Women's Basketball
- Title:
- Sports Performance Coach - Women's Basketball
- Email:
- donnj11@uw.edu
James "Buddy" Donnelly serves as the sports performance coach for Washington women’s basketball and will enter his fifth season with the program in 2025-26. Throughout his career, Donnelly has built a reputation for elite, holistic player development.
At Washington, Donnelly oversees several aspects of sports performance including strength and conditioning, functional movement, and recovery. He works closely with the performance staff to implement nutrition and recovery strategies that mirror those used at the highest level of athletics. Donnelly also organizes, monitors, and leverages student-athlete data to maximize the practice impact, foster athletic growth, and prevent injury. Washington has undergone an impressive turnaround during his tenure, culminating in a return to the NCAA Tournament in the 2024-25 campaign — its first appearance since 2017.
Before joining the Huskies, Donnelly served as the director of sports performance for women’s basketball at his alma mater, VCU, for five seasons. During his tenure, VCU steadily improved, reaching the postseason in each of his final three years, culminating with a trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2021. The Rams secured their berth by winning four games as the No. 5 seed, earning the conference’s automatic bid. This marked their first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2009.
The Rams won 20 or more games in both 2020 and 2019, including 13-3 in A-10 play, and earned postseason WNIT bids in both seasons. They were co-champions during the regular season in 2019.
Donnelly graduated from VCU with an master's degree in health and movement sciences in December 2016. In 2014, he earned a bachelor's degree in health, physical education, and exercise science from VCU. He currently holds the Strength and Conditioning Coach Certified (SCCC) certification from the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association.
