BOWLING GREEN — Maggie Lucas couldn’t be more excited for her full-circle moment in Bowling Green.
Even if that meant making a tough decision to leave her alma mater in order for it to happen.
A former two-time Big Ten player of the year and three-time Associated Press All-American at Penn State, as well as an eight-year veteran at the professional level, Lucas was recently hired as an assistant coach for Bowling Green State University’s women’s basketball program. After spending last season as an assistant at Penn State, Lucas made the switch to northwest Ohio and will be reunited with BGSU’s Fred Chmiel, who was an assistant for the Nittany Lions during her college playing days.
“That was a difficult decision to make. It is my alma mater, and there’s a lot of love and loyalty there for sure. But when it comes to the decision, I really wanted to work for Fred Chmiel,” Lucas said. “I really wanted to be a part of this journey with him because I had so much belief and faith in him.
“He’s my longtime mentor, he’s somebody that I knew when he did eventually take a head coaching position that I’d want to work for him. I’d want to learn from him.”
The same energy, passion, and dedication to basketball that made Lucas one of the best college players in the country from 2010-14 has translated to the coaching ranks as well, according to Chmiel.
“It’s her love of the game,” said Chmiel, who was hired as BGSU’s coach in early April after spending eight seasons as an assistant at South Carolina. “She absolutely loves basketball, and it’s translated from playing to teaching.
“At some point, you hang up the shoes and you still have that passion, you still have that drive, you still have that hunger for the competition, for the camaraderie.”
Lucas collected plenty of impressive accolades and statistics during her playing days on the hardwood.
She finished her Penn State career with 2,510 points, which ranks second in school history and in the top 10 in the Big Ten. Lucas is the only player in Penn State history with more than 2,000 points, 500 rebounds (541), 250 assists (286), and 200 steals (237).
The 5-foot-10 shooting guard earned Big Ten freshman of the year in 2011 and player of the year in 2013 and 2014. She was also an honorable mention all-American in 2012, a second-team pick in 2013 and a third-team selection as a senior.
Lucas holds numerous Penn State records and helped the Nittany Lions reach four NCAA tournaments, including Sweet 16 appearances in 2012 and 2014. Her 365 made 3-pointers rank third in Big Ten history, while her 90.7 percent shooting from the free-throw line ranks in the top 10 in NCAA history.
“She’s had great playing experiences, a variety of playing experiences. She’s been all over the world. Just a fiery competitor, and she brings that energy to the office,” Chmiel said. “She’s already worked out a few kids, and they keep coming back for more so she must be doing something right.
“I just think that she’s a high IQ basketball person. She’s passionate about what she does. She’s excited every day she comes in the office, she’s full of energy, and she’s a great attribute to our team.”
Lucas spent four seasons in the WNBA, including three with the Indiana Fever (2014-16). She also spent the 2018 campaign with the Atlanta Dream and the Dallas Wings before playing overseas.
The biggest adjustment going from playing to coaching has been adapting to different schedules, according to Lucas.
“When you’re a player, you manage your schedule and the best professional players I think do a really good job of managing themselves and prioritizing what it takes to be at the top of their game,” she said. “After doing that for a very long time, it is a very big change but it’s exciting and you have the opportunity to take everything you’ve learned and the things that made you successful and the things that you saw other players do that made them successful.
“And then also on the flip side, what didn’t work. You take the culmination of those experiences and my goal now is to take my experience and help players do whatever they want to do. Whatever their dream is, whether it’s to play at the next level, whether it’s to go on in a different career, but being a coach, you want to set people up to achieve everything they want to achieve.”
Other factors that drew Lucas to BGSU included the program’s culture of winning, not only historically but recently. The Falcons went 31-7 last year and reached the Women’s National Invitation Tournament semifinals for the first time.
“There’s a lot of excitement around this program. I followed through the WNIT last season, and there’s a rich culture of success,” Lucas said. “Being a part of that and helping build and go further, that’s our plan and that’s what I’m excited about as well.”
Lucas’ addition is one of several significant announcements the Falcons have made in the last several weeks. Nick DiPillo, who has spent the last two decades in the college and professional coaching ranks, was hired as an assistant as well.
BGSU has also signed several players for its 2023 class, including 6-1 forward and Toronto native Taya Ellis, as well as 5-8 point guard and two-time first-team all-Ohioan Paige Kohler from Olmsted Falls High School. Dublin Coffman’s Keiryn McGuff and Baltimore Liberty Union’s Abbie Riddle will also soon be joining a Falcons’ squad that is returning nine players from last year.
“I’m excited about our roster,” Chmiel said. “I’m excited about the core unit that stuck with us, and the additions are going to magnify that core group and I think we’ll have some success.”
First Published May 29, 2023, 9:36 p.m.
