George Mason University women's basketball head coach
Vanessa Blair-Lewis has announced that Chandler McCabe will join her staff as associate head coach and recruiting coordinator.
McCabe comes to Mason from Bethune-Cookman, where she served alongside Blair-Lewis for the past seven years.
"From the moment I interviewed Chandler seven years ago I knew that she was going to make an impact in our program," said Blair-Lewis. "She has been successful at every task she has been asked to perform. As the recruiting coordinator she has been able to recruit high level players that have allowed our programs to compete every year for championships."
McCabe served as associate head coach and recruiting coordinator of the Wildcats. She helped lead Bethune-Cookman to a 120-65 (.649) overall and 77-19 (.802) MEAC record in six seasons (All B-CU athletics were suspended for the 2020-21 academic year due to the Covid-19 Pandemic).
"I am ecstatic to be joining Mason Nation and coming with this staff who is like my family," said McCabe. "The welcoming atmosphere here at Mason fits perfectly with our culture as a staff and we cannot wait to bring this program back to national recognition. If I were a recruit deciding where to spend some of the best years of my life, George Mason University and
Vanessa Blair-Lewis' program should be highly considered."
Over the previous five seasons (2015 to 2020), Bethune-Cookman posted four 21+ win seasons, four MEAC Regular Season Championships, one MEAC Tournament Championship, and five postseason berths.
In 2019-20, the Wildcats finished 23-6 overall and 15-1 in MEAC play for its fourth regular season championship in the last five years. The season prior, Bethune-Cookman defeated Norfolk State to clinch the program's first tournament championship since 1984 and its first NCAA Tournament berth in program history.
During the 2017-18 campaign, McCabe gained both national exposure and a unique opportunity for her first Division I head coaching experience. For four games, she handled head coaching duties with Blair-Lewis on maternity leave. The Wildcats won three of those four games, including an overtime win at Morgan State and a quarterfinal victory over Maryland-Eastern Shore at the MEAC Tournament.
"She has been recognized on a national level for her body of work and continues to be one of the most sought-after young coaches in the country," said Blair-Lewis. "She has proven that she can move over 12 inches to the head coaches' seat and be successful as she was very successful in the acting head coach position while I was on maternity leave."
McCabe was recognized by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association as one of its Thirty Under 30 honorees presented by Marriott Rewards®, a program created to recognize 30 up-and-coming women's basketball coaches age 30 and under at all levels of the game. Each honoree has exemplified their involvement in community service, mentorship, professional manner and professional association involvement.
McCabe came to Bethune-Cookman after two seasons as a graduate assistant at Henderson State, where she worked with the post position, aiding in player development through both practice and the strength and conditioning workouts. She also proved instrumental in developing the program's volunteer work for breast cancer awareness, and organizing the inaugural team "Pink Out" event.
While at Arkadelphia, Ark.-based Henderson State, McCabe earned her master's degree in sports administration with a perfect 4.0 grade point average in May 2014.
A 2012 graduate of Providence, McCabe appeared in 110 games for the Friars. She served as a team captain in her senior season (2011-12) and was a member of the NIT Elite 8 Providence squad in 2009-10. A Dean's List student at Providence, she received her bachelor's degree in social work with a minor in business management.
McCabe was honored as a member of the Providence College Chi Alpha Sigma Athletic Honors Society, and was named a member of the Big East All-Academic Team during the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons.
She is the daughter of Carl Koechlin and the late Wendy McCabe, and has one sister, Melissa and two brothers, Cayce and Corey.
