Coaching tenures in college basketball rarely end after just one year, but sometimes the results force programs to make quick decisions.

The University of Massachusetts Lowell announced on Friday that it has mutually agreed to part ways with women’s basketball head coach Jon Plefka.

Plefka, who led the River Hawks for just one season, finished the 2025–26 NCAA campaign with an 8–21 overall record and a 2–14 mark in America East play.

“We appreciate Jon’s service to UMass Lowell and his efforts on behalf of our women’s basketball program,” athletic director Lynn Coutts said in a statement. “UMass Lowell remains committed to providing a first-class experience for our student-athletes, and our priority moving forward will be ensuring they have the resources and support they need to succeed both on the court and in the classroom.”

While the team showed flashes of potential early in the non-conference schedule (which included wins over CCSU and LIU), they struggled during their conference games, ending the season on a three-game losing streak after falling to UMBC on February 28.

Still, Jon Plefka showed his appreciation for the opportunity to lead the team in a statement released by the university.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to have led the women’s basketball program at UMass Lowell,” Plefka said. “I appreciate the effort and commitment that the team and coaching staff demonstrated every day and wish the program continued success moving forward.”

Plefka was hired by the University of Massachusetts Lowell after the River Hawks parted ways with head coach Denise King. King led the River Hawks for four seasons, compiling a 23–88 record during her tenure.

In her final season, UMass Lowell went 3–25 overall and 1–15 in America East competition. So Jon Plefka was given the job to bring life back to the program. Plefka was hired to turn around a program that went just 3-25 in the prior season, but his 8-21 record failed to deliver the expected improvement, leading to the mutual decision to part ways.

Who can potentially replace Jon Plefka?

With the program now searching for its next leader, one familiar face could quickly emerge as a logical option: Samera Marsh.

Marsh joined the River Hawks staff ahead of the 2025–26 season after being brought in by Jon Plefka, but her coaching résumé stretches far beyond just one year in Lowell. With 17 years of collegiate coaching experience, Marsh arrived from UMass Amherst, where she served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator.

Promoting Marsh would offer the program something that is often valuable during coaching transitions: continuity. In an era where rosters can shift rapidly due to the transfer portal, an internal promotion could provide stability for a team navigating uncertainty.

Another coach they could consider is Megan Griffith, the current head coach at Columbia.

Over the past few seasons, Griffith has successfully transformed Columbia into one of the more competitive programs, guiding the Lions to back-to-back postseason appearances in the NCAA Tournament and WNIT.

Griffith’s success at Columbia is built on strong recruiting pipelines in the Northeast, a key attribute that could make her an intriguing candidate given UMass Lowell’s reliance on the same regional talent pool.

While a move from an Ivy League program would depend on several factors, Griffith’s résumé and experience in the region could make her one of the more interesting names to watch if UMass Lowell chooses to explore options beyond its current staff.