Following an inclusive and intensive search process, Wake Forest director of athletics John Currie has named Megan Gebbia as the new head coach of the Demon Deacons women’s basketball program.
“Coach Gebbia is a renowned relationship builder who has created a positive team culture and consistent identity for her teams on and off the court while leading American to three regular season championships and three tournament championships in nine seasons,” said Currie. “Her player development skills are evidenced by three conference Players of the Year, five Patriot League Scholar Athletes of the Year and American’s first ever Academic All-American. She is the perfect fit to lead our student-athletes in maximizing their potential, on and off the court.”
In her 27 years in coaching, Coach Gebbia has helped her teams reach the NCAA Tournament 12 times including a Sweet Sixteen appearance as an assistant at Marist in 2007. She is American’s all-time wins leader and the only head coach in program history to lead the Eagles to the NCAA Tournament. She has been named Patriot League Coach of the Year twice and has led the Eagles to five 20-plus win seasons.
“I am pleased to welcome Megan Gebbia to the Demon Deacon family,” said Susan R. Wente, president of Wake Forest University. “Megan will undoubtedly make a positive impact on the lives of our student-athletes and our entire University community. I want to thank director of athletics John Currie for leading the search process and our Board of Trustees who thoughtfully supported the process.”
“American will always hold a special place in my heart – it is where I got my start as an assistant coach over 25 years ago, and it has been my home these last nine years. I will be forever grateful to Dr. Walker and President Burwell for their unwavering support and trust,” Gebbia said. “I have had the honor and privilege to work with an incredible group of young women, and the hard work and dedication to both their craft and education as student-athletes has been nothing short of inspiring. We have built a championship tradition at American University, and I cannot wait to see that tradition continued in the years to come.
“What I will take and cherish the most, though, are the relationships I have formed over the last nine years.” said Gebbia. “Thank you to the coaches and staff for your commitment to this program and our players – without the dedication and passion of so many, our success would not have been possible. Once an Eagle, Always an Eagle.
“With that, I’m extremely excited to join the incredible Wake Forest and Winston-Salem community and I am so thankful and appreciative of the opportunity to be the head women’s basketball coach at Wake Forest University,” said Gebbia. “I’m very appreciative of President Wente. and John Currie for giving me the opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream to coach in the premiere conference in the country and impact the lives of young women as we help them reach their full potential on and off the floor. Wake Forest presents an opportunity to be a part of a special brand at one of the top academic institutions in the country. My highest priority will be spending time and developing relationships with our current student-athletes, alumni and the young women who will make up the future of Demon Deacons basketball.”
“Our process was thorough and inclusive and attracted interest from outstanding leaders from all levels of basketball,” said Currie. “To have so many championship coaches desire to be the next leader for women’s basketball at Wake Forest was both flattering and validating. As a top-30 national university, with a caring and invested faculty and staff, the best on-campus basketball facilities in the country, our status as a charter member of the Atlantic Coast Conference and our home in the vibrant city of Winston-Salem and the best state in the Union, the foundation is in place to elevate this program to the Wake Forest standard of excellence.”
“I appreciate both the patience of student-athletes throughout this process and the contributions of dozens of people behind the scenes to make this announcement and tomorrow’s celebration possible,” said Currie. “President Susan R. Wente, Ph.D., deputy AD Lindsey Babcock, senior associate AD Ellie Shannon, senior advisor / counsel Pete Paukstelis, and consultant Katy Young Staudt of TurnkeyZRG and many others put in countless hours over the past two weeks to help find the right leader for our women’s basketball program while also supporting our student-athletes in this time of transition.”
During her time at the helm of the American women’s basketball program, Gebbia accumulated a record of 160-105 (.604) including a 106-49 (.684), both the highest totals in program history. She became the all-time wins leader in 2021-22 after her fifth 20-win season with the Eagles.
A two-time Patriot League Coach of the Year, Gebbia’s eight years with the Eagles have included three of the most historic seasons in program history starting with the then-program record 24-9 run during the 2014-15 season to lead the team to its first NCAA Tournament appearance. The Eagles topped that performance three years later with a 26-7 overall record to advance into the NCAA Tournament for the second time in program history.
The 23-8 season in 2021-22 ranks third in program history with all three seasons ending in trips to the NCAA Tournament.
Gebbia has mentored some of the top players in program history, including three Patriot League Players of the Year, five Patriot League Scholar-Athletes of the Year, one Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year, one CoSIDA Academic All-American First Team honoree, two CoSIDA Academic All-District selections, two ECAC Division I All-Stars, 25 All-Patriot League selections, and three NCAA Woman of the Year nominees.
Of the five Patriot League Scholar-Athletes of the Year, three were also selected as Patriot League Offensive Players of the Year with Jen Dumiak (2014-15), Emily Kinneston (2017-18) and Cecily Carl (2018-19), making American one of only two teams in league history to have players win both awards in a single season alongside Holy Cross (four from 1995-99).
In her first season in Washington, D.C., she became the winningest first-year coach in program history with a 22-10 record and the program’s and Patriot League’s first postseason at-large berth, facing Seton Hall in the First Round of the WNIT. A finalist for the Maggie Dixon Division I Rookie Coach of the Year award, Gebbia’s squad also ranked 13th among Division I women’s basketball teams with a 3.510 GPA to land in the WBCA Academic Top-25 Honor Roll.
Prior to her time at American, she helped build Marist into one of the best mid-major programs in the country. During her 10 seasons with the Red Foxes, Marist advanced to the NCAA Tournament nine times. During that stretch, they won five NCAA Tournament games, defeating Power-5 programs Georgia, Iowa State and Ohio State.
The Red Foxes, who advanced to the 2007 Sweet 16, won the MAAC regular season title every season Gebbia was on staff and won the conference tournament title nine times. Much like at American, Gebbia and the Red Foxes created an impressive home court advantage, compiling a 114-14 record (.891) in her time in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. including an 85-5 record (.944) in conference home games.
Gebbia previously was an assistant coach at Wright State for one season in 2002-03 and an assistant coach at UMBC for six seasons from 1996-02.
She got her start as an assistant coach in 1995-96 at American University.
A native of Frederick, Md., Gebbia was a key player on the 1989 Maryland 2A State Championship Middletown High School women’s basketball team. As a senior she was named Co-Player of the Year by The Frederick News-Post. She played college basketball at Towson University from 1990 to 1994.
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