Jill Pace has resigned after six seasons as the head women’s basketball coach at Tufts University, as she has accepted a position outside of coaching the University announced Wednesday evening.
“We are so grateful for Jill’s exceptional leadership and the tremendous impact she has had on our women’s basketball program over the past six years,” said Director of Athletics John Morris. “Beyond her many successes and accomplishments on the court, Jill has been an outstanding coach and mentor for her student-athletes, and her unwavering commitment to helping them excel and grow as athletes, students and people has been evident every day.”
“Jill has been such a positive, dedicated, and highly respected member of our Tufts Athletics family, always willing to go the extra mile to support her fellow coaches and the department,” said Morris. “We will miss Jill greatly, we thank her for all she has done for our student-athletes and Tufts, and we wish her nothing but happiness and continued success in her next chapter.”
Pace just finished her sixth season as the head coach of the Jumbos, where she continued the long-standing success for the program. Hired in 2019, Pace finished her career with a 100-37 record as the head mentor for the Jumbos, posting three 20-win seasons including a 28-1 record in 2019-20.
Pace also helped the program navigate through the unknowns of the CoVID-19 pandemic, while helping the program to a New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) title in 2022-23. The Jumbos appeared in the NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Tournament four times during her tenure, making the Sweet 16 three times while appearing in the NCAA Elite Eight in 2022-23 as well.
The 2012 Bowdoin College graduate coached two NESCAC Player of the Year honorees, while also mentoring four All-NESCAC players including a National Player of the Year in Erica DeCandido in 2020. She presided over the 2019-20 team that was ranked as high as No. 1 in the Week 12 D3hoops.com Top 25 poll.
Pace coached a pair of All-Americans and mentored this year’s NESCAC Rookie of the Year. Prior to Tufts, Pace was the head coach at Pomona-Pitzer, where she turned around a program that won one time in 2016 to a 22-win team in 2018.
“There are so many people at Tufts – coaching colleagues, administration, student-athletes, alums, and many others – who made my time as a Jumbo rewarding, purposeful, and downright fun,” said Pace. “A special thank you to my assistants – Alli, Jamie, Sam, and Vanese – for their endless support, tireless work ethic, and friendship over the years. And thank you to the players who bought into my vision and worked hard to represent our program in the best way possible.”
“I feel grateful for all the people who took a chance on me and supported me as I navigated my coaching path,” said Pace. “Since entering the profession fresh out of undergrad thirteen years ago, I have met some of the world’s best people and coaches who I now call my friends. I couldn’t be more excited for the future of Tufts Women’s Basketball and am looking forward to being a fan in the years to come.”
A national search will begin immediately to find Pace’s successor.
Tagged with: NESCAC
