Marywood University Pacers

Tara Macciocco will return to Marywood University as the head women's basketball coach, Director of Athletics and Recreation Andrew Smith announced April 2, 2024. Macciocco is the program's all-time winningest coach with 206 victories. Macciocco will also serve as the Coordinator of Athletic Academic Success for the department, overseeing academic advisement, compliance and reporting. 

"After conducting a thorough national search, I'm excited to welcome Coach Macciocco back to Marywood," Smith said. "We had an excellent pool of applicants, and our search committee — headed by Associate Director of Athletics and Recreation/SWA Nicole Malloy — did a great job presenting us with quality finalists. Tara's knowledge of Marywood, ties to the community, experience at the Division III level and recruiting connections all factored into her emergence as our choice."

This will be the second stint at Marywood for Macciocco. In 14 seasons as the head women's basketball coach with the Pacers, Macciocco amassed a 206-163 overall record with a .558 winning percentage. She led Marywood to a .629 record in the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference/Colonial States Athletic Conference. In her last three seasons at the helm in the Insalaco Arena, Macciocco's Pacers had a 41-7 (.854) conference record and held the No. 1 seed twice heading into postseason play. 

"Returning to Marywood University as the next women's basketball coach feels like coming home," Macciocco said. "I am incredibly excited and honored to have the opportunity to lead and inspire these talented young ladies. I want to extend my sincere thanks to the entire administration and the search committee for entrusting me with this role. I can't wait to begin this journey and develop something truly special for the Marywood women's basketball team and the entire Pacer community."

From 2004 to 2018, Macciocco turned around a Pacers program that soon routinely vied for the top spot in the conference standings. She led the Pacers to 10 straight CSAC postseason berths and seven Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Tournament appearances. Macciocco was voted back-to-back CSAC Women's Basketball Coach of the Year in 2015-16 and 2016-17. Her 206 wins rank third all-time behind Hall of Fame coach Bob Fitzsimmons (softball) and Andrew Smith (women's soccer)

"I'm really excited to have a veteran, proven coach (re)-joining our department," Smith added. "The leadership qualities Tara brings can help all our teams succeed. To have someone like Tara return to Marywood shows that we are moving in the right direction as a department and University. She is a fierce competitor and is ready to hit the ground running. We have full confidence that the women's basketball program will flourish under her leadership."

Macciocco was previously the Director of Basketball Operations and Assistant Men's Basketball Coach at Keystone College during the 2023-24 season. Macciocco also serves as a sports management instructor Marywood's School of Business and Global Innovation, and Keystone's Sport & Recreation Management Department.

Following her first stint at Marywood, Macciocco departed for a similar role at nearby Wilkes University. She served as the head women's basketball coach at Wilkes University from 2018-2023. During her time with Colonels, she coached three MAC Freedom All-Conference selections.

Macciocco helped grow the Marywood athletics department both as a coach and an administrator. She was the Assistant Director of Athletics Compliance, as well as an assistant coach for the women's volleyball, women's golf, and women's lacrosse programs. Macciocco assisted the Pacers women's golf team to a Landmark Conference championship in 2018. She taught as an adjunct instructor in Marywood's Health and Physical Education Department for 13 years. 

Macciocco started her collegiate coaching career as the assistant women's basketball coach at Wilkes from 2001-04. Prior to Wilkes, she was the graduate assistant women's basketball coach at Lock Haven University where she received her Master's degree in Liberal Arts.

A native of Dunmore, Macciocco played college basketball at Penn State University. She was a member of the Nittany Lions' 1994 Big Ten Championship team, and was an integral part in the Lady Lions' NCAA Sweet Sixteen run in 1996. One of the leading scorers in PIAA District 2 basketball history, Macciocco was ranked as Northeastern Pennsylvania's 70th greatest athlete by the Scranton Times-Tribune in 2004.

Macciocco earned a Bachelor of Science in Recreational & Park Management from Penn State in 1998. She finished her playing career at Division II Lock Haven University during the 1998-99 season, earning a spot on the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference all-conference team.

 

 THE TARA MACCIOCCO FILE

COACHING EXPERIENCE

EDUCATION

MARYWOOD HIGHLIGHTS

• Two-Time Colonial States Athletic Conference Coach of the Year (2016-17, 2017-18)
• Two CSAC Major Award Winners (Rookie of the Year: Gab Giordano, 2015-16; Erika Bistran, 2017-18)
• 24 CSAC/PAC Honorees (3 First Team, 10 Second Team, 11 Honorable Mention)
• Winningest Coach in Marywood Women's Basketball history
• Three WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll
• One ECAC Rookie of the Year (Gab Giordano, 2015-16)
• CSAC Female Scholar Athlete of the Year (Caitlin Hadzimichalis, 2008-09)
• Seven ECAC Tournament Appearances
• Led the Pacers to their winningest seasons (19 wins) in 2015-16 and 2010-11
• Took Marywood to 10 consecutive CSAC postseason berths

WILKES HIGHLIGHTS

• Three All-MAC Freedom Selections
• Led Colonels to highest MAC Freedom finish in 25 seasons

PERSONAL HIGHLIGHTS

• Named Northeastern Pennsylvania's 70th greatest athlete by the Scranton Times-Tribune
• Led Penn State to a Big Ten Championship in 1994
• Led the Nittany Lions to an NCAA Sweet Sixteen run in 1996
• At Lock Haven, earned All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference honors in 1998-99
• Holds the Bald Eagles' school record for single-season free-throw percentage (.900) and ranked No. 2 in NCAA Division II
• At Dunmore High School, scored 2,211 career points and led the Bucks to the 1994 state Class AA title game.
• Served as an assistant coach for Marywood's women's golf Landmark Conference championship in 2018

YEAR-BY-YEAR