Bowling Green State University women’s basketball head coach Fred Chmiel has announced a pair of additions to his staff. Maggie Lucas and Nick DiPillo have joined the Falcons as assistant coaches.
“Maggie is one of the hardest-working individuals I have ever been around,” said Chmiel. “She played at Penn State when I coached there, and is a fierce competitor. She has translated that into the coaching realm.
“Nick has a wealth of experience at many levels, including the professional level where I met him. He’s been a head coach, he’s got great recruiting ties in the area, and we look forward to having great success here at BGSU.
“Maggie and Nick will be great assets to our players, to our community and to the University as well.”
MAGGIE LUCAS
Lucas comes to Northwest Ohio after spending the 2022-23 season as an assistant coach at Penn State, her alma mater. That came on the heels of an eight-year professional career, including four seasons in the WNBA. Lucas played three seasons with the Indiana Fever (2014-16) and split the 2018 season with the Atlanta Dream and Dallas Wings.
While playing for Lulea in Sweden in 2021, Lucas led the team to an SBLDAM Championship and was the league’s finals MVP. Lucas was named All-Euro Cup first team in 2022 while playing for Dinamo Sassari.
“I’m extremely happy to be here,” said Lucas. “I’ve known Coach Chmiel for a very long time. He coached me at Penn State, and is one of the best people I have come across in this business. It was a no-brainer to come work for him.
“I’m very inspired by the culture that exists here at Bowling Green. This program has a rich tradition of winning and succeeding. I look forward to us continuing to win. continuing to build on that culture and having fun while doing it.”
Her name can be found all over the Penn State record books. Lucas was named the Big Ten Conference Player of the Year in both 2013 (coaches & media) and 2014 (media) after being named the consensus Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2011. She was a three-time first-team All-Big Ten selection and a four-time All-Big Ten honoree.
Lucas led Penn State to three-straight league regular season titles from 2011-12 through ’13-14. She was a part of four NCAA Tournament teams, and helped PSU to Sweet 16 appearances in 2012 and 2014.
A Wade Trophy and Wooden Award Finalist in 2013 and 2014, Lucas was a second-team AP All-American in 2013 and a third-team AP All-American in 2014. She also was a two-time USBWA All-American, a two-time Full-Court All-American and a Full-Court Freshman All-American.
Lucas is the only player in Penn State history with over 2,000 points, 500 rebounds (541), 250 assists (286) and 200 steals (237).
Her career point total (2,510) ranks her second in PSU history, and she also owns the second-best career scoring average (19.0 ppg) in program history. Her point total ranks eighth all-time in the Big Ten.
Lucas holds the Penn State record and ranks third in Big Ten history with 365 career three-point field goals made.
She also owns the school’s single-season record for three-pointers made (112), and ranks third all-time at PSU with a career three-point percentage of 41.5.
Additionally, Lucas owns the school records for free throws made in a season and a career, as well as career free-throw percentage (90.7).
She shot a Big Ten-record 94.9 percent from the free-throw line in 2013-14, good for the eighth-best season percentage in NCAA Division I history. Her career free throw percentage, also a Big Ten record, also ranks eighth all-time in NCAA Division I.
Lucas graduated from Penn State in 2014 with a degree in recreation, parks & tourism management.
NICK DiPILLO
DiPillo joins Chmiel’s staff after spending the 2022-23 season as an assistant coach at the University of Pittsburgh. He has coached at the professional and collegiate levels for the past two decades.
Prior to joining the Pitt staff, DiPillo was head coach at the University of Scranton, where he led the Lady Royals to an overall record of 58-8 (.879) and a Landmark Conference record of 32-3 (.914). DiPillo guided Scranton to three consecutive conference championships while earning two bids to the NCAA Division III Tournament. The Lady Royals advanced to the Sweet 16 in his final season with the program.
“Having known Coach Chmiel for over 15 years, I knew if the opportunity ever presented itself, working alongside him would be an absolute no-brainer,” said DiPillo. “To do it at a place like Bowling Green, a program with such a rich tradition of excellence, makes it even more special.
“I couldn’t be more excited to do my part to help serve our student-athletes, immerse myself in the BG community and elevate our program.”
Scranton’s Sweet 16 berth capped a 27-3 season in which the Lady Royals were a perfect 14-0 mark in Landmark Conference action. The team held opponents to just 52.3 points per contest in that 2021-22 season, and a pair of players earned WBCA All-America honors.
In his first season at the helm of the Lady Royals, DiPillo guided Scranton to a 24-4 record overall, and a 12-2 league mark. His second season saw the Lady Royals go 6-1 in the conference and 7-1 overall in a 2020-21 campaign that was shortened due to COVID-19.
Prior to Scranton, DiPillo served on the women’s basketball coaching staff at Seton Hall for five years (2014-19). He began his time with the Pirates serving as the program’s director of player development before becoming an assistant coach for his final two seasons.
At Seton Hall, DiPillo played an integral role in a successful run for the Pirates as they went 94-66 across his five seasons, recording two seasons of at least 23 victories while competing in the challenging Big East Conference.
In his first season with the Pirates in 2015, DiPillo helped the squad finish 28-6 as they captured their first Big East Conference championship in program history and earned their first bid to the NCAA Tournament since 1995. The Pirates went 23-9 in 2016 and made a return trip to the NCAAs.
Over his final two seasons as an assistant coach, DiPillo helped Seton Hall earn back-to-back postseason bids to the WNIT. On the recruiting trail, DiPillo helped the Pirates sign a class ranked in the top-30 nationally in his tenure, while also signing and coaching eight All-Big East Conference selections and a pair of WBCA All-Americans.
Prior to his appointment at Seton Hall, DiPillo served as a skills trainer/camp director at the Monroe Sports Center in Monroe, NJ for four years (2010-14).
DiPillo also has professional coaching experience, as he was an assistant coach for the New York Liberty from 2005-09. He worked with the post players and helped the team make four WNBA playoff appearances including a trip to the WNBA Eastern Conference Finals in 2008. DiPillo coached a trio of WNBA All-Stars and three Olympians while with the Liberty, including 2007 WNBA Most Improved Player Janel McCarville.
DiPillo began his coaching career in 2003 at Division III Kean University. In two seasons, he helped the Cougars achieve a 34-19 overall record while earning the 2005 ECAC Metro Championship.
DiPillo was a member of the men’s basketball team at Fairleigh Dickinson, graduating in 2003 with a degree in Sociology. DiPillo and his wife Kelsey have a son, Frankie, who was born in May of 2022. He also has a 15-year-old daughter, Maddy.
