Lori Gear McBride

Lori Gear McBride (born July 27, 1974) a Canadian-American basketball player and coach, and current head coach of the University of Vermont Catamounts women's basketball team.

Playing Career

Gear McBride was born in Lennoxville, Quebec, and played scholastically at Alexander Galt HS and Champlain College before accepting a scholarship to the University of North Carolina. She helped the Tar Heels to the 1994 National Championship and later served as captain in both her junior and senior seasons, leading UNC to three ACC titles during her four years in Chapel Hill.

Coaching Career

After one season playing professionally in Portugal, she started her coaching career at Seton Hall University, spending 6 years at the BIG EAST school, including two as Assistant Head Coach. After one season at UNC-Charlotte, she took a head coaching position at Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School in NJ, and then accepted the job at Colby prior to the 2004-05 season, building a program from a 6-17 mark to a 24-5 record in her final season, though only held a 62-65 record at the school.^[1]

In May 2010, she accepted the head coaching position at the University of Vermont, becoming the only Canadian women's basketball coach at the,^[2] Division I level.^[3]

Since taking over the Catamounts, Gear McBride only amassed a double-digit season win total twice, and lost 20 games in each of her five seasons at the helm. The team's highest finish in America East play was a tie for fourth place during the 2012-13 season, with a 6-10 conference record. Despite four 20-loss campaigns, University of Vermont Athletic Director Dr. Robert Corran signed Gear McBride to a four-year contract extension, which runs through the 2018 season.^[4] Gear McBride currently holds the worst winning percentage of any University of Vermont women's basketball coach (.246) since the 1984-85, when women's basketball became an officially sponsored sport by the America East, and the scoring margin of Catamount teams with her at the helm has been -10.3 over a five year period.

Personal Life

She is married to Pat McBride, the Director of Major Gifts for the athletic department at the University of Vermont.^[5] Pat McBride is currently charged with spearheading efforts to fund a new multi-purpose arena, which will serve as the home for both men's and women's hockey and basketball teams.^[6] With an estimated cost of $50 million, as of January 21st, 2016, Pat McBride, and the UVM Foundation have only raised $2.1 million, according to a report from the Burlington Free Press.^[7]

Head Coaching Record

NCAA DIII

NCAA DI

References