of the Year by the NABC, ESPN.com and CollegeInsider.com, while also earning the 2002 Bob Cousy Award as the top senior in New England who is less than six feet tall. A two-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year, Linehan led the conference in steals in three of his four seasons and set a single-game Big East record for steals with 11 against Rutgers on Jan. 22, 2002.
Following his collegiate career, Linehand played professionally from 2002 until 2014, earning Defensive Player of the Year in France’s Pro A League four times with three different teams: in 2005 and 2006 for Paris-Levallois, in 2010 for Cholet and in 2011 for Nancy. Linehan also was the Defensive Player of the Year in Estonia’s Pro A League in 2009. Additionally, he played for the Harlem Globetrotters in 2004, for the Dakota Wizards of the Continental Basketball Association and for the Greenville Groove of the NBA D-League.
A native of Chester, Pennsylvania, Linehan was a standout at Chester High School, leading the Clippers to the PIAA title in 1994.
