 Paulsen in 2025 | |
| Current position | |
|---|---|
| Title | Head coach |
| Team | Holy Cross |
| Conference | Patriot League |
| Record | 23–42 (.354) |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | (1964-09-14)September 14, 1964 (age 60) |
| Playing career | |
| 1983–1987 | Williams |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1988–1989 | Williams (assistant) |
| 1989–1990 | Michigan (assistant) |
| 1990–1994 | Cleveland State (assistant) |
| 1994–1997 | St. Lawrence |
| 1997–2000 | Le Moyne |
| 2000–2008 | Williams |
| 2008–2015 | Bucknell |
| 2015–2021 | George Mason |
| 2022–2023 | Fordham (assistant) |
| 2023–present | Holy Cross |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 2021–2022 | Fordham (Special Adv.) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 514–347 (.597) |
| Tournaments | 0–2 (NCAA D1) 11–5 (NCAA D3) 1–2 (NIT) 0–1 (CBI) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| NCAA Division III tournament (2003) 2 NCAA Division III Final Four (2003, 2004) UCAA regular season (1997) NNE10 regular season (1998) ECAC New England (2001) 2NESCAC regular season (2003, 2004) 3NESCAC tournament (2003, 2004, 2007) 4Patriot League regular season (2011–2013, 2015) 2Patriot League tournament (2011,2013) | |
| Awards | |
| 2×NABC D-III National Coach of the Year (2003, 2004) 2× NABC D-III New England Coach of the Year (1996, 2003) 2× UCAA Coach of the Year (1996, 1997) 3× NESCAC Coach of the Year (2003, 2004, 2007) 2× Patriot League Coach of the Year (2011, 2012) | |
Dave Paulsen (born September 14, 1964) is an Americancollege basketball coach who is currently the head coach atHoly Cross. Previously, he was the head men's basketball coach atGeorge Mason University inFairfax, Virginia. Before arriving at George Mason, he was previously the head coach atBucknell University for seven seasons. Prior to Bucknell, he spent eight years as the head coach at his alma mater,Williams College inWilliamstown, Massachusetts, and also coached atSt. Lawrence University inCanton, New York, andLe Moyne College inSyracuse, New York.
At Williams College, Paulsen won theNCAA Division III title in 2003,[1] and finished as national runner up in2004.[2] Paulsen was twice namedDivision III Coach of the Year during his time at Williams.[3]
On May 20, 2008, Paulsen was hired as head coach at Bucknell.[4] Paulsen led the Bison to a disappointing 7–23 record in his first year at Bucknell. This constituted the school's worst winning percentage (.233) since the 1971–72 season when the Bison posted a mark of 5–18 (.217).[5] In his second year, the Bison improved to 12–17, including a 9–5 record in Patriot League play. In his third year, Paulsen was named Patriot League Coach of the Year en route to leading his team to a 25–8 record heading into the NCAA tournament, including a 13–1 record in the Patriot League, culminating in both the regular season and Patriot League tournament championships.
During his time at Bucknell, Paulsen recruited and coached future NBA playerMike Muscala.
On March 30, 2015, Paulsen was hired as head coach of George Mason.[6] His team struggled in his first year, finishing the season with an overall record of 11–21, 5–13 in conference and in thirteenth place in the Atlantic 10. His second year at George Mason saw the team significantly improve, finishing 20–14 overall and 9–9 in A–10 play, and receiving an invitation to the2017 CBI, where they would lose in the first round toLoyola (MD).
Paulsen returned to thePatriot League when he was appointed head coach at theCollege of the Holy Cross on March 28, 2023.[7]
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Lawrence Saints(Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association)(1994–1997) | |||||||||
| 1994–95 | St. Lawrence | 10–15 | |||||||
| 1995–96 | St. Lawrence | 18–9 | NCAA Division III Second Round | ||||||
| 1996–97 | St. Lawrence | 22–4 | 1st | NCAA Division III First Round | |||||
| St. Lawrence: | 50–28 (.641) | ||||||||
| Le Moyne Dolphins(Northeast-10 Conference)(1997–2000) | |||||||||
| 1997–98 | Le Moyne | 20–8 | 14–6 | T–2nd | |||||
| 1998–99 | Le Moyne | 13–14 | 8–10 | T–6th | |||||
| 1999–00 | Le Moyne | 9–17 | 2–16 | 10th | |||||
| Le Moyne: | 42–39 (.519) | 24–32 (.429) | |||||||
| Williams Ephs(New England Small College Athletic Conference)(2000–2008) | |||||||||
| 2000–01 | Williams | 21–7 | 6–3 | T–1st | |||||
| 2001–02 | Williams | 22–6 | 7–2 | 2nd | NCAA Division III Second Round | ||||
| 2002–03 | Williams | 31–1 | 8–1 | T–1st | NCAA Division III champion | ||||
| 2003–04 | Williams | 30–2 | 9–0 | 1st | NCAA Division III Runner-up | ||||
| 2004–05 | Williams | 16–9 | 4–5 | T–5th | |||||
| 2005–06 | Williams | 17–8 | 5–4 | T–5th | |||||
| 2006–07 | Williams | 16–12 | 6–3 | T–3rd | NCAA Division III First Round | ||||
| 2007–08 | Williams | 17–8 | 4–5 | T–6th | |||||
| Williams: | 170–53 (.762) | 49–23 (.681) | |||||||
| Bucknell Bison(Patriot League)(2008–2015) | |||||||||
| 2008–09 | Bucknell | 7–23 | 4–10 | T–7th | |||||
| 2009–10 | Bucknell | 14–17 | 9–5 | 2nd | |||||
| 2010–11 | Bucknell | 25–9 | 13–1 | 1st | NCAA Division I First Round | ||||
| 2011–12 | Bucknell | 25–10 | 12–2 | 1st | NIT Second Round | ||||
| 2012–13 | Bucknell | 28–6 | 12–2 | 1st | NCAA Division I First Round | ||||
| 2013–14 | Bucknell | 16–14 | 11–7 | 4th | |||||
| 2014–15 | Bucknell | 19–15 | 13–5 | 1st | NIT First Round | ||||
| Bucknell: | 134–94 (.588) | 60–88 (.405) | |||||||
| George Mason Patriots(Atlantic 10 Conference)(2015–2021) | |||||||||
| 2015–16 | George Mason | 11–21 | 5–13 | T–12th | |||||
| 2016–17 | George Mason | 20–14 | 9–9 | T–7th | CBI First Round | ||||
| 2017–18 | George Mason | 16–17 | 9–9 | T–5th | |||||
| 2018–19 | George Mason | 18–15 | 11–7 | 5th | |||||
| 2019–20 | George Mason | 17–15 | 5–13 | 12th | |||||
| 2020–21 | George Mason | 13–9 | 8–6 | T–4th | |||||
| George Mason: | 95–91 (.511) | 46–54 (.460) | |||||||
| Holy Cross Crusaders(Patriot League)(2023–present) | |||||||||
| 2023–24 | Holy Cross | 10–23 | 6–12 | T–8th | |||||
| 2024–25 | Holy Cross | 13–19 | 5–13 | ||||||
| Holy Cross: | 23–42 (.354) | 11–25 (.306) | |||||||
| Total: | 514–347 (.597) | ||||||||
National champion Postseason invitational champion | |||||||||
