Joanne P. McCallie
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Joanne P. McCallie, 38 years old, of Brunswick, Maine, is the head coach of the Michigan State University women's basketball team, where she has been since 2000.
McCallie, who was named to the position on March 27, 2000, became just the fourth head coach in Michigan State women's basketball history. She replaced Karen Langeland, who retired following 24 years as the head coach at MSU.
McCallie arrived at MSU after spending eight years as the head coach at the University of Maine. During her tenure with the Black Bears, McCallie guided Maine to a record of 167-73, six-straight NCAA Tournament appearances, two North Atlantic Conference Championships, two America East Conference Championships and five regular-season conference titles.
McCallie guided the Black Bears to seven-straight 20-win campaigns, including a 20-11 overall record in 1999-2000 and their sixth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance. She was named conference coach of the year three times, twice in the North Atlantic Conference (1995 and 1996) and once in the America East (1999).
Prior to taking her first head coaching position, McCallie was an assistant coach at Auburn University from 1988-92. As the team's primary recruiter, she helped sign the fourth-ranked class in the nation in 1990-91 and the 16th-ranked class in 1991-92. While at Auburn, McCallie and the Tigers appeared in two national championship games and made an appearance in the NCAA Elite Eight.
No stranger to the Big Ten, McCallie, then Palombo, played her collegiate basketball at Northwestern University from 1984-87. She still ranks seventh in Wildcat history with 378 career assists. As a senior, she was an All-Big Ten honorable mention selection and helped lead the Wildcats to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. McCallie also was named Academic All-Big Ten First-Team as a senior.
McCallie graduated from Northwestern in 1987 with a degree in political science and earned a master's degree in business administration from Auburn in 1990.
Coach P (Palombo), as she is known by her players, is an active speaker within the community and for women's athletics. At MSU, McCallie created the "Choice Not Chance" philosophy, which focuses on making the correct choices in life. The philosophy has been widely used by McCallie, her staff and players, who have been very active in the area schools speaking about "CNC".
In addition, McCallie's community service includes working with the Big Brothers and Big Sisters "Jump" program; serving as the Honorary Chair for the Haven House -- a shelter for homeless families in East Lansing, Michigan; serving as the Honorary Chair for the 2001 Crop Walk and the 2001-04 Memory Walks for Alzheimer's; and holding the Joanne P. McCallie Golf Challenge benefitting children and adolescents with cancer.
While at Maine, she organized an event called "Realizing the Dream; Celebrating Women in Athletics" that featured speakers Dr. Donna Lopiano and Sheryl Swoopes. During the 1997-98 season, Dana Rae Warren filmed a documentary of the Maine women's basketball season. She was inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame in 2004.
McCallie was named a conference captain by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association in 2002.
Joanne and her husband, John McCallie, Ph.D., have a 10-year-old daughter, Madeline (Maddie), and a 4-year-old son, John Wyatt (Jack).
