Coaching Staff

Rod Balanis
Associate Head Coach

In 2021, Rod Balanis joined the Howard University men's basketball team as Associate Head Coach after 20 years with the University of Notre Dame men's basketball program.

Before joining the Bison, Balanis became the coordinator of basketball operations in July 2000 for Notre Dame and was one of Mike Brey’s first hires when he became the Irish head coach. Following three seasons in that position, Balanis was promoted to assistant coach in May 2003 and has moved to associate head coach for the 2016-17 season.

Balanis’ expertise and flexibility has allowed him to work with both the Irish frontline players and guards during his 17 full seasons at Notre Dame. Similar to Brey, Balanis has ties to the Atlantic Coast Conference, having played at Georgia Tech under legendary coach Bobby Cremins in the early 1990s.

Balanis has played an integral role in Notre Dame’s success, both on the court and on the recruiting trail. Since the 2000-01 campaign, Irish teams have earned NCAA Championship berths in 12 seasons, including the 2014-15 squad that finished the season with a 32-6 record (second-most wins in school history) after advancing to the program’s first NCAA Elite Eight appearance since 1979.

The Irish followed up the 2014-15 season with another memorable trip to the NCAA Elite Eight in 2015- 16, knocking off Michigan, Stephen F. Austin and Wisconsin while advancing to the NCAA East Regional Final. Along the way, the 2016-17 team earned the program’s first victory over Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium, knocked off top-ranked and eventual national runner-up North Carolina in Purcell Pavilion and advanced to the ACC Championship semifinals.

Over the past two seasons, the Fighting Irish have posted a program-best 82 overall wins and seven wins in the NCAA tournament.
Since Balanis’ arrival, Notre Dame teams have compiled a 382-187 (.671) mark overall. While a member of the BIG EAST Conference, Irish teams compiled a 136-84 (.618) record in regular-season play, finished in the top five of the conference regular-season standings on eight occasions and earned with 10 or more wins during the regular season nine times. From 2006-13, Notre Dame recorded a school-record seven consecutive 20-win seasons and made the NCAA Championship six times.

Balanis helped bring the first conference tournament title to the program in 2015 by way of victories over Miami (Fla.), Duke and North Carolina. He also played a part in a regular-season championship in Brey’s inaugural season as the Irish won the 2001 BIG EAST West Division title.

Balanis helped mentor former Irish guards Kyle McAlarney (’09) and Tory Jackson (’10). McAlarney finished his Notre Dame career as one of the program’s top three-point shooters and set the school’s single-season mark with 124 three-pointers in 2008-09. Jackson finished as the BIG EAST assist leader in both his freshman and sophomore seasons, and was named to the BIG EAST All-Rookie Team in 2007.

Balanis has been instrumental in the development of Notre Dame’s post play as well. He worked extensively with former All-American and 2008 BIG EAST Player of the Year Luke Harangody and played a big part during the 2011-12 and 2012-13 campaigns in the maturation of forward Jack Cooley. As a junior, Cooley was a second-team all-BIG EAST selection and was honored as the league’s most improved player as he led the Irish in both scoring (12.5 ppg) and rebounding (8.9). In his senior season, Cooley was a first team all-BIG EAST selection and was the only player in the league to average double figures in both scoring (12.4) and rebounding (10.1) during the conference regular season.

Balanis has played a key role in Notre Dame’s recruiting efforts as well. He served as the primary contact in the recruitment of former Irish stand outs Jerian Grant and Pat Connaughton. Grant earned first team consensus All-America honors, a unanimous first team all-ACC honoree and copped MVP honors at the ACC Championship, while Connaughton was a third team all-league selection and garnered NCAA Midwest Region All-Tournament team honors.

Both Grant and Connaughton were drafted 19th and 41st overall in the 2015 National Basketball Association Draft. The occasion marked the first time since 1992 that Notre Dame had two players selected in the same draft. Grant is a current member of the New York Knicks, while Connaughton is on the Portland Trailblazers roster.

Prior to coming to Notre Dame at the start of the 2000-01 campaign, he spent four years as an assistant coach at Colgate University in Hamilton, N.Y.

In his first season at Colgate, Balanis had the opportunity to coach and work with Adonal Foyle, a seven- year member of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors. Foyle, the eighth overall pick in the 1997 NBA Draft, finished his career as the NCAA’s career shot-blocking leader.

Balanis played at Georgia Tech for Bobby Cremins from 1990-94, enrolling at the Atlanta, Georgia, school in the fall of 1989. He was part of teams that made four trips to the NCAA Championship and appeared in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) once. The Ramblin’ Wreck reached the Sweet 16 twice in that five-year span and earned a berth in the 1990 Final Four held that year in Denver, Colo.

A native of Williamsburg, Virginia, Balanis excelled in the classroom while at Georgia Tech, earning Atlantic Coast Conference Academic Honor Roll recognition. The Boy Scouts of America also honored him for his outstanding character and citizenship when he was named “Peach of an Athlete” in 1993.

Following his graduation, Balanis went to Greece, where he played professionally for Aris Thessoliniki of the Greek First Division during the 1994-95 season.

He graduated from DeMatha High School in Hyattsville, Md., in 1988 after an outstanding prep career playing for legendary coach Morgan Wootten. Brey served as an assistant at DeMatha at the time Balanis was attending the school. Balanis helped the Stags to an 84-16 record and nine tournament titles during the course of his four seasons. He also set the school’s single-game assist mark when he had 14 in one game.

Balanis hails from a family with coaching roots at the collegiate level as his father, George, served as the head basketball coach at William & Mary from 1974-77.

Balanis graduated with honors from Georgia Tech with a bachelor’s degree in management. He and his wife, the former Liz Barker, were married in August 2002. She was a former standout tennis player at Wake Forest and served as the assistant women’s tennis coach at Notre Dame for six seasons. The couple has three sons, Andrew, Lukas and Theodore.

Tyler Thornton
Assistant Coach/Director of Player Development

In 2019, Tyler Thornton joined the Howard University men’s basketball program as an assistant coach under Kenneth Blakeney.

During his second season, Thornton coached highly talented Makur Maker, who became the first 5-star recruit to commit to an Historically Black College or University (HBCU) since ESPN started ranking prospects in 2007.

In his first season, he coached Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) All-Time Leading Scorer Charles Williams where he earned All-MEAC honors. He also witnessed Wayne Bristol, Jr. winning 2019-20 MEAC Rookie of the Year.

Before his arrival at Howard, Thornton served as a graduate manager for the Marquette University men’s basketball team for two season (2014-16).

In 2014, Thornton graduated from Duke University. At Duke, Thornton played an instrumental role in the team's Elite Eight trip in 2012-13 and its 26-9 overall record during the 2013-14 season. During the Elite Eight run in 2013, Thornton shot an impressive .392 (31-79) from beyond the arc and added 79 assists, which was good for second on the team. He was named a team captain for the 2013-14 campaign and started 25 of the team's 35 outings.

In 2012-13, Thornton was one of 10 finalists for the Sports Illustrated College Athlete of the Year, which celebrates student-athletes who demonstrate excellent performance on the field and in the classroom, as well as sportsmanship and commitment to the community.

In high school, Thornton became Gonzaga College High School's all-time career wins leader by leading them to four-straight seasons of at least 20 wins. He was also honored as the Washington D.C. Gatorade Player of the Year in 2010 and was named team MYP twice during his high school career.

Steve Ongley
Assistant Coach

On June 9, 2021, Howard University men’s basketball program welcomed Steve Ongley to the Bison Family. Ongley came to HU after serving the past two seasons at Dartmouth.

At Dartmouth, Ongley was instrumental in the development of forward Chris Knight, who earn All-Ivy Second Team after averaging 14.8 points and 6.4 rebounds during his junior campaign.

Before Dartmouth, Ongley and Blakeney were members of the 2018-19 Columbia Lions coaching staff under Jim Engles. In his one year there, Ongley coached the forwards and centers and played a role in the progress of Patrick Tapé, whose scoring average increased from 4.4 to 11.3 points per game while ranking third in the conference in field goal percentage (.667).

Ongley arrived at Columbia after a four-year stint as an assistant at his alma mater, Colby College in Waterville, Maine. His duties included recruiting coordinator, scheduling coordinator, team travel coordinator, player development for practices, film breakdown, scouting reports and statistical analysis.

Between his stints at Colby and Columbia, Ongley served as the video coordinator at Boston University and coached at Daniel Hand H.S. in Madison, Conn. (2007-14).

“I'm beyond excited to reunite with Coach Blakeney at Howard,” Ongley stated. “The rich tradition of the University speaks for itself. I look forward to helping Coach Blakeney, the staff, and the student-athletes in continuing to build a strong program.”

Ongley graduated from Southern Connecticut State with a history degree and currently pursuing masters of education from Thomas College in Waterville, Maine.

Daniel Marks
Chief Program Strategist

In 2022, Howard University men's basketball head coach Kenneth Blakeney named Daniel G. Marks as the program's first-ever Chief Program Strategist.

In his role at Howard, Marks will focus on growth in all areas of the program, including basketball operations, community/alumni engagement, NIL issues and long-range development. This hire, and the creation of this position, is an important step in helping Howard stay forward thinking as new trends in college athletics continue to emerge.

Before Howard, Marks spent nine seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks. With the Bucks, Marks served as manager of prospect information, preparing collegiate scouting responsibilities for the general manager and assistant general manager, along with his own regional scouting at the NBA, G-League and NCAA levels.

As part of the Bucks' front office that took the team from 15 wins in 2013-14 to the 2021 NBA Championship, Marks was involved with all areas of the Bucks basketball operations department, not just scouting but also salary cap analysis, intel gathering, draft prep and G League operations.

Before his arrival in Milwaukee, Marks came to the Bucks from Vanderbilt University, where he was varsity basketball manager for four years (2009-13). During that time, the team enjoyed unparalleled success: three consecutive NCAA appearances (2009-2012) for first time in school history; first SEC Tournament Championship (2012) since 1951 and three players selected in the 2012 NBA Draft.

Beyond his work in basketball, Marks founded Scouting and Scavenging (S+S) in early 2020, to encourage sports professionals – now from over 120 programs, pro to prep – to collect unused hotel toiletries from their travels for under-served communities. Featured in many media outlets, S+S has donated over 2,500 pounds of supplies, mostly via its partnership with the Newark (NJ) Food Relief Program, run by Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka (Howard '94) and Chief of Staff Amiri "Middy" Baraka Jr. (Howard '95).

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING:
"I've gotten to work with Daniel through his charitable initiative, Scouting and Scavenging. For the last 3 years, Daniel has organized the local New Jersey basketball community to help distribute toiletries to Newark residents in our Food Relief Program. It has been a wonderful partnership, and I'm thrilled for Daniel to be joining my alma mater in this new role. Go Bison!" – Amiri "Middy" Baraka Jr; Chief of Staff to Mayor Ras J. Baraka (Newark, NJ) and 1995 Howard alum

"Daniel is very smart and extremely energetic. He will do an outstanding job in any aspect of the sports industry on which he focuses, including his new role at Howard."– Rod Thorn; NBA Hall-of- Famer, former NBA GM and league executive and currently Senior Advisor to the President, Washington Wizards

"I've known Daniel for 12 years, and worked directly with him for 4 years during my tenure as GM of the Milwaukee Bucks. Daniel is a creative, outside-the-box thinker who will bring great enthusiasm and a tremendous work ethic to his new role. I'm extremely excited for him to embark on this opportunity at such an historic and well-respected university as Howard." – John Hammond; Former Milwaukee Bucks GM and Current Orlando Magic GM

"In high school, I played for Frank Williams, one of the best players in Howard University history. Now, almost 40 years later, one of my colleagues with the Bucks, Daniel Marks, steps into a new role at Howard. Daniel's knowledge of the game and willingness to do whatever is asked of him will serve him well as he joins Coach Blakeney's staff." – Milt Newton; Assistant GM, Milwaukee Bucks, Washington, DC native, and 1988 NCAA Champion (University of Kansas)