Jay McAuley enters his fourth season at the helm of the program entering the 2022-23 men's basketball season.
The 2021-22 season saw Wofford post another 19-win season, the second under McAuley, with a 19-13 mark and a 10-8 league record. Wofford entered the Southern Conference Tournament as the No. 4 seed and ultimately fell to the No. 1 seeded Chattanooga Mocs, the eventual champions, in the semifinals. During the season, the Terriers notched a road win over a Power 5 opponent, the SEC’s Georgia.
B.J. Mack and Max Klesmit were honored on the All-Southern Conference Second and Third Teams, respectively, marking the third-straight season with at least two All-SoCon honorees. Mack was also recognized on the Southern Conference All-Tournament Team and on the NABC All-District 21 Team. On his own end, McAuley was named the 2022 Skip Prosser Man of the Year by College Insider Inc., presented annually to those who no only achieve success on the basketball court but who display moral integrity off the floor as well. He was selected out of 19 finalists, including Chris Beard of Texas, Hubert Davis of North Carolina and Matt Painter of Purdue to name a few. McAuley was also featured in The Athletic’s annual 40-under-40 publication, tabbed No. 17 on the list of 40 influential people in men’s college basketball under the age of 40.
Despite the hardships that COVID-19 presented for the 2020-21 season, McAuley managed to guide Wofford to another impressive season in his second year, tallying a 15-9 overall record and finishing the regular season just a half game out of first place with a 12-5 Southern Conference mark. The Terriers had a chance to bring another regular season title to the program, though, a canceled game at Samford at the hands of COVID-19 would ultimately solidify the Terriers as the SoCon Tournament's No. 2 seed at the regular season's conclusion.
McAuley coached four Terriers to All-Southern Conference accolades for the 2020-21 season, highlighted by Storm Murphy as a First Team selection and landing three freshmen on the All-Freshman team in Morgan Safford (coaches, media), Sam Godwin (coaches) and Max Klesmit (media). The four all-conference selections were a league-best, while the three first-year nods marked the first time in league history a team has had three freshmen selected overall to both the coaches and media teams. Additionally, Murphy collected All-Tournament team honors and was a NABC All-District 21 First Team selection, along with earning a spot on the Academic All-SoCon team.
Under McAuley's guidance, Wofford has solidified itself as a top-tier threat from 3-point range, finishing among the nation's best in 3-point shooting over the past two seasons. The Terriers concluded the 2020-21 season seventh in the nation in 3-point field goals made per game (10.2), while finishing fifth in the nation in total 3-point field goals made (336) for the 2019-20 season.
Additionally, student-athletes that have exhausted their eligibility under McAuley have graduated, producing an emphasis on academic excellence in landing three Academic All-SoCon and 17 SoCon Academic Honor Roll selections since 2019.
In his first year at the helm of the Wofford men's basketball program, McAuley led the Terriers to 19 wins, highlighted by a 68-64 win at No. 17 North Carolina (12/15/19) for the program's second win over an AP Top 25 team in school history and a remarkable run to the Championship game of the Southern Conference Tournament.
The Terriers dispatched The Citadel, 93-76, in the first round before knocking off No. 2 seed Furman in the quarterfinals, 77-68. Storm Murphy's elbow jumper edged Wofford past No. 6 seed Chattanooga, 72-70, in the semifinals for a consecutive upset, advancing Wofford to its sixth SoCon Championship final against a 30-win ETSU squad. Finishing runner-up, the Terriers were invited to play in postseason tournaments, though, the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the cancellation of all postseason competition, including the NCAA Tournament.
In addition to coaching Chevez Goodwin and Murphy to All-Tournament honors, McAuley helped Nathan Hoover garner All-SoCon Second Team status while Messiah Jones was recognized by the league's all-freshman squad. Additionally, Hoover was named NABC All-District and
McAuley was named to ESPN's "40 Under 40" list, ranking the top 40 head coaches at the Division I level - with McAuley checking in at No. 27.
On Sunday, April 14, 2019, Wofford College announced the hiring of Jay McAuley as head men’s basketball coach, as McAuley had spent the previous two years as the associate head coach of the Terriers.
“I am truly honored to be the next men’s basketball coach at Wofford College,” said McAuley. “I would like to thank President Samhat, Athletic Director Richard Johnson and the many supporters who believe in my ability to continue the championship tradition that is firmly in place here. While this is a new and exciting chapter for both my family and the Terrier faithful, the mission remains the same: recruit and graduate first-class student-athletes, showcase an exciting brand of basketball, and win championships.”
“When we began the search process six days ago, we thought Jay McAuley would be a good choice,” said Wofford Director of Athletics Richard Johnson. “As we progressed through the process, it became clear that he was a great choice. He has been a valuable member of the coaching staff at Wofford and has great experience with coaches such as Chris Holtmann and Niko Medved. We are excited to have him lead our team.”
“We are fortunate to have such a talented coach ready to continue our incredible momentum and lead our basketball program,” said Wofford President Dr. Nayef Samhat. “On behalf of the Wofford family I want to welcome Jay as our new head coach, and we are delighted that he and his wife Sallie and their daughter Addie will continue to be a part of the Spartanburg community.”
For the 2018-19 season, the Terriers posted a 30-5 overall record, including a perfect 18-0 mark in Southern Conference play. They won the Southern Conference Tournament title, marking the second for McAuley at Wofford. In the NCAA Tournament, the Terriers were a seventh-seed, which marked the highest by a team from the Southern Conference since the field expanded to 64 teams. A win over Seton Hall sent Wofford to the second round, the league’s first NCAA Tournament victory in 11 years. They were defeated by second-seeded Kentucky 62-56 to end the season.
The team was ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 for the first time ever, ending the season at No. 19. They were also ranked No. 18 in the final USA Today Coaches Poll. Fletcher Magee was named Southern Conference Player of the Year, along with honorable mention All-America recognition and Lou Henson National Player of the Year recipient as the top mid-major player in Division I. Cameron Jackson joined Magee on the first team All-Southern Conference team by both the media and coaches.
During the 2017-18 season the team was 21-13 overall and 11-7 in the Southern Conference to finish tied for fourth. Highlights included a win in Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium and on December 20, Wofford went into the Dean E. Smith Center and upset No. 5 North Carolina, the defending national champions. The team played in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT). Fletcher Magee was named the Malcolm U. Pitt Player of the Year (Media) and was a first team All-SoCon selection, while Cameron Jackson earned second team honors and Storm Murphy was placed on the All-Freshman team.
In four seasons on the coaching staff at Furman, he helped guide the Paladins from a seven-win squad prior to his arrival and led it to improved records each season. The run culminated in a 23-11 record in 2016 that earned a share of its first SoCon regular season championship since 1990-91. The team reached the semifinals of the CIT postseason tournament in 2016-17, its second consecutive season in the CIT. He coached All-Southern Conference players Stephen Croone and Devin Sibley, Jr., along with All-Freshman Team members Jordan Lyons, Daniel Fowler and Matt Rafferty.
He spent three seasons at Gardner-Webb University on Chris Holtmann’s staff. After a 23-41 mark in the first two seasons, in the 2012-13 season he helped lead the Runnin’ Bulldogs to a 21-13 overall mark. They were 11-5 Big South record and earned a berth in the College Insider Tournament. Holtmann is currently the head coach at Ohio State after a stint at Butler.
Prior to McAuley’s time at Gardner-Webb, he spent two seasons at Wofford where he helped lead the Terriers in 2009-10 to a 26-9 overall record and 15-3 in Southern Conference play en route to winning both the regular season and tournament titles.
In the 2009-10 season, Wofford won 22 of its last 24 games, including a 13-game winning streak, en route to a 26-9 record. Also included were wins over SEC-foes South Carolina and Georgia. Wofford entered the SoCon Tournament as the top seed for the first time, defeating UNCG and Western Carolina to earn a finals appearance. In a game dominated by the Terrier defense, Wofford won 56-51 over Appalachian State to take its first Southern Conference Championship and the league’s bid to the NCAA Tournament.
At the Jacksonville Regional, Wofford was a 13 seed and faced four-seed Wisconsin. The Terriers were down eight points at the half but used a 12-4 run to tie the game and kept it a one possession game until the final seconds in a 53-49 loss. After the season, Noah Dahlman was named SoCon Player of the Year and honorable mention All-American. Dahlman, Tim Johnson and Jamar Diggs earned All-Conference honors.
During his first season on staff at Wofford in 2008-09, the Terriers were 16-14 overall and 12-8 in league play. Noah Dahlman earned All-Southern Conference first team honors from the coaches and media, while Junior Salters was a third team pick by the media.
McAuley, a Marietta, Ga. native, played four seasons at the University of Georgia and was on the 2008 team that won the SEC Tournament. He played in 17 games his junior season and was a co-captain in his senior campaign. After graduating with a degree in business education in 2006, he served as a graduate manager for two seasons and earned a master’s degree in physical education.
McAuley married the former Sallie Willis in 2012 and the couple have two daughters, Addie (6) and Charlie (2).
McAuley’s Coaching Timeline
Year School
| 2019-present |
Head Coach, Wofford College |
| 2017-19 |
Associate Head Coach, Wofford College |
| 2013-17 |
Assistant Coach, Furman |
| 2010-13 |
Assistant Coach, Gardner-Webb |
| 2008-10 |
Assistant Coach, Wofford College |
| 2006-08 |
Graduate Manager, University of Georgia |
McAuley’s Head Coaching Record
Year Overall Conference
| 2019-20 |
19-16 |
8-10 |
| 2020-21 |
15-9 |
12-5 |
| 2021-22 |
19-13 |
10-8 |
| TOTAL |
53-38 |
30-23 |
