Danielle O’Banion was named the 12th head women’s basketball coach at Loyola University Maryland in April, 2021.
Passionate, resilient, and prepared--all words used to describe Danielle “Danny” O’Banion. Named the Women’s Basketball Head Coach at Loyola Maryland in April 2021, Danny’s Loyola teams continue to raise expectations. Each year of her tenure, the Greyhounds have at least doubled the previous season’s win total. The 2023-24 team continued this upward trajectory, finishing with the program’s first winning record in 13 years, most wins in eight years, and best ever Patriot League finish. Picked ninth in the 2023-24 Patriot League Preseason Poll, O’Banion led the Hounds to tie for second place, earning her the 2024 Patriot League Coach of the Year honor.
A 23-year NCAA Division I coaching veteran, Danny’s previous coaching stops include Harvard, University of Minnesota, Kent State, and University of Memphis. O’Banion’s first head coaching stint was at Kent State from 2012-2016. She coached the 2014-15 season while in treatment for Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma cancer, during which she coached every game. In recognition of this e[ort, the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USWBA) presented her the Pat Summit Most Courageous Award in 2016. She is also an active member of the women’s basketball community, currently serving on the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Board of Directors for the second time. The Jesuit values of Loyola Maryland are very familiar to Danny. She graduated with a degree in Psychology from Boston College in 2001. As a member of the first two women’s basketball teams in school history to appear in the NCAA Tournament and Dean’s List scholar, she maximized her student-athlete experience. Now as a coach, she is committed to empowering her players to become the best versions of themselves in the classroom, court, and community.
“I am so excited to welcome Danielle O’Banion to the Loyola Athletics family as our next head women’s basketball coach,” said Donna M. Woodruff, Loyola's Assistant Vice President and Director of Athletics. “It was very clear through our process that Coach O’Banion was the right person to lead our program moving forward. She brings an impressive combination of coaching expertise, successful playing experience and a demonstrated commitment to developing the women in our program as exceptional leaders, student-athletes and citizens while on-campus and well after graduation. The future is very bright with Danielle as the leader of Loyola women’s basketball.”
A 20-year member of the Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Association, O’Banion served on the WBCA Board of Directors from 2013-15 and was an Awards Committee member from 2011-12. She was also the second woman to be named president of Black Coaches and Administrators, serving in that role in 2011-12 following four years on the BCA Board of Directors.
“I believe in Loyola University Maryland, and I am honored that Loyola believes in me,” O’Banion said. “I am especially grateful to Vice President Dr. Robert Kelly and Director of Athletics Donna Woodruff for entrusting me with the future of our Loyola women’s basketball program. Loyola, its ideals and the city of Baltimore are a championship combination, and I am eager to begin the work of building a Greyhounds women’s basketball championship tradition.”
As an undergraduate, O’Banion was a four-year letterwinner at Boston College from 1997-2001. She helped guide the Eagles to their first two NCAA tournament appearances in program history, and she was a co-captain and Big East Academic All-Star during her senior season. She graduated from Boston College in 2001 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and Hispanic Studies minor.
O’Banion grew up in Northern Virginia, and she prepped at Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Virginia where she was a Washington Post All-Met guard for the Maroon.
What They’re Saying About Danielle O’Banion
“Coach Danny brought 20 years of experience to our staff at the University of Minnesota. During her time here, Danny brought a passion to the game that is second to none. Her wealth of basketball knowledge will be a tremendous asset to Loyola University Maryland as she leads the women’s basketball program.” – Lindsay Whalen, Head Women’s Basketball Coach at the University of Minnesota
“Danny is the epitome of a team-first player and coach. She’s a phenomenal communicator and motivator, and her life experience as a cancer survivor will undoubtedly impact her student-athletes well beyond the court. At the same time, her basketball acumen and ability to teach the game are beyond reproach. I’m so excited for these young women to get a chance to learn and grow under her tutelage. Loyola just got a rock star.” – Marisa Moseley, Head Women’s Basketball Coach at the University of Wisconsin and former head coach at Boston University (2018-21)
“I am so thrilled for my friend Danielle O’Banion on becoming the next head coach at Loyola Maryland! She is a passionate, driven and talented coach who will continue to impact the lives of her student-athletes as she’s done for more than a decade. Danielle’s ability to connect, recruit and develop talent make her the perfect choice for Loyola. She brings positive energy on a daily basis and can light up the room with her smile and personality.” – Niele Ivey, Head Women’s Basketball Coach at the University of Notre Dame
