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| Mike Griffin coached the
men's basketball team for 29 years and also coached the women's
team for one season. RPI athletics photo by Tom Killips |
Long-time RPI head men's basketball coach Mike Griffin has announced he will retire following a 30-year career at the helm.
Griffin's retirement is effective May 31 and a national search to find Rensselaer's next head men's basketball coach will begin immediately.
"I have been so fortunate to spend three decades in this wonderful educational environment where intercollegiate athletics are considered important," said Griffin. "Working with talented, dedicated colleagues in the athletic department and all around the campus has been a remarkable experience.
"Coaching literally hundreds of RPI student-athletes, sharing winning and losing with them and then watching them move on to successful, productive lives has been an experience to treasure."
Griffin retires with a mark of 402-382 at RPI, including one season as the head women's coach (1994-95). He guided the Engineers to three NCAA Tournaments (1991, 1996 & 2009) and he was the league's coach of the year five times (1990, 1991, 1995, 1999 & 2011). He posted at least 20 wins twice and at least 17 victories eight times.
Griffin combined for a 68-131 mark in eight seasons combined coaching Colgate and Thiel before coming to RPI.
"Mike Griffin's time at Rensselaer is marked with incredible successes on the basketball court. League championships, NCAA bids, Players of the Year and Coach of the Year honors are all part of Mike's resume over the years," said RPI athletic director Jim Knowlton. "But what is even more impressive is the impact that he has had on hundreds of young men during his time as our coach. Mike has provided opportunity for growth both on and off the court. He has helped many to achieve at levels they never thought possible, and that will truly be Mike's legacy at Rensselaer. We are going to miss him dearly."
Griffin led the Engineers to the Liberty League tournament finals as recently as 2013 when the team won its final seven regular season games and the league semifinal, which was on the road. Just two years prior, he was the Liberty League Coach of the Year after 17 wins and a first place finish in the league's regular season standings.
Other highlights include the 1998-99 season when RPI was first in Division III men's basketball in rebounding margin and third in scoring defense, and 1995-96 when the Engineers were 20-8 and played into the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16. That came just three seasons after RPI posted a 56-23 mark over the course of three years (1989-90 to 1991-92), in which they won 18 games twice and 20 games once. The 20-win season was 1990-91 when Rensselaer won a school-record 18 straight contests on its way to the NCAA Tournament.
Griffin coached more than 40 All-League honorees, five League Players of the Year, six All-ECAC selections, four D3hoops.com All-Region members and an All-State choice. He is a three-time Marvin H. Anderson Award recipient as Rensselaer's Coach of the Year, as voted on by his peers.
He has held numerous positions at Rensselaer in
addition to head men's basketball coach. Among them were freshman
lacrosse coach, a physical education instructor and assistant
athletic director.