Boston College just couldn’t get a win to save their life. They have won just 5 games in the 2025-26 season, which included a 20-game losing streak from November to January. A loss to Syracuse meant they finished the season 5-26 with a win percentage of 16.1%. That is the worst in program history. After hitting rock bottom, the management has decided to move on from coach Joanna Bernabei-McNamee and start fresh.
Following the 90-65 loss at Syracuse on Sunday, Boston College announced Joanna’s contract will not be extended. “I want to thank Joanna for her contributions to the Boston College Women’s Basketball program during her eight years as an Eagle, as she had a tremendous impact on so many young women who have gone on to do great things,” William V. Campbell Director of Athletics Blake James said in a statement. “It is simply time for a change and we wish Joanna and her family the very best in the future.”
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Bernabei-McNamee joined the program on the back of some pretty successful seasons. She was Brenda Frese’s assistant at Maryland when the Terps captured the national championship in 2006. She coached Pikesville to the NAIA Final Four in 2016 and went 45-20 in two seasons at Albany. Even at Boston College, she started in the same breath. After a decent first year, she had a positive 20-12 record in 2019-20.
They would have been included in the NCAA tournament if not for Covid-19. Then, she went 21-12, once again primed to make the 68 team bracket. However, they were left off the list, as they wound up on the wrong side of the bubble. Instead, they went to the WNIT, losing to Columbia in the third round. That was when the team peaked under Bernabei-McNamee and it has been downhill since.
At that point, Bernabei-McNamee could have jumped to get the West Virginia job after Mike Carey’s retirement. However, she chose to stay at Boston College. She buried the rumors. “When each morning you wake up inspired because professionally you’re on a mission (surrounded by good people who have joined you in that mission) and personally your children are happy & thriving…that’s when you know you are right where you are supposed to be ❤️# For Boston 🦅,” She tweeted. Unfortunately, times change and Bernabei-McNamee will now be replaced. However, is that the solution to their problems?
Expect Joanna Bernabei-McNamee’s Successor To Go Through Similar Struggles
Boston College announced that they will start the search for a new coach immediately. “We take great pride in the variety of sports we sponsor, including our women’s teams, and we have a lot already in place to attract a strong candidate pool,” said James. “Our practice facility is top-notch, our fans and supporters are thirsty for success and we compete in one of the best women’s basketball conferences in America—the ACC. I am excited to find the right person who can elevate our program and who shares in our values.”
If we look at the timeline and examine Joanna Bernabei-McNamee’s tenure, she could not adapt to the transfer portal era of college basketball. She did identify talents out of high school but many went on to transfer to the ‘big dogs.’For example, Taylor Soule was a starter on the Virginia Tech team that went to the Final Four in 2023 after averaging 13.5 points and 5.9 rebounds for Boston College for three seasons.
Maria Gakdeng impressed at Boston under McNamee for two years but then North Carolina snagged her up as a starting piece. The central reason is simply lack of resources. According to NIL-NCAA.com, Boston college’s athletic spending budget stood around 136.6 million in 2024, which ranked 12th in the ACC. USA Today reported that the women’s basketball coaching job is “one of the worst resourced in the ACC.” In today’s era, it’s very difficult to revive such a program. NIL drives the best players and it would be difficult for any coach to turn this situation around without significant backing.
According to a report, some of the candidates to replace Joanna Bernabei-McNamee include Colleen Mullen from Albany. She won the 2025 America East Coach of the Year. Meanwhile, other names include Ron Hughey, the assistant coaches from Virginia, Amy Vachon from Maine, Jen Hoover, the Virginia Tech assistant and Jesyka Burks-Wiley from FIU. However, the “ideal hire” for Boston College would be Carrie Moore from Harvard. She led the team to an NCAA tournament berth and a conference title in 2024-25.