W I NNER S WIN By: Alex Mielcarz Staff Writer
In July of 2021, John McGinty became the new head coach for Women’s Basketball. He is a young journeyman from Evergreen Park who has coached at every level possible and has posted impressive numbers along the way. His first job was as an assistant coach at Lewis University, where he was a part of a 31-3 season that took the team to an Elite Eight at the Division II level. He then traveled to Northern Illinois University (NIU), where he was the offensive coordinator underneath Lisa Carlsen. McGinty’s offense was the 5th best in the nation in 2016-17, posting an impressive 85.1 points per game. McGinty has also spent time in the NAIA. He was the head coach at the University of Northwestern Ohio, where he posted the best winning percentage in the last three years of the program. Last season, McGinty served as an assistant at Loyola University Chicago. McGinty is no stranger to winning, and he plans to continue the winning ways established in the women’s basketball program.
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October 28, 2021
“It’s always fun when you walk into a program that’s had a lot of talent,” McGinty said. “I think that goes along with a little bit of pressure.” McGinty credits his past jobs and his personal values for landing him the position. “I grew up Catholic [and] went to Catholic school,” McGinty said. “I’ve had experience at the highest level. When you sit in that seat... you get to learn quite a few things.” McGinty has a long history of love for the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC). This job was the perfect opportunity to come back to his roots. “I grew up watching the CCAC,” McGinty said. “A lot of teams in this conference have had success at the national level. I think it’s one of the best if not the best [conferences] in the Midwest.” McGinty is ready to usher in a new era of Saints basketball and introduce the fans to a more modern, faster pace type of play that he learned while under Carlsen at both Lewis and NIU. “[Carlsen] wanted to play fast all the time,” McGinty said about his former boss. “We took a team that averaged 55 points a game, installed our system...and averaged 85 points a game. I think it’s fun to play, fun to watch and it’s [a way] to show off women's basketball.” This system is much different from what the women played last year, and McGinty is very aware of that.
Photo courtesy from gofightingsaints.com
The University of St. Francis (USF) Women’s Basketball program is used to winning. They’ve advanced into the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) national tournament in each of their last 6 seasons, including a trip to the sweet 16 last year. With the head coaching position being open after the resignation of Steve Brooks, the Saints needed to find someone who could continue the winning ways of the program.
