Quinnipiac head coach Baker Dunleavy stepped down from his position Thursday morning to become Villanova‘s general manager of basketball.
Dunleavy had been the head coach of the Bobcats for six seasons.
“After a period of post-season reflection, I have decided to step down from my position as Head Men’s Basketball Coach,” Dunleavy said. “Chrissi, our four girls, and I would like to thank the Quinnipiac community, especially the amazing staff and players that have worked so tirelessly these past six seasons. We feel it is time for us to take a step out of coaching into a new exciting opportunity for our family. The University and the State of Connecticut will always hold a special place in our hearts and a part of us will always be Bobcats.”
Shortly after Dunleavy’s resignation announcement, Villanova announced it was creating a new position in the athletic department — general manager of basketball — and hiring Dunleavy to fill the role.
Dunleavy played under Jay Wright at Villanova before spending seven seasons as an assistant coach for the Wildcats.
In his new role, Dunleavy will support men’s basketball coach Kyle Neptune and women’s basketball coach Denise Dillon with name, image and likeness deals, the transfer portal, marketing and fundraising.
“The dramatic changes in college basketball over the past several years have brought new challenges and forced us to collectively think differently,” Villanova athletic director Mark Jackson said. “I believe the creation of the GM role, particularly with Baker at the helm, positions Villanova well competitively for the future. It will allow Villanova to be even more forward-thinking and bring an innovative and seasoned perspective to the ever-evolving college basketball landscape. Most of all, Baker is a wonderful person and a great Villanovan. We’re thrilled to welcome him, Chrissi and their four daughters back to Villanova.”
In his six seasons at Quinnipiac, Dunleavy went 86-93 overall and 53-59 in MAAC play. He guided the Bobcats to two top-three finishes in the league and was coming off his best season at the school, with Quinnipiac finishing 20-12 overall and 11-9 in the league this past season.
Dunleavy will be replaced at Quinnipiac by assistant coach Tom Pecora, who joined the program in 2017. He spent nine seasons as the head coach at Hofstra and five seasons as the head coach at Fordham.