A familiar name in the state of Maine sports ranks has made news this week when she resigned her head coaching position after 13 years in charge of the women’s basketball program at Duke University. Joanne Palombo-McCallie made it official on the teams Twitter account with a video on Thursday, citing uncertainty with a contract extension following the upcoming 2020-21 season.
“I am choosing to step away as head coach at Duke,” McCallie said. “As a coach in the final year of my contact, uncertainty is natural and it takes away from confidence and fun. I am pretty sure there is a level of uncertainty among the Duke family. I want to bring clarity, with great pride for all. Throughout my entire coaching career I have thrived on providing stability and I have enjoyed long-term relationships with every program I have had the honor to serve. Clarity and principle over uncertainty must prevail.” P-McCallie spent her high school playing career at Brunswick High School, before going on to play at Northwestern. She got her first coaching job when she took over the Maine Black Bears women’s basketball program, a position she held from 1993-2000. She was 167-73 at Maine, and led the Bears to six straight NCAA Tournament appearances and was named Coach of the Year in the North Atlantic Conference in both 1995 and 1996 and in America East in 99. Her 167 wins is the most all-time at the school.
Palombo-McCallie also spent seven seasons at Michigan State after leaving Maine, and led the Spartans to five tournament appearances and a spot in a national title game. She won an Associated Press National Coach of the Year award in 2004-05 while in East Lansing. Her 145 wins at MSU and 330 at Duke combined with her time with Maine gives her a 646-255 overall coaching record. She is the first NCAA Division I coach to win league titles in four different conferences: The North Atlantic, America East, Big 10, and ACC. Duke stated they would begin the national search for a replacement right away. Based on her 28 year coaching resume it is unlikely this is the last we see of P-McCallie in the coaching circles.
