Eric Eaton returns for his third season on the Iona men's basketball staff in 2019-20 under the direction of Tim Cluess. Eaton has helped guide Iona to its third (2018) and fourth (2019) straight MAAC Championships and NCAA Tournament appearances.
Eaton has established himself as a premier assistant coach with 18 years of NCAA Division I experience. He has been to seven NCAA Tournaments, an NIT, and 11 total postseason appearances. Eaton has been directly involved in all aspects of running four different Division I programs including recruiting, practice planning, on court coaching and opponent scouting, academic monitoring and fundraising.
Prior to Iona, Eaton was an assistant at Iona's MAAC rival Quinnipiac. His recruiting prowess yielded the Bobcats five players who scored 1,000 or more points (Justin Rutty, James Johnson, Ousmane Drame, Umar Shannon and Cameron Young) and two who pulled down over 1,000 rebounds (Rutty, Drame). Rutty was the 2010 Northeast Conference Player of the Yea while Young was the 2019 MAAC Player of the Year. Eaton also was responsible for the recruitment of 2017 MAAC All-Rookie selection Peter Kiss. He is well connected in the New England Prep Schools, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and Washington D.C. as well as at the Junior College level nationally.
At Quinnipiac, Eaton coordinated the individual instruction of the post players, where he was instrumental in developing Justin Rutty (2010 NEC Player of the Year, 2011 First Team All-NEC), Ike Azotam (2012 & 2013 All-NEC Second Team, 2014 All-MAAC First Team) and Ousmane Drame (2012 NEC All-Rookie, 2014 & 2015 All-MAAC Second Team). In total, five of his former frontcourt players at Quinnipiac went on to the professional ranks after graduation. The Bobcats were also consistently ranked as one of the top rebounding teams in the country, leading the nation in at least one rebounding category for six years in a row from 2010-11 through 2015-16, including the 2013-14 season, when the Bobcats ranked first nationally in total rebounds, offensive rebounds, defensive rebounds and rebounding margin.
Eaton played a major role in the most successful five-year stretch in Quinnipiac history. The program recorded 98 wins from 2009-14, won a NEC regular season title in 2010, and participated in four postseason tournaments (2010 NIT, 2011 & 2014 CIT and 2012 CBI). Quinnipiac also had the largest three-year APR turnaround in the country from 2008-10 (+219 points) and posted the highest GPA in the Northeast Conference from 2010-2012.
Recognized as one of the top coaches in the region and nationally, Eaton was called out by Collegeinsider.com as one of 30 assistants nationally “Ready to Run Their Own Program” in 2016. In 2012, he was selected to attend the Nike Villa 7 Consortium. At this prestigious event, VCU's Center for Sport Leadership, VCU athletics and Nike brought together university athletic directors and the country's elite assistant basketball coaches in an effort to prepare the next generation of college basketball leaders. Eaton was also named the No. 3 assistant in the Northeast Conference by FoxSports.com after the 2009-10 season, while he earned an honorable mention on the CollegeInsider.com Top 25 Mid-Major Assistants list following the 2008-09 season.
Prior to Quinnipiac, Eaton joined the University at Albany staff as an assistant for the 2005-06 season. The Great Danes finished 21-11 and reached the 2006 NCAA tournament for the first time at the NCAA Division I level. Eaton was then elevated to Associate Head Coach and the Great Danes won the 2007 America East Tournament Championship while earning an NCAA berth for the second consecutive season.
During his time with the Great Danes, Eaton played a key role in developing a two-time America East Player of the Year, three all-league performers and a Defensive Player of the Year. The team also posted the highest team grade point average in the America East for those two seasons.
Prior to joining the Albany staff, Eaton coached at the College of the Holy Cross from 2000-04 under head coach Ralph Willard. While in Worcester, the Crusaders won the Patriot League championship and reached the NCAA Tournament in three consecutive seasons (2001-03). During that period, Eaton recruited the Patriot League's Rookie of the Year and a two-time First Team All-League player. He also assisted in the development of 15 players who earned all-league or all-rookie recognition, including three Player of the Year award winners.
Eaton was an assistant coach for one year at Assumption College in Worcester, MA prior to joining the Holy Cross staff. He also worked at Anna Maria College from 1997-99 and was a volunteer assistant at UMass-Dartmouth when that program won 20 games and made a NCAA Division III Tournament appearance.
A member of the UMass-Dartmouth Athletic Hall of Fame, Eaton played on three Little East Conference championship teams that reached the NCAA tournament in the mid-1990s including a Final Four in 1993. He earned his undergraduate degree in business management.
Eric and his wife, Alexis, are the parents of twin boys, Evan and Owen.
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| THE EATON FILE |
Year at Iona
Third Season
Birth Date
April 30, 1973
Age
46
Hometown
Worcester, MA
Wife
Alexis
Children
Evan and Owen
College
BA, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, 1997 |
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| ATHLETIC PLAYING BACKGROUND |
UMass Dartmouth
Dartmouth, Mass |
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| BASKETBALL COACHING EXPERIENCE |
1997-1999 - Volunteer Assistant Coach
Anna Maria College - Paxton, Mass.
1999-2000 - Assistant Coach
Assumption College - Worcester, Mass.
2000-2004 - Assistant Coach
College of the Holy Cross - Worcester, Mass.
2005-2007 - Assistant Coach
University at Albany - Albany, N.Y.
2007-2017 - Assistant Coach
Quinnipiac University - Hamden, Conn.
2017-present - Assistant Coach
Iona College - New Rochelle, N.Y. |
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| NCAA DIVISION I POSTSEASON APPEARANCES |
NCAA Championship (7)
Holy Cross: 2001, 2002, 2003
Albany: 2006, 2007
Iona: 2018, 2019
National Invitation Tournament (1)
Quinnipiac: 2010
CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (2)
Quinnipiac: 2011, 2014
College Basketball Invitational (1)
Quinnipiac: 2012 |
What they’re saying about Coach Eaton:
"We are excited to welcome Eric to New Rochelle following his tenure with Quinnipiac. He brings a well-known background and reputation to our program and I look forward to having him on the staff for the upcoming season,"
- Tim Cluess, head coach, Iona College
"Eric is a winner. Every program has improved with him as an assistant. There's a reason why he has won so many championships and coached in the NCAA Tournament so many times. It's because he develops players and builds incredible relationships. Eric will make a great head coach someday soon,"
- Ed McGlaughlin, director of athletics, Virginia Commonwealth
"Eric Eaton is an outstanding addition to the Iona men’s basketball program. He is a tireless coach and recruiter who strives to develop the student athletes in his charge. I’m confident that Iona will quickly realize the benefits of having someone with Eric’s credentials and ambition on their staff,"
- Greg Amodio, director of athletics, Quinnipiac University
“Coach Eaton pushed me to be my best on and off the court. I believe he had a big part in my journey of becoming a college graduate and a professional basketball player,”
- James Feldeine, former player, Quinnipiac class of 2010; currently playing for Crvena Zvezda (Serbia)
"Coach Eaton is the most motivating and inspiring coach I have had the privilege to be coached by in my career. His enthusiasm for the game and his dedication to shape the character, attitude and work ethic of young men like myself are few of the numerous reasons why I and so many others regard him as a role model and a life changer."
- Ousmane Drame, former player, Quinnipiac class of 2015; currently playing for FIATC Joventut (Spain)
"Coach Eaton is by far the most motivating coach I have played for over my career. He somehow finds a way of getting the most out of both an individual and a group. I have the utmost respect for Coach because he always pushed me to give everything I had each and every day without excuses. He brought a huge energy level and was willing to push my team to our limits to make us champions,"
- Jamar Wilson, former player, UAlbany class of 2007; currently playing for Movistar Estudiantes (Spain)
