Duffy named Virginia Tech women’s coach

Former Marquette head coach took Golden Eagles to NCAA tournament three times

BLACKSBURG — Megan Duffy was named the eighth head women’s basketball coach at Virginia Tech, Director of Athletics Whit Babcock announced Wednesday morning. Duffy, who guided Marquette University to the NCAA tournament in 2024, spent five years in Milwaukee where she accumulated a 110-46 record that included a 64-30 mark in BIG EAST play.

Babcock and Duffy agreed to terms on a six-year contract to lead the Hokies.

“I am thrilled to welcome Coach Duffy and her husband Kevin to Virginia Tech,” Babcock said. “An accomplished player and coach, Megan has a relentless work ethic and a demonstrated ability to develop talent and build successful programs.

“She is a proven winner and committed to continuing our women’s basketball program’s momentum. I am confident Hokie Nation will embrace and support Megan as we enter the next chapter of Virginia Tech women’s basketball.”

Duffy’s head coaching career spans seven seasons, five at Marquette and two at Miami (Ohio) and features six seasons of 20 or more wins – leading to an impressive career record of 154-66 (.700). Each year she has guided her club to at least a winning percentage of .600 in league play and she has reached the postseason in every year except for 2020 (COVID-19 pandemic).

Through five seasons at the helm at Marquette, Duffy owned the best winning percentage of any coach in that program’s history at 70.5% (110-46). During Duffy’s tenure, the Golden Eagles made four postseason appearances, including three trips to the NCAA tournament, and earned a pair of runner-up finishes in both the regular season and BIG EAST conference tournament.

Marquette had a notable beginning to 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 play, including winning the Fort Meyers Tip-Off with two wins over Power Five foes – defeating Boston College and Arkansas. She also guided MU to a win over Illinois and her squad earned a ranked victory over No. 20 Creighton.

“I am ecstatic to join Virginia Tech Athletics as the leader of the women’s program,” Duffy said Wednesday morning. “The opportunity to continue the winning tradition with Hokie Nation and to be a part of the passionate, savvy Blacksburg community makes this a dream job for me. The ACC is the best conference in the country with deep talent and outstanding leaders. The work with the team begins today as we look toward building the next great Hokie team. I want to thank President Sands, Whit Babcock and the entire athletics administration for welcoming Kevin and I to the university, sharing their vision for the program, and for their long-term support of women’s sports.”

Under Duffy’s leadership, nine different athletes garnered All-BIG EAST accolades, including the first duo to collect first team nods in the same season from Marquette in Jordan King and Chloe Marotta.

Other highlights of her tenure in Milwaukee include becoming the fastest coach in Marquette history to the 100-win mark, owning the most road wins in a season in program history, securing the most home wins in a single season in program history and defeating multiple AP top five foes in the same season (No. 3 Texas and No. 4 UConn in 2022-23).

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.

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 success in the coaching ranks.

Duffy arrived at Marquette after leading Miami (Ohio) to a pair of WNIT 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 1980s.

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 at the time.

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

A formal introduction will be held Friday, April 5 at 9 a.m. at Carilion Clinic Court at Cassell Coliseum.