Thursday, March 17, 2005

             USM's Gary Fifield Named Division III Coach of the Year

     GORHAM, Maine  --  University of Southern Maine Huskies women's basketball 
head coach Gary Fifield has been named the Russell Athletic/WBCA Division III 
National Coach of the Year by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA).  
The announcement was made Thursday evening at the banquet for the 2005 NCAA 
Division III Women's Basketball Championship Finals being held at Virginia 
Wesleyan College in Norfolk/Virginia Beach, Va.
     Fifield and the other five national winners will be recognized by the WBCA 
membership at the Russell Athletic/WBCA Coach of the Year Luncheon on April 5 at 
the Indianapolis.  The luncheon is part of the WBCA National Convention, held in 
conjunction with the NCAA Division I Women's Final Four.
     In his 18th season at USM since replacing Richard "Doc" Costello as head 
coach in 1987, Fifield has guided the Huskies to a school record 30-2 overall mark 
this season, including an unblemished 14-0 regular season record in the Little 
East Conference, the team’s ninth consecutive LEC tournament championship, and 
their fourth berth in the NCAA "Final Four" (1988, 1998, 2000, 2005).  The 
Huskies, riding a school record 28-game winning streak, will play Millikin 
University in the national semifinals Friday afternoon starting at 4:00 p.m.
     During his 18 seasons at the helm, Fifield has guided his teams to a 
combined 456-76 record (.857 winning percentage), 16 shared or outright Little 
East Conference regular season titles, and 15 LEC tournament championships, 
including the last nine seasons. His teams have advanced to postseason play 
every year that he has been the head coach, and 29 consecutive years dating back 
to 1976.
     Among his numerous awards, Fifield was named the 1998 WBCA District One 
Coach of the Year after leading his team to a 29-3 overall record and a spot in 
the NCAA Division III championship game.  He also was District One Coach of the 
Year for the 1991-92 season and again in 2001-02.  He has earned or shared the 
LEC Coach of the Year award 11 times (1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1998, 1999, 
2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005).  In 2003, Fifield was inducted into the New England 
Basketball Hall of Fame.
     At the start of the 2004-05 season, he had the nation's second highest 
winning percentage among active NCAA Division III women's basketball coaches who 
have five or more seasons of service, and was ranked 13th among active coaches 
for the most victories.  His 400th career win came during the 2003-2004 season 
when the Huskies defeated Bates College.
     The Huskies continued their winning ways in 2004-2005, winning the Little 
East Conference regular season title, and winning their ninth consecutive 
tournament crown with a 68-29 win over Keene State College in the championship 
game.  The Huskies also extended their NCAA Division III record with their 25th 
consecutive season of 20-or-more wins. The Huskies began their record-setting 
run under former coach Costello during the 1980-81 season. 
     Fifield began his coaching career at Canaan Memorial High School in 1974 
guiding the boys team to a 31-31 mark over three seasons. He moved on to South 
Royalton High School as the boys' coach from 1977-82, and again in 1986-87, 
compiling a 74-34 record. In between, he served as an assistant men's coach for 
one season at Dartmouth College, and the men's head coach at Vermont Technical 
College for three seasons, rolling up a 41-33 record.
     A 1974 graduate of the University of Vermont with a B.S. in physical 
education, Fifield also earned a master's degree in educational administration 
from UVM.


                             The Fifield Years at USM
            Overall Record      Little East Regular Season
Season       W   L    Pct.      W   L    Pct.     Place       LEC Tournament
1987-1988   27   3    .900     10   0   1.000     1st         CHAMPIONS
1988-1989   25   3    .893     10   0   1.000     1st         CHAMPIONS
1989-1990   25   5    .833      9   1    .900     1st         CHAMPIONS
1990-1991   23   7    .767      7   3    .700     tied 2nd    CHAMPIONS
1991-1992   26   4    .867      9   1    .900     tied 1st    Lost, Finals
1992-1993   25   4    .862     10   0   1.000     1st         CHAMPIONS
1993-1994   22   7    .759     11   1    .917     tied 1st    Lost, Semi-finals
1994-1995   23   4    .852     11   1    .917     1st         CHAMPIONS
1995-1996   25   4    .862     11   1    .917     1st         Lost, Finals
1996-1997   25   4    .862     11   1    .917     1st         CHAMPIONS
1997-1998   29   3    .906     14   0   1.000     1st         CHAMPIONS
1998-1999   25   4    .862     13   1    .929     1st         CHAMPIONS
1999-2000   26   6    .813      9   5    .643     tied 2nd    CHAMPIONS
2000-2001   20   7    .741     12   2    .857     tied 1st    CHAMPIONS
2001-2002   25   3    .893     13   1    .929     tied 1st    CHAMPIONS
2002-2003   26   4    .867     13   1    .929     1st         CHAMPIONS
2003-2004   29   2    .935     14   0   1.000     1st         CHAMPIONS
2004-2005   30   2    .938     14   0   1.000     1st         CHAMPIONS
Totals     456  76    .857    201  19    .914