George Washington University Athletics
Coach Joe McKeown: 16 Years at GW and Counting
6/22/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
June 22, 2005
On the heels of his recent contract extension that will keep him in Foggy Bottom through the 2010-11 season, GW women's basketball head coach Joe McKeown sat down for an interview to reflect back on his early years with the Colonials and extend his thanks to those that helped create the legacy of success that has become George Washington women's basketball.
JM: "Signing a six-year extension, which would take me through the year 2011 and would be my 22nd season as the head coach at George Washington, it's exciting to me and my family to see that the University is really committed to women's basketball - and to the McKeowns. Six years from now, to stay somewhere and coach that long in college basketball just doesn't happen that much any more and really adds to the stability of the program.
"When you look back at what it was like when I got here in 1989, taking over a team that was 9-19 the year before, to be able reach 12 NCAA Tournaments and have all the years in the Top 25 and accomplish the things we've accomplished, I feel very fortunate to be a part of one of the top programs in college basketball. I give a lot of credit to the players that were here when I took over, the Jennifer Shaskys, the Anne Rileys, the Kristin McArdles, Wanda Lanham and that group. Sixteen months into me being here we were ranked in the Top 25 and no one believed we could win except them. I look back and I realize that we could never have the success that we've had without that group of players that was here when I took the job. When you look at the doors that they opened to be able to recruit some of the truly great players we've had here like Debbie Hemery, Tajama Abraham, Cathy Joens, Ugo Oha, it makes you really appreciate the tradition here and knowing that I'm going to be here for six more years gives us the opportunity to continue to strive toward our goals as a program, which are to recruit the best student-athletes in the country and compete for a spot in the Final Four every year.
"As a coach, it has always been a goal of mine to get to the Final Four, and we've been close a couple of times, but even if it never happens we are still going to do things the right way and make sure our players are first class and I'm really proud of what they've done after they leave GW. It's a family here and its great when they come back for them to know that they've been a part of something special having played here.
"I'm very fortunate to work at a university where we've had such strong leadership since I've been the coach. That's not always the case in college athletics. To have coached under one president, Dr. (Stephen Joel) Trachtenberg, and one vice president, Dr. Bob Chernak, whose continued support for women's basketball and their vision, have really enabled us to get ahead of the curve. To work for an athletic director, Jack Kvancz, who knows what it's like to be a coach and knows what it takes to succeed has been very special. He has been willing to go to bat for me and that environment makes it a very unique setting here at GW."
McKeown recently completed his 16th season at GW where he has a record of 363-134 (.730) including a 23-9 (.719) mark last season. Overall, McKeown has a 431-154 (.737) record that includes three years as head coach at New Mexico State. He ranks in the top 15 in Division I women's basketball in career winning percentage.
The dean of Atlantic 10 Conference women's basketball coaches, McKeown has won more games than any other women's basketball coach in the history of the Atlantic 10. His 363 victories at an A-10 institution, and his 211 regular-season triumphs are more than any other A-10 coach.
He is the winningest coach in GW women's hoops history and has been on the bench for 67 percent (363 of 535) of the Colonials' all-time victories. All 12 NCAA Tournament appearances and 14 20-plus win campaigns have come under McKeown. GW also has won four Atlantic 10 Championships under his direction.
McKeown's Colonials will return eight letterwinners and four starters from last year's 23-9 team for the 2005-06 campaign.
