Photo: St. Bonaventure Athletics
BY ANDREW HALE, SPORTS EDITOR
While St. Bonaventure has hired five new head coaches for its Division I sports programs since 2022, one thing has remained constant: Mike Threehouse as Bonnies softball head coach.
Threehouse’s 27 year stint as head coach is the second-longest active streak behind only Michael Bates, head coach of Bonnies tennis. Threehouses multi-decade tenure continues amidst high levels of turnover within Bonaventure’s Athletics Department.
In 2022, St. Bonaventure named Jason Rathbun as head coach of the baseball team, Mike Smiechowski as head coach of the swim and dive teams and LeighAnn Stauffer as head coach of the women’s lacrosse team. In Jan. 2023, the Bonnies hired Donny George as the head coach of the women’s soccer team. Two months later, Bonaventure reintroduced Jim Crowley as head coach of its women’s basketball team.
Threehouse has deep ties to Bonnies athletics and the Bonaventure community.
“I actually grew up in Olean, and I played here in 1989,” said Threehouse. “I used to come to basketball games when I was little, so watching the school grow over the years, it’s been actually amazing to see.”
Threehouse holds the single-season school record for highest batting average (.422) during his senior year on the Bonnies baseball team.
Following his playing career, Threehouse was an assistant coach on the baseball team for six years. Threehouse said his accomplishments as an assistant baseball coach hold a special place in his heart.
“When I was the assistant coach, I went to two Atlantic 10 championships, the first two baseball teams that ever went,” said Threehouse. “I still remember those trips, those championships, as much as I do the softball championship trips.”
Following his hire in 1997, Threehouse has since become the all-time winningest coach in Bonaventure softball history.
While Threehouse has been at the helm for over two decades, his approach to coaching and life has remained the same throughout.
“My philosophy hasn’t changed. I’ve been doing the same thing since the first day I started coaching,” said Threehouse. “I have two rules: Go to class and do the right thing. If you go to class, you’re going to be successful. If you do the right stuff, and make the right decisions in life, you’re going to be successful.”
During his tenure as Bonnies softball coach, Threehouse has collected over 261 wins. According to Threehouse, wins and losses are minuscule compared to the relationships he’s created over the years.
“As you grow, you learn that it’s about people,” said Threehouse. “It’s not necessarily about how many wins and losses, it’s about being together and striving to win. At the end of the day, it’s celebrating the fact that you’re with people, and you’re celebrating their successes. You want the people that are around you to succeed just as much as you do, and once you get to that point, I think you’re off and running as a coach.”
When Threehouse’s career is all said and done at Bonaventure, he said he will be grateful for all the opportunities that were given to him.
“Bonaventure has given me an opportunity to live a dream in the sense of coaching at this level,” said Threehouse. “If I look back on this the day I retire I can just say, ‘Hey, you know, that was the best time of my life.’ Bonaventure gave me an opportunity to live a passion, something that I love to do. I know that not everybody gets to do that, so I’ve tried never to take it for granted.”
halea22@bonaventure.edu
