BABSON PARK, Mass.—Babson College assistant men's basketball coach
Matthew Droney '17 was announced as the new head boys' basketball coach at Dexter Southfield in nearby Brookline on Wednesday afternoon.
A member of the Beavers' 2017 Division III national championship team and their 2015 Final Four squad, Droney returned to his alma mater prior to the 2019-20 campaign. During his five seasons in Babson Park, the Green and White captured a pair of New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) championships and made four straight NCAA Tournament appearances.
"I want to thank Babson for an incredible five years as an assistant coach and three years as a player. With the exception of COVID, we made the NCAA Tournament in every season and achieved new heights as a program. Babson has been an enormous part of my life and having the chance to coach here has been the honor of a lifetime. The deep connections I have formed with fellow alumni, my former teammates, current players, and our coaching staff have made this job an absolute joy every day.
"I want to thank Coach Brennan for being a tremendous mentor to me over the years. Our relationship has grown so much since 2014 when I first arrived on this campus. The trust he showed in me allowed me to become the coach I am today. Additionally, I want to thank
Mike Lynch for aiding in my development and allowing me to have growing responsibilities over my five years here. Babson basketball will always hold a special place in my heart, and I look forward to being a committed alumni member and helping the program however I can.
"It was a difficult decision to leave but I am incredibly excited to become the new head coach at Dexter Southfield. I was so impressed with the quality of people at Dexter and their shared vision for the boys' basketball program. I look forward to building a program centered around good people that want to be a part of something bigger than themselves. Our goal will be to compete annually in NEPSAC Class A, and I believe the strong leadership at Dexter will give us every opportunity to succeed."
Babson matched its best start in program history (9-0) and registered its first 20-win season and NCAA Tournament appearance since winning the national championship in his first season on staff. The Beavers went 8-2 during the pandemic-shortened 2021 campaign before winning 18 games and advancing to the second round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament before falling to eventual national champions Randolph-Macon College.
The Green and White finished 19-9 and won a pair of road games to secure its first NEWMAC Tournament crown in seven years in 2023. This past winter, the Beavers overcame a rash of injuries to get back to the NCAA Tournament by winning three games in five days on the way to repeating as conference champions.
"I'm excited for Matt to start the next chapter of his coaching journey," commented head men's basketball coach
Stephen Brennan. "As a player, coach and individual he has bled Babson Green. His pride, compete level, ability to positively impact all he meets on and off the floor, and his ability to game plan and build buy in are elite.
"He has played an integral role in our four straight NCAA appearances, back-to-back NEWMAC championships, and set a standard of excellence that few ever experience.
Matt is a tireless recruiter who builds relationships with families and recruits alike that last well beyond their playing time at Babson and I know he will do a terrific job at Dexter.
It is bittersweet to see a someone who has meant so much to us and me personally move on, yet I'm equally excited to see Matt embrace his next coaching opportunity."
In addition to his success on the sidelines, Droney played a key role in the most successful three-year stretch in program history as a player. He hit the go-ahead three-pointer in the 76-69 OT win over Trinity College that sent the Beavers to the Final Four for the first time in school history in 2015 and helped the Green and White go 31-2 on the way to winning the national title two years later.
