STANDISH, Maine – Saint Joseph's College women's basketball coach Mike McDevitt `83 will be inducted into the Maine Basketball Hall of Fame (MBHOF), as announced by the organization on Tuesday morning.
As a member of the 2023 MBHOF Class, McDevitt will join 16 other individuals, two teams, and six "Legends of the Game" for an induction ceremony held at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor on Sunday, August 20th. Former SJC men's basketball assistant Jim Graffam will also be honored as one of six "Legends of the Game" honorees.
Tickets to attend the induction ceremony may be purchased online starting in May at www.mainebasketballhalloffame.com.
As a four-year starter for the men's basketball program at Saint Joseph's, McDevitt – an Ellsworth native - tallied 1,381 points, 674 rebounds, 226 assists and 109 steals in 103 career games and, at the time of his graduation, was the Monks' all-time leader in games played while ranking second in total rebounds and third in points. Following his senior season, McDevitt garnered Western Maine Athletic Conference Player of the Year, All-District, and First Team All-State accolades after leading the Monks to the program's first-ever conference championship.
McDevitt joins three individuals in the MBHOF with whom he has close ties: former SJC men's basketball coach Rick Simonds (Class of 2019) and two of his former players, Stephanie Carter `92 (Class of 2019) and Neile (Joler) Nelson `95 (Class of 2022).
McDevitt was inducted into the Saint Joseph's College Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011 and was joined in that year's class by his wife Margaret (O'Brion), who was a standout athlete for the SJC women's basketball program.
McDevitt's statistics and accolades as a player are certainly impressive, but his achievements on the court are overshadowed by the incredible success he has experienced in over three decades as an NCAA III women's basketball coach.
Now in his 31st season (30 at SJC) on the women's basketball bench, McDevitt owns a 619-214 (.743) career record and has guided his teams to 18 championships and 13 national tournament appearances. A 14-time Coach of the Year honoree, McDevitt is one of just 10 coaches in the history of DIII women's basketball to register twenty 20-win seasons.
With a win over Lasell University late in the 2021-22 campaign, McDevitt became the 24th coach in NCAA DIII Women's Basketball history to reach the 600-victory mark. He is one of just 11 active coaches to have reached the 600-win plateau.
Among active coaches through the 2021-22 season, McDevitt is ranked 11th in career victories and 18th in winning percentage. Only two New England area coaches have more wins while just three have higher winning percentages.
His teams have enjoyed unprecedented success in recent years, as the Monks rank 12th in NCAA DIII in victories and 14th winning percentage with a 102-19 (.843) record since the start of the 2017-18 season.
In 30 years as the SJC women's basketball coach, McDevitt – who posted a 22-7 record in one season (2008-09) as the interim head coach at University of Southern Maine – owns a 597-207 (.743) record at St. Joe's and has the highest winning percentage in the history of Saint Joseph's athletics.
McDevitt has also served as the head coach for two other programs in three decades at Saint Joseph's. The 1983 alum guided the SJC women's volleyball team to a 101-60 (.627) record as the program's bench general for five seasons (1987-1991). He also headed up the Saint Joseph's golf team for seven years (1997-03).
While starring for four seasons for the St. Joe's men's basketball team, McDevitt helped the Monks post a 65-38 (.631) record. Following his playing career, he logged three seasons (1985-87) as an assistant for the men's program, a span during which the Royal Blue went 74-18 (.804). In five years as an assistant for Southern Maine, McDevitt helped the Huskies register a 144-14 (.911) record.
In totality, Coach McDevitt has played a role in 999 victories over 48 seasons (999-345, .743) as a player, basketball assistant, volleyball head coach, and women's basketball head coach. An outstanding total, no doubt, but perhaps the most impressive aspect of his coaching career to date is the fact that he has NEVER suffered a losing season - in any of the various capacities in which he has served – since he came to Saint Joseph's as a standout basketball player in the fall of 1979.
