Chandler McCabe begins her sixth season as an assistant coach on Head Coach Vanessa Blair-Lewis' Bethune-Cookman staff, coming off a 2017-18 campaign that saw her gain both national exposure and a unique opportunity for her first Division I head coaching experience.
For four games, McCabe handled head coaching duties with Blair-Lewis on maternity leave. The Lady Wildcats won three of those four games, including an overtime win at Morgan State and a quarterfinal victory over Maryland-Eastern Shore at the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament.
In March, McCabe was recognized by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association as one of its Thirty Under 30 honorees presented by Marriott Rewards®, a program created to recognize 30 up-and-coming women's basketball coaches age 30 and under at all levels of the game. Each honoree has exemplified their involvement in community service, mentorship, professional manner, and professional association involvement.
"She is a proven leader and a consummate professional in all that she does,” Blair-Lewis said of McCabe. “She is an inspiration to the young women that she coaches and mentors."
McCabe, who coaches the Lady Wildcats' post players, came to Bethune-Cookman after two seasons as a graduate assistant at Henderson State, where she also worked with the post position, aiding in player development through both practice and the strength and conditioning workouts. She also proved instrumental in developing the program’s volunteer work for breast cancer awareness, and organizing the inaugural team “Pink Out” event.
While at Arkadelphia, Ark.-based Henderson State, McCabe earned her Master’s Degree in Sports Administration with a perfect 4.0 grade point average in May 2014.
A 2012 graduate of Providence, McCabe was a four-year player at forward, appearing in 110 games for the Friars. She served as a team captain in her senior season (2011-12) and was a member of the NIT Elite 8 Providence squad in 2009-2010. A Dean's List student at Providence, she received her Bachelor's Degree in Social Work with a minor in Business Management.
McCabe was honored as a member of the Providence College Chi Alpha Sigma Athletic Honors Society, and was named a member of the Big East All-Academic Team during the 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 seasons.
Working at Bethune-Cookman represents a homecoming of sorts for McCabe, who originally hails from Winter Park, Fla., where she was captain of the 2008 Bishop Moore High School Class 4A State Championship team.
She is the daughter of Carl Koechlin and the late Wendy McCabe, and has one sister, Melissa and two brothers, Cayce and Corey.
