Megan Duffy - Women's Basketball Coach - Marquette University Athletics

Megan Duffy

Title :
Head Coach
E-Mail:
marquetteWBB@marquette.edu
Phone:
288-5784
Experience :
Fifth Year
Alma Mater:
Notre Dame, 2006

The 2023-24 campaign marked the fifth at Marquette University for Megan Duffy, who was named the sixth head coach in program history in April 2019.

Through five seasons at the helm of Marquette women's basketball, Duffy has the best winning percentage of any coach in Marquette women's basketball history, going 110-46 (.705) overall and 64-30 (.697) in BIG EAST play. During Duffy's tenure, the Golden Eagles have made four postseason appearances, including three trips to the NCAA tournament, and have earned a pair of runner-up finishes in both the regular season and conference tournament.

Marquette made history during the 2023-24 season with the best start in program history at 12-0. The Golden Eagles were one of 10 teams in the country to go undefeated in nonconference, including winning the Fort Meyers Tip-Off over Thanksgiving weekend, defeating Boston College in the semifinal and Arkansas in the final.

Duffy became the fastest coach in program history to 100 wins after defeating Xavier on Jan. 6, 2023, and earned her 150th career win as a head coach on Tuesday, Feb. 13 at DePaul.

The Golden Eagles earned an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament with 23 wins, the fourth time in the last five seasons Marquette had 20-or-more wins. MU had two ranked wins at home, beating then No. 23 Illinois, 71-67, on Nov. 11, 2023, and then No. 20 Creighton in the conference opener, 76-70, on Dec. 13, 2023.

Marquette finished tied for third at 11-7 in the BIG EAST with St. John's and Villanova, and was 13-3 at home, the fourth time in five seasons MU had 13-plus wins playing at the Al McGuire Center. The Golden Eagles made it to the BIG EAST tournament semifinals for the fifth time in as many seasons.

MU was one of the best teams in the nation at sharing the ball, averaging 17.9 assists per game to rank top 20 in the country. MU shot 50-percent-or-better from the floor 11 times and finished top 40 in the nation in FG percentage (44.8 percent).

Marquette outrebounded its opponent in 24-of-32 games with a 5.0 rebounding margin, good for second in the BIG EAST. MU was among the nation’s best from deep, shooting 36.3 percent from beyond the arc to rank top 20 in the nation and second in the BIG EAST.

Under Duffy’s leadership, senior forward Liza Karlen earned unanimous All-BIG EAST First Team honors after averaging career-bests in points (17.7) and rebounds (7.9). Karlen improved from 11.4 points per game her junior season to 17.7 her senior year, and finished the season with 240 field goals, the third-most field goals made in a single season in program history.

Jordan King earned a spot on the All-BIG EAST Second Team after a strong fifth-year in which she scored in double-figures in 24-of-31 games. Mackenzie Hare earned All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention after leading the league with 91 3-pointers, tied for the second most in a single season. Hare set the record for threes made by a sophomore in program history.

Marquette had an outstanding season in 2022-23, a campaign which was topped off by a trip to the NCAA tournament. The season was highlighted by the two highest-ranked wins in program history, as the Golden Eagles took down then No. 3 Texas and then No. 4 UConn during the regular season. The team went 21-11 overall with a 13-7 mark in BIG EAST play, and made it to the BIG EAST Tournament semifinal round for the seventh-straight season.

Duffy led the development of Jordan King and Chloe Marotta, the first Marquette duo to each land a spot on the All-BIG EAST First Team in the same season program history. King was a unanimous selection to the team after leading MU in both scoring (15.9) and assists (4.0), ranking in the league's top-10 in both categories. Marotta made an enormous statistical leap in her fifth and final season at Marquette, improving from 6.9 points per game in 2021-22 to 14.8 in 2022-23. She also ranked fifth in the BIG EAST with 9.0 rebounds per game.

Additionally, Duffy helped Emily La Chapell and Mackenzie Hare each earn recognition as members of the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team, the first duo to do so at Marquette since Natisha Hiedeman and Allazia Blockton in 2015-16.

As a team, the Golden Eagles boasted one of the nation's top defenses and most efficient offenses. Marquette led the BIG EAST in scoring defense, allowing opponents just 58.2 points per game, and dominated the glass with a +3.9 rebounding margin and 38.4 boards per contest. The team averaged 16.5 assists with just 13.5 turnovers per game to post an outstanding 1.22 assist/turnover ratio on the year.

The 2021-22 season was highlighted by a run to the WNIT Sweet 16 and the seventh-best win total in program history (23). The Golden Eagles posted a 23-11 overall record, including a 15-3 mark at the Al McGuire Center, a program record for home wins in a season. After earning a bye in the first round of the BIG EAST Tournament as the 5-seed, Marquette used a historic offensive performance in a 105-85 win over DePaul in the quarterfinal round to advance to its sixth-straight tournament semifinal appearance.

Statistically, the Golden Eagles ranked as one of the top teams in the country in a number of different categories. Proving to be one of the best ball control teams in the country, MU ranked 8th nationally with 18.0 assists per game, and 19th nationally with a 1.21 assist-to-turnover ratio. They also dominated the glass all season long, leading the BIG EAST and ranking 13th in the NCAA with a +8.9 rebounding margin, while winning the rebounding battle in 25 of 31 contests on the year. Marquette tested opponents outside the perimeter on both sides of the ball, ranking second in the league in 3-point field goal defense (28.8) and third in 3-point field goal percentage (34.5).

Duffy helped to guide Lauren Van Kleunen to an All-BIG EAST First Team appearance, while four different MU players earned BIG EAST weekly honors throughout the season. Van Kleunen led the team in both points per game (13.7) and field goal percentage (.478), while also bringing down 6.4 rebounds per contest. Duffy also aided in the development of Liza Karlen, who was one of the most improved players in the conference after jumping from 4.0 points and 3.2 rebounds per game as a freshman to 10.2 points and 7.2 rebounds per contest as a sophomore in 2021-22. No player in the league made a bigger statistical improvement in rebounds or blocks from the prior year.

The Golden Eagles made history during the 2020-21 season, winning 14 of their 18 BIG EAST games, including a school-record 11 wins in true road games. Thirteen of MU's 19 wins came away from home, including a decisive 85-71 victory over then-No. 24 DePaul at Wintrust Arena that helped the team lock up an NCAA tournament bid. After winning BIG EAST tournament games against Providence and Creighton, MU advanced to the BIG EAST tournament championship game for the fifth consecutive season. UConn and Maryland are the only other high major teams to make five straight conference tournament title games from 2017-21.

From year one to year two at MU, Duffy's teams have shown tremendous growth on and off the floor. Statistically, she's helped improve the team's scoring averages (69.0 to 70.5), scoring margin (+8.0 to +8.8), field goal percentage (.454 to .460), free throw percentage (.697 to .710), assists per game (18.1 to 19.3), 3FG percentage defense (.313 to .295) and turnover margin (-3.1 to +0.46).

Coach Duffy proved to be vital in the development of all-around wing Selena Lott, who leaves Marquette as one of the most accomplished players in program history. She took her game to another level as an upperclassman, doubling her scoring average while averaging 5.2 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game as a senior. A 2019-20 Second Team All-BIG EAST selection, Lott made first team all-conference as a senior while being named the BIG EAST Co-Defensive Player of the Year and being named WBCA All-Region. She led the team in scoring (14.7), assists (5.2), steals (2.1) and blocked shots (0.8) in 2020-21 and earned a spot in the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx training camp.

Redshirt senior Lauren Van Kleunen made her second consecutive BIG EAST All-Tournament team in addition to earning Second Team All-BIG EAST honors in 2020-21. LVK averaged a career-best 13.2 points per game while grabbing 5.8 boards per night and shooting 51.4 percent from the floor and 47.6 percent from 3-point range. Sophomore forward Camryn Taylor also earned all-league honors, garnering All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention. Taylor took a big step up in her game after making the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team in 2019-20. She upped her scoring average from 9.3 to 12.0 points per game and her rebounding numbers from 3.8 to 6.9 per game.

Duffy was named the sixth head coach in Marquette women’s basketball history on April 10, 2019. She inherited a team that went 27-8 (15-3 BIG EAST) in 2018-19 that fell in the Round of 32 in the NCAA tournament to Texas A&M, 78-76. The team Duffy took over had lost four 1,000-plus point scorers in Allazia Blockton (2,204 points), Natisha Hiedeman (1,913), Amani Wilborn (1,409) and Danielle King (1,389).

Despite these losses, Duffy made an immediate impact on the program, directing a team selected to finish ninth in the preseason poll to a second-place effort in the BIG EAST and an appearance in the league tournament championship game. The roster featured a pair of all-league performers in Selena Lott and Camryn Taylor and the program was poised for participation in the NCAA tournament.

The 2019-20 season was highlighted by a win over nationally ranked DePaul and the team finished among the nation’s best at both ends of the court. Offensively, MU finished 16^th in the country and first in the BIG EAST in field goal percentage (.454), eighth in assisted field goals and 10th in assists per game (18.1). Defensively, Marquette held opponents to just 61.0 points per game and 37.5 percent from the floor, both the second-best marks in the league, while topping the conference in blocked shots (4.2 bpg.).

Marquette also established itself as one of the nation’s top rebounding teams under Duffy, concluding the year ranked fourth in the nation in rebound margin (10.7), first in the BIG EAST in offensive rebounds (13.3 orpg.) and second in total boards (40.6 rpg.).

The Dayton, Ohio, native has translated her extensive playing career, which included All-America selections (finalist for national player of the year awards), USA Basketball participation (Gold medalist) and professional experience in the WNBA (Minnesota and New York) and overseas, into immediate success in the coaching ranks.

Duffy arrived at Marquette after leading Miami (Ohio) to a pair of Women’s National Invitation Tournament appearances during her two-year tenure with the program. Miami finished the season with a 23-9 overall record and a 13-5 Mid-American Conference mark in 2018-19 and reached 20 wins in back-to-back seasons for the first time since the 1980's.

She was one of just four rookie head coaches in 2017-18 to collect at least 20 wins and the only female to accomplish the feat. The RedHawks finished 21-11 that season, the largest improvement in the nation from the previous season in terms of total victories (nine more than 2016-17, 12-21). Duffy guided the program to a 44-20 (.687) record during her two years, making her the winningest active coach in the MAC.

Under Duffy’s tutelage, Miami produced two all-conference performers, while the team’s successes carried into the classroom as well. Miami had a program-high eight student-athletes tabbed Academic All-MAC and the RedHawks were named to the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Top 25 Honor Roll in 2018 after earning the sixth-best team grade-point average in the nation among all Division I schools.

Prior to her time in Oxford, Duffy owns stops at BIG EAST school St. John’s (2009-12, assistant coach), George Washington (2012-14, associate head coach) and Michigan (2014-17, assistant coach). She helped lead each of the three programs to the postseason (seven total appearances), highlighted by a trip to the Sweet 16 with the Red Storm in 2012 and the WNIT title with the Wolverines in 2017.

Duffy was a four-year letterwinner at Notre Dame (2002-06), helping the Irish to four-straight NCAA appearances and two Sweet 16 berths. She is one of four players in school history to total at least 1,000 points, 500 assists and 200 steals. She was an Associated Press and Kodak All-America honorable mention in 2005 and 2006, while being a finalist for both the John Wooden Award and Nancy Lieberman Award in her final season.

In 2006, she won the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award, which is given to the nation's top point guard under 5-8. Duffy was also a two-time All-BIG EAST first team selection (2005-06), the 2006 BIG EAST/Aeropostle Scholar Athlete of the Year and a 2006 CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American (first team).

She also helped Team USA to the gold medal at the 2005 World University Games. After her career at Notre Dame, she was the 31st pick in the 2006 WNBA draft and played three seasons with the Minnesota Lynx and New York Liberty. Duffy also played overseas with teams in Romania, Slovakia, Italy and Wales.

Duffy graduated from Notre Dame in 2006 with a double degree in psychology and computer applications. She is married to Kevin Hoyng.

Duffy’s Coaching Record

Year	Team	Overall	Pct.	Conf.	Pct.	Notes
2017-18	Miami (OH)	21-11	.656	12-6	.667	WNIT First Round
2018-19	Miami (OH)	23-9	.719	13-5	.722	WNIT First Round
2019-20	Marquette	24-8	.750	13-5	.722	BIG EAST Runner-Up
2020-21	Marquette	19-7	.731	14-4	.778	NCAA Tournament First Round
2021-22	Marquette	23-11	.677	13-7	.650	WNIT Third Round
2022-23	Marquette	21-11	.656	13-7	.650	NCAA Tournament First Round
2023-24	Marquette	23-9	.719	11-7	.611	NCAA Tournament First Round
5 Years	Marquette	110-46	.705	64-30	.681
7 Years	TOTALS	154-66	.700	89-41	.685

Duffy’s Coaching Career

2019-pres. Marquette Head Coach                      NCAA (2021, 2023), WNIT (2022)
2017-19                Miami (Ohio) Head Coach                        WNIT (2018, 2019)
2014-17                Michigan Assistant Coach WNIT (2015, 2016, 2017)
2012-14                George Washington Associate Head Coach WNIT (2014)
2009-12                St. John’s Assistant Coach                 NCAA (2010, 2011, 2012)

What others are saying...

"Megan Duffy is one of the bright, young coaches in our game. She is a great teacher with a high basketball IQ but, most importantly, she relates well with her players. I know she'll be successful at Marquette and I'm excited to see what the future holds for her."

Muffet McGraw
Head Coach, Notre Dame

"It is so great to see Megan have the opportunity to return to her roots in the BIG EAST COnference as the head coach at Marquette. I have known her for a long time, both as a player and as a coach, and it comes as no surprise to me that she has had this type of success. She is an outstanding coach and person who works tirelessly on whatever she is doing because she wants it to be the best. I have enjoyed following her career as a head coach and know that she will continue to do great things at Marquette."

Kim Barnes Arico
Heach Coach, Michigan

"I always knew Megan had the ability to be a star in our game. Having the opportunity to coach against her as a player and working alongside her as assistants you could see that she viewed the game through the lens of a head coach. I could not be happier for her and for the BIG EAST as we add another great coach, but more importantly a great person and a friend."

Joe Tartamella
Head Coach, St. John's