A proven winner as a head coach, Chris Downs has led St.
Lawrence University to 11 postseason appearances. In his 14 years at the helm
of the Saints, Downs has guided St. Lawrence to an NCAA Elite Eight, an NCAA
Sweet 16, an ECAC Championship, two ECAC finals, and numerous conference
championships.
Coach Downs, who became the all-time winningest coach in St.
Lawrence men's basketball history in February of 2010, has compiled a career
record of 229-144 for an average of nearly 17 victories per year. He has led
the team to the two highest single-season win totals in the school's history -
23 in 2007 and 24 in 1998 - while also guiding the Scarlet and Brown to a first
or second place finish in the conference in 10 of his 14 seasons.
Coach Downs has earned many accolades for his work with the
men's basketball team; he has been named Conference Coach of the Year four
times, was twice named both the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC)
East Region Coach of the Year and the New Balance - Basketball
Coaches Association of New York (BCANY) Men's College Division Coach of the
Year.
Downs has developed his players to be some of the strongest
on both a regional and national level. He has coached twelve 1,000-point scorers,
seven All-East Region selections, two National All-Americans, four conference
Rookies of the Year, two conference Player of the Years and 31 all-conference
players.
In addition to coaching, Downs was one of 35 coaches to be
selected as a congressman for the National Association of Basketball Coaches
(NABC), a position he has held since 2000. This allows him to work on issues
facing Division III college basketball and bring them before league members for
discussion and support. Coach Downs is also a member of the NABC Division III
All -America Committee who along with eight other coaches from around the
country help select the regional and national All America selections.
Downs is the 15th coach in the modern era of St. Lawrence
basketball - a program that currently has a 1066-810 record dating back
to 1922. He was an assistant in 1996-97 before becoming the head coach in the
fall of 1997.
A 1992 graduate of Oneonta State, Downs earned his
bachelor's degree in elementary education and was an All-SUNYAC Basketball
selection his senior year. He and his wife Tonki reside in Canton and have two
sons, Andy and Christopher, and a daughter Winnie.
