ORONO, Maine -- There's a new leader in the clubhouse.

On Feb. 27, with a 62-48 win over New Hampshire, head coach Amy Vachon surpassed her own former head coach Joanne Palombo-McCallie to become the University of Maine women's basketball program's all-time winningest coach.

Vachon reached the record-setting mark in just 260 games as she currently boasts a win percentage of 64.6 with four seasons of 20 or more wins including a career-best 25-8 mark in the 2018-19 season. The Black Bears have posted a win percentage of 77.6 in America East play during Vachon's tenure.

The only head coach in league history to be named America East Coach of the Year five times, Vachon was named interim head coach midway through the 2016-17 season and the winning began immediately as she earned her first collegiate head coaching victory on Jan. 7, 2017 by defeating UMBC in Bangor, 72-40. On April 5, 2017, the interim tag was pulled and Vachon was officially named the head coach of the program. In her first full season at the helm, Vachon posted a 23-10 mark, leading the Black Bears to the conference title and the NCAA Tournament.

In her eight full seasons at the helm, Vachon has regained Maine's championship pedigree as she has guided the Black Bears to three America East conference titles and a trio of NCAA Tournament apperances.  Under her guidance, the Black Bears have earned a spot in the America East title game seven times while registering five America East regular season crowns.

Vachon picked up her 100th career win with a victory over New Hampshire on Jan. 13, 2024, reaching the mark in just her 151st game as head coach. She scored her 100th conference win on Feb. 24, 2024, becoming the sixth coach to reach the mark and second fastest to achieve the win total. Since 2018, the Black Bears have never finished the regular season seeded lower than third in the conference standings.

With her 168 career victories, Vachon moves into seventh on the America East all-time head coaching wins list while her win percentage of 64.6 places her sixth all-time among America East leaders. Her 111 conference victories are third best in league history while her conference win percentage, 77.6, currently slots her fourth best all-time in America East play. Vachon is 17-4 all-time in America East postseason play, ranking fourth all-time in America East playoff victories.

Vachon Resume:

Year            School           Conf.               Total       Season notes

2016-17      UMaine             9-6                 11-7      (America East Title Game)
2017-18      UMaine            13-3                23-10    (NCAA Tournament, America East Championship, America East Coach of the Year)
2018-19      UMaine            15-1                25-8      (NCAA Tournament, America East Championship, America East Coach of the Year)
2019-20      UMaine            12-4                18-14    (America East Title Game - canceled due to COVID-19)
2020-21      UMaine            13-2                17-3      (America East Title Game)
2021-22      UMaine            15-3                20-12    (America East Regular Season Title, America East Title Game)
2022-23      UMaine            11-5                16-14    (America East semifinal appearance)
2023-24      UMaine            14-2                24-10    (NCAA Tournament, America East Championship, America East Coach of the Year)
2024-25      UMaine             9-6                 14-14

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Nine seasons                   111-32              168-92    3 NCAA Tournament Appearance, Three America East titles, 5x Coach of the Year

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