Looking Forward: Head Coach Tom Glynn advances Raiders Basketball

Tom Glynn, the newest member of the Rivier University community, is right in his element.

He’s patrolled the sideline as a Head Men’s Basketball Coach at a private liberal arts college before and engineered a dramatic turnaround of a program’s fortunes.

This undoubtedly factored into the decision for Glynn to make his home on the Rivier campus in late February as the leader of its men’s basketball program.

“So far, I’m trying to get everything organized while spending a lot of my time on recruiting,” said Glynn, who comes to Rivier from Rhode Island College (RIC), a fellow NCAA Division III program. “I’ve already been to Florida for a scouting trip, reconnected with some recruiting contacts in the region, and have visited with many recruits here on campus.”

Glynn spent five seasons with the RIC Anchormen, recruiting back-to-back Rookie of the Year Award recipients. Posting 52 wins during his tenure there, he helped his squad navigate a national pandemic while earning three spots in the conference postseason.

His finest work as a Head Coach came at Nichols College. From 2014-18, Glynn’s charges racked up four 20-plus win seasons while losing no more than six games in a campaign. In total, he was 94-20 (.825) at the helm of a program that had just one 20-win season to its credit and zero NCAA Division III postseason appearances.

Nichols hoisted an ECAC Championship trophy in 2015-16 and won its first NCAA postseason game against a nationally ranked opponent the next season. Glynn’s team followed that success up with yet another national tournament appearance in his final go-around with the Bison.

“Expectations at Nichols were low when I came on board, but our teams had great success in those four years,” said Glynn. “Coming into this position at Rivier, my nine years as a head coach give me confidence about what we can build here. I’ve coached before at a small private school in New England, and I think we can build this thing up – I really just can’t wait to get going.”

Glynn has picked up early wins with recruits so far, laying out his vision for the program while also showing off the campus, its new facilities, and innovative academic options. The goal for each of Glynn’s recruits is to visit campus where they can experience Rivier in person and interact with what makes the community special, its people.

“As soon as our recruits see any of the materials about Rivier, they immediately comment on the beautiful campus and our top-notch athletics facilities,” remarked Glynn. “We are trending upward in a lot of different areas across campus, and this basketball program should not be any different. Once these prospective student-athletes come to campus, they’ve been incredibly impressed.”

It takes a village to build a successful program, and at Rivier, Glynn knows he has the support of partners across campus to achieve his goal of developing a winning program that students, parents, and members of the Nashua community can be proud of.

“Every day, I learn something new or pick up some advice from Director of Athletics Jonathan Harper and my fellow coaches,” said Glynn. “To be able to develop relationships across campus with faculty and staff members has also been valuable as I get more comfortable here at Rivier. I’m then able to share this excitement with recruits on the road and demonstrate our vision for the program.”

Glynn has worked closely with the Admissions team at Rivier, led by Vice President for Enrollment Management Paul Brower. The former Dean of Admissions at Nichols during Glynn’s time there, Brower has embraced the value of the student-athlete experience and has assisted Rivier coaches across all teams throughout the recruitment process.

“Paul played a very large role in the team’s success at Nichols,” said Glynn. “His team at Rivier has fully supported our recruits throughout the process, whether it’s at Accepted Students Day or any of the special events that we host. His knowledge of the institution and his passion to help families and recruits make a life-changing decision is a difference-maker for the athletics department.”

While Glynn is looking toward the future, he has also worked with the team on campus this spring with the goal of advancing its standing within the Great Northeast Athletic Conference. “I’m pretty familiar with the league through non-conference games at Nichols and Rhode Island College,” said Glynn. “These are mostly schools similar in size to us. Our goal is to make a big jump in the standings in year one – it’s a league that’s on the rise and gaining lots of respect, but that is one of our main aspirations as a program.”

As for what spectators should expect from a Glynn-coached program, the game-day atmosphere on the Rivier campus will play a huge role in the team’s fortunes. Providing a great experience for the local community will be a priority for Glynn and the student-athletes.

“We emphasize playing hard and getting the fans excited,” said Glynn. “I love the intimate gym in the Muldoon Center and the home-court advantage it provides will help us. Our team will share the ball, shoot threes, and have fun – those are the staples of our program, and this will make fans excited about coming to the games.”

On and off the court, the focus remains on developing future Rivier graduates. Enjoying a positive experience while on campus is a clear emphasis for Glynn, whose track record at similar institutions bodes well for the future of the Raiders men’s basketball team.

“That’s the biggest thing – our student-athletes should have a top-level experience here at Rivier, and we’re going to do that by having fun each day, whether it’s at practice or in a game,” said Glynn. “Having fun translates to victories. Our rebuild will be quick. We will have an exciting style of play, and it’s just a matter of time for us.”