DURHAM, North Carolina — Joanne P. McCallie has spent the last 10 years heading the women’s basketball program at Duke University in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
The former University of Maine coach will continue to perform those duties for the foreseeable future.
Duke University Vice President and Director of Athletics Kevin White announced Monday that the school has extended McCallie’s contract through the 2020-2021 season.
“We are ecstatic that Joanne will remain as the leader of Duke Women’s Basketball through the 2020-21 season, at a minimum!” said White in a press release. “Without question, Joanne is an elite women’s basketball coach whose student-athletes have excelled on the court, in the classroom and in the Durham community.
“This extension was earned with a track record that includes winning nearly 80 percent of her games as a Blue Devil head coach, while maintaining the academic success exemplified by Duke student-athletes across the board. To be sure, we are thrilled to secure Coach McCallie’s leadership for the foreseeable future,” White added.
McCallie has guided the Blue Devils to a 273-71 (.794) overall record, nine NCAA tournament appearances and four NCAA Elite Eight finishes. Her Duke teams are 121-33 in ACC play and she has earned ACC Coach of the Year honors three times.
McCallie was the first NCAA Division I head coach to win a league championship and be named league coach of the year in four different conferences — ACC, Big Ten, America East and North Atlantic.
Last year, McCallie was investigated by Duke after the announced departures of two players, Azura Stevens and Angela Salvadores. Several players had left Duke prematurely in recent years. The list includes Sierra Moore after the 2012-2013 season and Alexis Jones (2013-2014), along with Kianna Holland and Sierra Calhoun, each of whom lasted only one semester before transferring.
All headed to high-profile programs, including Penn State, Baylor and Ohio State.
An SB nation website, Swish Appeal, reported on April 12, 2016, that the school was investigating the program and McCallie for the mistreatment of players and assistant coaches.
In May, White announced that McCallie was staying on as Duke coach following an evaluation of the women’s basketball program.
“The purpose of this evaluation, which Duke Athletics initiated with an outside party, was for Duke women’s basketball to get even better,” White said in a newsobserver.com report. “I have discussed the results at length with Coach McCallie, and we are indeed in a position to improve Duke women’s basketball for present and future student-athletes, coaches, and staff alike.”
McCallie, Maine’s first Parade All-American as a senior at Brunswick High School, coached at UMaine from 1992 to 2000. She directed the Black Bears to a 167-73 record and six consecutive trips to the NCAA tournament.
That included the program’s only NCAA win, a first-round victory over Stanford in 1999.
White was UMaine’s athletic director from 1987-1991.
Last season, McCallie led Duke to a 28-6 record (13-3 ACC). She owns three 30-win seasons since the 2009-2010 campaign and is 11 wins away from reaching 600 career victories.
McCallie’s .794 winning percentage at Duke ranks third in the ACC record book, while her .786 mark in ACC contests ranks third in conference history.
“The entire McCallie family is thrilled and excited for the opportunity to continue and grow our commitment to Duke University and Blue Devil women’s basketball,” said McCallie in a statement. “The whole athletic department has thrived under Dr. White’s leadership, and we are so pleased to be a part of this very special ‘team.’ We are most grateful to Dr. White for his consistent and thoughtful leadership.”
McCallie is one of only two head coaches in Division I history to lead two programs to a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament and is one of only three coaches to guide three schools to the NCAAs. McCallie was the quickest female head coach to reach 150 wins at a school as she accomplished the feat in only 182 contests with the Blue Devils.
“We have a great love for the Durham community and for the amazing women who represent DWB,” said McCallie. “It is an honor to coach and support them with our terrific staff and fans. We are all very excited for the challenges and opportunities awaiting us for this special season ahead.”
For 2017-2018, Duke returns four starters, including 2017 All-America pick Lexie Brown and first-team All-ACC selection Rebecca Greenwell. Duke also welcomes back sophomore Leaonna Odom and junior Kyra Lambert, who combined to start 50 contests a year ago.