Joe O’Shea enters his first season as an Assistant Coach for the Saint Anselm College men’s basketball program in 2020-21.
O’Shea comes to the Hilltop from Mercyhurst University where he assisted the Lakers’ nationally-ranked men’s basketball program since August 2016. O’Shea contributed to a variety of areas in the program, including recruiting, skill development, scouting, fundraising and academic monitoring.
On the court, O’Shea’s charges made back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Division II postseason, earning a spot alongside Saint Anselm in the 2019 NCAA Division II Elite Eight in Evansville, Ind. During the 2018-19 season, Mercyhurst finished second nationally in scoring defense (60.7 ppg) and set a program record with 26 victories.
In his last two seasons at Mercyhurst, the Lakers posted a combined record of 46-16 and ranked in the top-15 nationally in scoring defense, three-point percentage, turnovers and turnover margin in 2019-20. The success of the Mercyhurst coaching staff was recognized with a PSAC West Coach of the Year award.
A 2014 graduate of Bryant University, O’Shea and the Bulldogs posted three consecutive top-three finishes in the Northeast Conference. After transferring from Holy Cross after the 2010-11 season and completing a redshirt season, O’Shea helped the program jump from just two wins in 2011-12 to 19 in 2012-13.
On the court, O’Shea was a Third Team All-NEC selection in 2014-15 and in the classroom, he earned CoSIDA Academic All-District honors and graduated magna cum laude with a degree in History. O’Shea completed his MBA coursework at Bryant with a concentration in Finance in 2015.
O’Shea played professional basketball in the 2015-16 season, competing for Aris Leeuwarden in the Netherlands. During his playing career overseas, O’Shea also contributed to the community by planning and executing skills clinics for young students in the area.
