Oct. 21, 2005

The Nova Notebook, by Villanova director of media relations Mike Sheridan, appears each week beginning in the fall and continues through the basketball regular season. This week we check in with one of the newer members of the Villanova staff, manager of basketball operations Jason Donnelly.

In many ways the 94 feet of hardwood is a daily in-season refuge for the men and women who teach the college game. For roughly two hours on most days, it is the place where they interact with the athletes in their charge while the Blackberry is turned off.

For men and women like Jason Donnelly, those two hours tend to be anything but a retreat. In his role as manager basketball operations, Donnelly is constantly on the move while the Villanova coaching staff is on the floor. In the span of one 90 minute practice this week, the Colonia, N.J. native was seldom idle. At one moment he was back in the basketball office. Shortly thereafter, he mingled with several visitors to practice. Later, he was huddled with several basketball managers.

To some who aspire to coaching at the collegiate level it is a role that can frustrate. In this capacity, Donnelly does not teach during practice. Instead his essential tasks lay elsewhere. In his mind, though, this is an invaluable learning experience.

"What I like about this opportunity is that it gives me the chance to learn what basketball is like at the Big East level without being rushed into recruiting and coaching," states Donnelly, who came to Villanova last spring after spending six years as an assistant coach at Bishop O'Connell High School in Virginia.

"I'm really excited about learning all of this. As a support staff, our job is to do all we can to allow Coach (Jay) Wright and the staff to focus on coaching. If that means coordinating the travel or planning team meals, I'm happy to do it."

Indeed, Donnelly handles a myriad of tasks on Wright's behalf. Lately, one of the more time-consuming of those has been the planning of "Hoops Mania." Donnelly serves as the chief liaison of the men's basketball staff working with Senior Associate Athletic Director Bob Steitz and Director of Marketing and Special Events Brian Papson to produce the event that is set for Oct. 21 in the Pavilion.

"It's been a lot of fun working to put this together," says Donnelly. "Brian Papson and his staff have put a lot of time and energy into this. We've been promoting this all week on and off campus and I know the guys are really looking forward to this."

Donnelly's fascination with basketball began at an early age. Raised in a single family household by his mother, he bonded quickly with his uncle, Jack Siegfried.

"My uncle would take me to open gyms in the area on Friday nights or to New Jersey Nets games," he recalls. "Then when I started to play, he followed every one of my games. He would sit in the stands and keep track of my stats in a notebook."

At Colonia (N.J.) High School, Donnelly played for coach Ken Pace and saw in him qualities he admired.

"For me, growing up in a single parent home, coaches became my role models," says Donnelly.

Following his graduation from Colonia, Donnelly attended Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pa. It was a 2,000 student campus and the intimate atmosphere suited him.

"You felt like you knew everyone, from the president down to all of the students," he notes. "There was a family community."

Donnelly played at Muhlenberg and spent two seasons as an assistant coach at the school following graduation. During the summers he had worked the Morgan Wootten Basketball camps, run by the legendary former coach at DeMatha High School. In 1999, he was invited by Wooten's son, Joe Wootten, to join the coaching staff at Bishop O'Connell High School.

"The Woottens place the same emphasis on character and values that Coach Wright does," he says. "To see the wisdom of Morgan and the passion of Joe was an amazing experience."

Bishop O'Connell grew into a regional and national force over the course of Donnelly's time there. What's more, Donnelly did more than coach - he was a teacher in the classroom too.

"To me, teaching is one of the best experiences you could ever have," says Donnelly. "It really prepares you to do almost anything. The students are sharp and you have to be on the ball every day you walk into the classroom."

One of the advantages for Donnelly in his role was that the link to the Wootten family brought him into contact with a wide range of college coaches. One of those he met was Wright. When Fred Hill left Villanova last April and Wright elected to elevate each of his three staff members - Brett Gunning, Ed Pinckney and Patrick Chambers - the void left was in the area of basketball operations. Donnelly applied and met with Wright.

"I felt like Coach and I hit it off immediately," says Donnelly. "It was important to me that this was more than just a big-time college program. Coach Wright has instilled the values that are important to me. He has brought in good players who are also good people."

The transition, Donnelly says, has been seamless. He and his wife Rachel have settled into a new home in the area. The hours can be long but he shows no ill effects. In fact, his enthusiasm level remains high.

"This is a great group of guys," says of the Villanova players. "They care about all the right things - socially, academically and on the basketball court. It's really been a pleasure for me."

Of course, it didn't take long for a needle or two to be directed at the newest staff member.

"Will Sheridan and some of the guys kid me that I came on board right after a great season," he says. "I point out to them that I come from a program where we went through many of the same growing pains that Coach Wright did here."

With that, Donnelly's Blackberry buzzed. Practice continued on the court but Donnelly was on the move again.