Daughter gets bragging rights in family coaching matchup
WEST POINT, N.Y. — Maureen Magarity has family bragging rights — at least for a day.
Her Holy Cross team beat her dad Dave’s Army women’s squad 80-46 Saturday in what is believed to be the first father-daughter coaching matchup in Division I history.
“This year has been a tremendous tough year for a lot of people, very emotional with the pandemic. It’s the year of the girl dad,” Maureen Magarity said. “With Kobe passing and everything around that, so many different stories.
“People right now needed something a little lighthearted and just something to watch to keep your mind off the seriousness of what is going on in the world. We believe it’s history.”
If the last name sounds familiar to Virginia Tech fans, that’s because Maureen Magarity’s cousin, Regan, is one of the Hokies’ all-time top players.
Dave Magarity said he was hit with a lot of emotions before the game.
“It’s hard to put into words. It really hit me like a ton of bricks, then I realized it’s a league game, he said.
Avery LaBarbera scored 23 points, Bronagh Power-Cassidy added 17 and the Crusaders outscored the Black Knights 45-19 in the second half to give Maureen Magarity her first win with Holy Cross (1-2, 1-2 Patriot League).
Kaci Helmick scored 13 points and Taylor Sulllivan 10 for Army (4-4, 1-2).
Maureen Magarity spent the previous 10 seasons at New Hampshire after four seasons as an assistant with her dad at Army.
Dave Magarity, who turns 71 this month, was in administration after more than two decades coaching men at St. Francis (of Pennsylvania) and Marist, when he was asked to take over the Army women following the unexpected death of Black Knights coach Maggie Dixon in 2006. Dixon had already offered Maureen a spot on her staff before she passed.