Position: Guard/Forward
Height: 6'3“
Weight: lbs.
Birthdate:
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
High School: Power Memorial H.S.
Nee was a teammate of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then Lew Alcindor) at New York's Power Memorial High School.
He was a member of the Al McGuire's first recruiting class at Marquette University. According to Charles Pierce's book, Sports Guy, Patrick Nee - Danny's father - told him he was going to Marquette (though Danny did not know where it was) after being “romanced” by Al McGuire over “tea and soda bread.”
He captained the Warriors' freshman team for frosh coach Hank Raymonds. Raymonds, many years later, commented on Nee's ability: “Danny was tremendously competitive. He played very large, even though he wasn't all that tall.”
But Nee dropped out of Marquette in 1966. He commented on it in the Daily Nebraskan, the University of Nebraska's student newspaper, in 1998: “Once I hit the bar scene, and I wasn't playing, and I was struggling academically, I just joined the Marine Corps.” In a 2005 Marquette Tribune article, Nee recalls :“I was not equiped emotionally or mentally to stay on my own at that point.”
He enlisted with the United States Marine Corps and would participate in a two-year tour of duty.
As a Vietnam veteran, Nee received Combat Air Insignia Medals and an honorable discharge in 1968.
He did not return to Marquette. Instead, Nee returned to college at St. Mary of the Plains College in Dodge City, Kansas, where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in English and physical education in 1971. He earned a master's degree in health, physical education and recreation from Kansas State in 1972.
Nee spent four seasons as a high school coach in New Jersey - Red Bank Regional (1972-73) and Brick Township (1973-76) - before beginning his college coaching career at Notre Dame as an assistant to Digger Phelps from 1976-80. He helped lead the Fighting Irish to four NCAA Tournaments, including a spot in the 1978 Final Four. While at Notre Dame, Nee recruited and coached 10 current or former NBA players.
Nee's first head coaching job was at Ohio University from 1980-86. In six seasons with the Bobcats, he posted a 107-67 (.607) mark and led the team to two NCAA (1982-83 & 1984-85) and one NIT (1985-86) appearances. He earned Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year honors twice before taking the head job at Nebraska.
Nee spent 14 years as head coach at the University of Nebraska (1986-2000), where he replaced Moe Iba - the son of the motion offense creator and Hall of Fame coach, Hank Iba - and broke Joe Cipriano's school record for wins with 254. Nebraska, which made one NCAA Tournament appearance in 48 seasons prior to Nee's arrival, earned five NCAA Tournament bids under Nee. The Cornhuskers, who won 20 games in a season just four times in 98 previous seasons, won 20 or more games seven times under the guidance of Nee.
Only for one season (2000-01), Nee was the head coach for Robert Morris College before accepting the head position at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He served in that capacity for five seasons until his resignation on March 4, 2006.
Since his departure from Duquesne, Nee served as a regional scout for the Utah Jazz for two years.
He is now employed by Rutgers University to serve as the newly minted director of player development for the men's basketball program.