In 2007, Engelstad earned a bachelor’s degree in political science, graduating from St. Mary’s Division III basketball team. He ended his career with the Seahawks, becoming their top assist leader with 419.
Engelstad, who chose not to give a statement regarding this narrative, was recruited on May 9, 2018, as the 22nd coach at Mount St. Mary’s. He succeeded four coaches before him since Jim Phelan’s retirement from the position in 2003 after a tenure of 49 years.
According to a reliable source, Dan Engelstad has officially stepped down as the head coach of Mount St. Mary’s men’s basketball team and will be taking on the role of assistant coach for Adrian Autry at Syracuse University.
— Daniel Engelstad (@coachengelstad) April 11, 2024
The athletic director for Mountaineers, Brad Davis, announced in a written statement that a search for Engelstad’s replacement on a national level will commence promptly.
Engelstad is joining Syracuse to fill the gap left by their former associate head coach, Gerry McNamara, who was appointed as the coach for Siena on March 28th. Both teams compete in the MAAC conference.
“I am incredibly grateful for the chance to have led the men’s basketball team at Mount St. Mary’s for the past six years,” he expressed on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. “During this time, I have had the privilege to coach exceptional student-athletes and collaborate with exceptional coaches and administrators. We have experienced remarkable accomplishments and faced challenges together, always with the goal of elevating Mount basketball to a program that the entire community can take pride in. My family and I are deeply appreciative of the unwavering support and enthusiasm from the university administration, faculty, staff, as well as the alumni, students, and fans. The friendships and connections I have formed here will always hold a special place in my heart. Until we cross paths again… go Mount!”
Throughout Engelstad’s time as coach, the Mountaineers had a total record of 72 wins and 109 losses, with a 48-60 record in the Northeast Conference and a record of 48-60 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. These 72 wins make up the fifth-highest number of wins in the school’s history.
During his time as the coach for five seasons, Engelstad led the teams in 2015-16 and 2017-18 to victories in the New England Collegiate Conference Tournament and made it to the first round of the NCAA Division III Tournaments. He finished with an impressive record of 104 wins and 34 losses overall and 68 wins and 10 losses in the conference.
From 2007 to 2010, Engelstad worked as an assistant coach for the Mountaineers under the guidance of previous coach Milan Brown. Following that, he served as an assistant coach at Holy Cross until 2013 when he was hired as coach for Southern Vermont.
pic.twitter.com/EP2WBKfrz3
“I would like to express my appreciation to Dan for serving as our basketball coach for the past six years,” stated Davis, the new athletic director. “During my brief tenure at the Mount, I have treasured his friendship and I wish him, along with his wife Camille and their three daughters Laney, Elise, and Keira, nothing but the best in their future endeavors. The Mount has a long-standing reputation as a prominent basketball school, dating all the way back to Coach Phelan. As we continue to make significant progress in upgrading our facilities and resources, we eagerly anticipate the prosperous future of Mount Basketball.”
In the academic year 2020-21, Mount St. Mary’s team won their sixth tournament championship in the Northeast Conference. It was their first win since the 2016-17 season, despite the challenges of the nationwide coronavirus outbreak. Unfortunately, the team was defeated 60-52 by Texas Southern in the First Four round of the NCAA Tournament.