Coaching Carousel Update: Pace departs Tufts after six seasons
Jill Pace took the Jumbos to four NCAA Tournaments and a No. 1 national ranking in 2019-20
There have been a handful of headline-grabbing coaching changes within this offseason cycle, from McMurry’s Drew Long going to Houston Christian to St. Joseph’s (ME) legend Mike McDevitt retiring after 32 years at the helm.
But perhaps the biggest news — to this point, at least — broke late last night, when Tufts University announced that head coach Jill Pace has resigned after six seasons leading the Jumbos. According to the release, Pace has “accepted a position outside of coaching.”
Tufts reached the NCAA Tournament four times under Pace, including this past season. And under her direction, the Jumbos continued their national prominence within D-III women’s hoops, going 100-37 with three 20-win seasons. That included a 28-1 campaign in 2019-20; a season that saw Tufts ascend to the nation’s No. 1 ranking for 10 straight weeks in the D3hoops.com Top 25. The Jumbos’ magical season ended prematurely, with the NCAA Tournament canceled prior to sectionals weekend due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The program went to the Sweet 16 on three occasions, and reached the Elite Eight in 2022-23, a few weeks after claiming the NESCAC title. This past winter saw Tufts navigate a difficult schedule, including a 60-50 win at national runner-up Smith, going 15-11 with a 5-5 mark in the NESCAC. The impact of Monet Witherspoon, the NESCAC Rookie of the Year who transferred to D1 Brown on April 30, also highlighted Pace’s final season in Medford.
"There are so many people at Tufts – coaching colleagues, administration, student-athletes, alums, and many others – who made my time as a Jumbo rewarding, purposeful, and downright fun," said Pace in a release from Tufts. "A special thank you to my assistants – Alli, Jamie, Sam, and Vanese – for their endless support, tireless work ethic, and friendship over the years. And thank you to the players who bought into my vision and worked hard to represent our program in the best way possible."
"I feel grateful for all the people who took a chance on me and supported me as I navigated my coaching path," said Pace. "Since entering the profession fresh out of undergrad thirteen years ago, I have met some of the world's best people and coaches who I now call my friends. I couldn't be more excited for the future of Tufts Women's Basketball and am looking forward to being a fan in the years to come."
Tufts Director of Athletics John Morris also touched on Pace’s success and leadership in the press release announcing her departure, noting that, “her unwavering commitment to helping them excel and grow as athletes, students and people has been evident every day."
"Jill has been such a positive, dedicated, and highly respected member of our Tufts Athletics family, always willing to go the extra mile to support her fellow coaches and the department," said Morris. "We will miss Jill greatly, we thank her for all she has done for our student-athletes and Tufts, and we wish her nothing but happiness and continued success in her next chapter."
There is little doubt that this job will be highly sought-after with several top-tier candidates. When you consider the pedigree of the athletics department as a whole, the tradition of women’s basketball success, and it being such an elite academic institution, I’d expect significant interest from coaches at all levels who bring high-academic experience to the table.
Prior to Tufts, Pace had made a name for herself in D-III as the architect of Pomona-Pitzer’s transformation, taking the Sagehens from a 1-win season in 2016-17 to a 22-win NCAA Tournament team in 2018-19. Could we see Tufts go with a current D3 head coach again? Time will tell, and I imagine this search will move quickly.
» Read the full release from Tufts (link)
After finding success at Goucher, Ricks heads to the northwest
Michael Ricks’ recent head coaching journey has now covered thousands of miles, three states, and taken him from the south to the mid-atlantic, and now, the northernmost women’s basketball program in the United States. Each stop as a head coach. All in a four-year span.
Goucher’s head coach, who led one of the most impressive turnarounds in D-III women’s hoops during the 2024-25 season, accepted the job at the University of Alaska Fairbanks on Tuesday. He moves to the D-II ranks after a decade spent within D-III at both Birmingham-Southern and Goucher.
“This is a place with incredible character and opportunity, and my family and I are excited to make Fairbanks our home,” Ricks said in a release from Alaska Fairbanks. “ I look forward to developing a program that competes with passion and represents the university with pride.”
After taking BSC to five winning seasons, including a 2nd Round appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 2015-16, Ricks accepted a true rebuild at the Landmark Conference’s weakest program: Goucher.
In his first season, 2023-24, the Gophers accomplished something they had failed to do since 2019-20: win a game in conference play. The 63-55 win over Wilkes on Jan. 3, 2024 snapped a 37-game Landmark losing skid for the program, and in 2024-25, Goucher improved its win total by 13. The Gophers finished above .500 (14-13 overall) for the first time since 2003-04, and earned a conference tournament bid for the first time since joining the Landmark Conference…17 years prior.
“He brings a strong coaching background, a passion for developing student-athletes on and off the court, and a clear vision for the program's future,” said Alaska Nanooks Director of Athletics Dr. Brock Anundson in the announcement. “His leadership and energy are a great match for our values, and we're confident he'll make a positive impact on both our team and the greater Fairbanks community.”
The program he inherits at Alaska is another rebuilding project. The Nanooks have gone 1-17 in GNAC play twice in the last three years, and last posted a double-digit win season in 2016-17. But as we saw at Goucher, Ricks has the perfect skill set to get his new program on the right track and to a place of competitiveness within its league. He becomes the third D3 head coach in this cycle to accept a college head coaching job outside of D3, joining McMurry’s Drew Long (Houston Christian) and Arcadia’s Jackie Hartzell (Rider).
Macalester opens
As you may have seen on X late last week, Macalester is open with the resignation of Katie Kollar. Per a university announcement, Kollar will not return after six seasons at the helm of the program, which was highlighted by Macalester’s best season in 13 years this past winter.
After steadily building the years coming out of Covid, Macalester went 12-13 with a 7-11 mark in the MIAC in 2024-25, the most wins for the program since 2011-12, when they also won 12 games. Kollar notably recruited Peyton Starks to Macalester early in her tenure, with Starks going on to lead the MIAC in scoring for three consecutive seasons, making her the first player in MIAC women’s basketball history to do so.
"I'd like to thank Macalester College, the Athletics Department, and the entire Mac community for the opportunity you all gave me over the last six years," Kollar said in a release. "I'm incredibly grateful to have worked and served alongside you all and I am proud of everything we have accomplished as a program. It is bittersweet to be leaving, but I know the women's basketball program is in a great place and I am truly excited to see its continued growth and success. Team 47 and beyond - love y'all and stay relentless!"