Antoni Wyche, who previously served under Carmen Maciariello during the first two years of his head coaching tenure, returned to the Siena Men’s Basketball staff as an assistant coach on Oct. 2, 2023. A native of nearby Ballston Lake, New York, Wyche returned home after spending the previous two seasons as an assistant coach at his alma mater, the University of Notre Dame.
“We are excited to welcome Antoni back to Loudonville,” said Maciariello, upon Wyche's return. “He has a wealth of knowledge and experience, and will be a great addition to our staff.”
Wyche brings 14 years of Division I coaching experience back home with him to the Capital Region, having previously served on staff at Lehigh (2009-19), Siena (2019-21), and Notre Dame (2021-23). He has helped his teams amass a 256-175 (.593) overall record including a 147-93 (.613) mark in conference action, highlighted by four NCAA Tournament berths.
“I’m excited for the opportunity to return home and rejoin the Siena Basketball program,” said Wyche upon his return. “Siena has always been my second home, and I’m excited to hit the ground running with our staff and team as we work towards our shared goal of winning a MAAC Championship and earning an NCAA Tournament bid.”
Wyche spent the previous two seasons as an assistant coach under Mike Brey at his alma mater, Notre Dame. In his first season back in South Bend, Wyche helped guide the Fighting Irish to a 24-11 overall record including a 15-5 mark in Atlantic Coast Conference action, which culminated with a pair of NCAA Tournament victories.
Wyche helped Maciariello lay the foundation during his first stint on staff in Loudonville, which culminated with a pair of MAAC Regular Season Championships and a MAAC Tournament Championship. Overall, the Saints produced a 32-15 (.681) record including a stellar 27-9 (.750) mark in MAAC action during Wyche’s two seasons as assistant coach and defensive coordinator, which saw him also aid in the development of back-to-back MAAC Player of the Year honorees Jalen Pickett (2019-20) and Manny Camper (2020-21).
In his second season at Siena, Wyche helped guide the Saints to a share of their second straight MAAC Regular Season Championship. Siena won a program-record tying 16 straight games which included a program-record eight consecutive true road wins bridging both the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons.
In his first season with the Saints, Wyche helped guide Siena to the program's eighth MAAC Regular Season Championship and sixth MAAC Tournament title. The Saints posted a 20-10 overall record including a 15-5 mark in the MAAC, while achieving a perfect 14-0 record at the Times Union Center. Siena ended the season on a 10-game winning streak thanks in large part to Wyche's defense, which allowed an average of just 59.1 points on only 38.6% shooting including 26.0% from three during that span.
Wyche first arrived in Loudonville after spending the previous 10 seasons as an assistant coach at perennial Patriot League power Lehigh, including the final eight as associate head coach. Wyche helped guide the Mountain Hawks to three national postseason tournament appearances including a pair of NCAA Tournament berths under the direction of Dr. Brett Reed.
Lehigh amassed a 189-128 (.596) record during Wyche’s tenure, including a 102-62 (.622) mark in the Patriot League. The Mountain Hawks won a pair of Patriot League Championships to earn NCAA Tournament berths (2010, 2012), highlighted by a school-record 27 wins and an historic First Round upset of Duke in 2012 in which the Mountain Hawks became just the sixth No. 15 seed ever to beat a two-seed. Wyche also helped guide Lehigh to a 2013 College Basketball Invitational appearance, and consecutive Patriot League Championship Game berths in 2016 and 2017.
The Mountain Hawks posted five 20-win seasons during Wyche’s decade in Bethlehem, and achieved winning overall records in all but one season. Lehigh finished in the top-four in the Patriot League Standings in nine of his 10 seasons, capped by a third-place conference finish with a 12-6 league mark and a 20-11 overall record in his final season. The Mountain Hawks also played their best basketball when it mattered the most, achieving a 27-5 (.844) record during the month of February during his final four years on staff.
Wyche played a key role in both recruiting and developing some of Lehigh’s all-time greats over the decade, highlighted by two-time Patriot League Player of the Year, 2013 NBA Draft top-10 pick, and Portland Trail Blazers star C.J. McCollum. Wyche has also worked with several other top student athletes, including two-time Patriot League Player of the Year Tim Kempton and the first four-time All-Patriot League honoree in program history in Kahron Ross.
Wyche enjoyed a decorated professional playing career in which he competed all over the globe, featuring stops in Macedonia, Mexico, Finland, Japan, Qatar, and Jordan. He averaged 21 points while leading Fersped Rabotnicki in Macedonia to a 33-4 record and a Macedonian First Division Championship, amassed 26 points and six assists per game for Club de Mayas in Mexico in 2002, tallied 17 points and four assists per contest for Kouvot in 2002-03 in Finland, and nine points, five rebounds, and a league-leading six assists for Niigata Albirex in Japan in 2006-07 to highlight his stops. Wyche also played in the United States Basketball League for the Adirondack Wildcats (2003) and New Jersey Shorecats (2000), and in the American Basketball Association for the Orange County Gladiators (2009).
A 1999 graduate of the University of Notre Dame, Wyche appeared in 108 games for head coach John McLeod on a staff which included future Siena head coach Fran McCaffery. Wyche averaged 7.6 points for his career, highlighted by 11.2 points and 3.1 assists during his senior season in 1998-99 in which he served as a team captain.
Wyche, who starred in high school locally at Bishop Gibbons, and his wife, Jill, are the proud parents of daughters Keilah (15) and Jaya (13).
