Maureen Magarity and John Becker to Become First Married Couple to Lead D-I Programs
Maureen Magarity was hired as the University of Vermont’s women’s basketball head coach on April 14, joining her husband, John Becker, who has led the Catamounts’ men’s program since 2011.
It’s believed to be the first time in NCAA Division I history that a married couple are coaches of a school’s men’s and women’s basketball teams.
The opening came after Alisa Kresge resigned as Vermont’s women’s head coach on April 11 to accept a job at Richmond.
Magarity, 45, had been working in the Vermont athletic department as director of major gifts for the past two years, ever since she resigned from Holy Cross due to “family reasons,” per ESPN.
Vermont athletic director Jeff Schulman saw the fit immediately. “I always had joked that I thought we had two of the best women’s basketball coaches in the country on our staff,” he said, per USA Today.
“One was our women’s basketball coach (Kresge) and the other our major gift officer for athletics (Magarity),” he added.
Adding another layer: Magarity and Kresge were college teammates at Marist University.
“This is an incredibly unique situation of following my college teammate and a friend for a really long time… so I’m so proud of what (Kresge) has accomplished,” Magarity said, per USA Today.
Maureen Magarity’s Résumé Speaks for Itself
This is no sentimental hire. Magarity spent four seasons (2020-2024) at Holy Cross, compiling a 72-41 record and guiding the Crusaders to NCAA tournament appearances in 2023 and 2024. She posted three 20-win seasons in that stretch.
Before Holy Cross, Magarity served as New Hampshire’s head coach for 10 years, where her 146 total wins rank second most in program history. That combined body of work commands attention on any coaching search.
According to USA Today, Magarity decided to take the job after talking to her husband. She also wanted to set an example for her two daughters, Charlotte, 13, and Caroline, 10.
“This was a huge reason I wanted to take this job is to (give my daughters) role models like you (the players) girls and for them to grow up around you guys all the time,” Magarity said, per USA Today.
According to Instagram, Becker proposed to Magarity in 2023. The couple tied the knot in 2025.
What This Means for Vermont Basketball
For a program looking to build on what Kresge established, bringing in a coach with multiple NCAA tournament appearances and a proven ability to sustain winning seasons is a significant move.
That Magarity already knows the campus, the athletic department and the culture only accelerates the transition.
As a result, the Becker-Magarity household just became the most unique coaching setup in college basketball, and Magarity’s track record suggests Vermont’s women’s program is in strong hands.
This article was created by content specialists using various tools, including AI.
