Dr. Stephen Levitt has created a multimillion-dollar endowment to fund Dayton’s men’s basketball head coaching position. The Dr. Stephen B. Levitt Head Men’s Coaching Chair is the largest donor-funded endowment involving a chaired position in UD history and the first head coaching chair endowment for the Flyers.
"The University of Dayton men’s basketball program has always been very special to me," said Levitt, who founded Dermatologists of Southwest Ohio in 1978. "For the past 45 years I have been particularly active as an ardent fan, medical consultant, supporter and season ticketholder."
Flyer coach Chamberlin in elite company
When the football Flyers opened the season with a 22-20 win against Robert Morris, Rick Chamberlin ’80 achieved what had been done previously by only two other coaches: Knute Rockne and William A. Alexander (who at Georgia Tech succeeded John Heisman).
The win was Chamberlin’s 100th as head coach, making him one of three to win 100 at his alma mater after playing there, joining the coaching staff immediately and never leaving. This is Chamberlin’s 47th year at UD: four as a linebacker, 29 as an assistant and 14 as head coach.
The Flyers scored in their 500th consecutive game in the 46-3 win over Kentucky State Sept. 17. It was the longest active streak in Division I football — and it went all the way to 501. The streak ended with a 0-31 loss to Butler Oct. 8.
Remembering Flyer baseball's Brain Harlamert
Flyer Hall of Famer Brian Harlamert ’94 died Sept. 21. The first scholarship baseball player in UD history, he had coached Coldwater (Ohio) High School’s baseball team since 1998, winning two state titles.
At UD he holds records for career games played (230), games played in a season (62) and career RBIs (177). He ranks second in career home runs (38) and walks (128).
Soccer piles up wins
The men’s soccer team hit the Top 20 nationally with a torrid start to the season, going 5-0 before being tied in its first A-10 game. The Flyers resumed their winning ways, standing 9-0-4 as of mid-October.
The women’s soccer team ran up a nine-game winning streak before losing to VCU Oct. 9, 1-2. That’s the team’s most consecutive wins since 2013.
Flyers basketball's Chris Harris `55 dies
Chris Harris ’55, teammate (and roommate) of Don Donoher ’54 and father of two other four-year basketball Flyers (Doug ’79 and Ted ’85), died Oct. 2. Dayton was 93-40 during his career.
Inducted into UD’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2013, Harris was noted for his defense. "He had a textbook stance, like a boxer’s stance. He could move his feet," said Donoher in a UD Magazine story on Harris by his son Doug.
Donoher said that Harris "was just a natural leader."
Flyers set attendance record last season
The UD men’s basketball team set a school record (13,407) in average attendance last season, 43 more fans than the previous record set in 2019-20. That ranked UD tops in Ohio and 19th nationally.
Since UD Arena opened in 1969, Dayton has been in the top 35 every year.
The Flyers return all five starters from last year’s 24-11 team, which tied for second in the A-10. Returning players accounted for more than 90% of last year’s points and rebounds.
MacKay named grad assistant
Among the new faces on the bench this year for the women’s basketball team is a familiar one. Head coach Tamika Williams-Jeter will have the help of Sam MacKay ’13 who has played professionally for nine years with teams in Hungary, France, Estonia, Greece, Slovakia and Portugal.
MacKay ranks fifth in Flyer program history in assist-to-turnover ratio.
