Joy McCorvey

Joy McCorvey was named the 11th women’s basketball head coach in program history on April 15, 2024. McCorvey joins Stony Brook for her first career head coaching job after spending the past three seasons as an assistant coach at Tennessee.

McCorvey brings a decorated résumé as an assistant coach to Stony Brook which includes a record of 286-143 in 13 seasons and 12 postseason appearances (eight NCAA Tournaments & four WNITs). She was on staff at Michigan when the Wolverines won the 2017 WNIT Championship. Her résumé also features 12 seasons of 20+ wins in every campaign except 2020, when COVID-19 forced a stop to competition, those teams went on to postseason play.

In June 2022, McCorvey’s reputation in the world of women’s basketball earned her distinction as one of the Most Impactful High Major Assistant Coaches in Division I Women’s Basketball by Silver Waves Media. In January 2024, The Athletic rated her among the top 20 assistants who are ready to run their own Division I program.

While at Tennessee, McCorvey helped guide the Lady Vols to a three-year record of 70-34 and three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. Tennessee reached the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2022 and 2023. It was the first time that the Lady Vols appeared in back-to-back Sweet 16s since 2014-15 and 2015-16 and were one of only seven schools to do so during those two campaigns.

Over those first two seasons at Tennessee, the Lady Vols registered 25 wins in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2013-14 and 2014-15, and they reached 13 SEC victories for the first time since 2014-15.

During McCorvey’s time in Knoxville, she helped coach two WNBA first round picks in Rae Burrell (2022) and Jordan Horston (2023), with those players joining Rennia Davis (2021) to become the first Lady Vol first round picks in three consecutive years since Pat Summitt did it in 2001-03. Rickea Jackson is projected to be Tennessee’s fourth-straight WNBA first rounder in 2024, marking the third draft prospect McCorvey helped mold.

Under McCorvey’s watch, Horston (2022 & 2023 AP/WBCA) and Jackson (2023 AP/USBWA/WBCA & 2024 AP/USBWA with WBCA still pending) were All-America Honorable Mention selections.

At the SEC level, McCorvey helped coach All-SEC First Teamers Horston (2022, 2023) and Jackson (2023, 2024); All-SEC Second-Teamer Tamari Key (2022); SEC All-Defensive Team member Key (2022); SEC All-Freshman Team honoree Sara Puckett (2022); and SEC All-Tournament Team members Dye (2022), Horston (2023) and Jackson (2023).

Before Tennessee, McCorvey spent three seasons at Florida State on Sue Semrau’s staff and served as the associate head coach for the 2020-21 season. Over her three seasons at FSU, the Seminoles posted a 58-26 record and made two trips to the NCAA Tournament.

At FSU, McCorvey played a key role in both player development and recruiting for the Seminoles. In 2020-21, she was instrumental in the rapid development of Morgan Jones, personally coaching and helping mold the 6-2 guard into one of the best players in the ACC. Jones averaged 12.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, shot 45.4 percent from the floor and tied for the team lead with 23 steals in a career year, earning All-ACC First Team honors, ACC All-Defensive Team accolades and WBCA All-America Honorable Mention.

McCorvey also made direct contributions in 2019-20. Her efforts were key in the rise of All-America forward Kiah Gillespie, who finished a tremendous two-year run with FSU by averaging 15.6 points, 8.7 rebounds and shooting 45.1 percent from the floor. Gillespie went on to get drafted in the third round of the 2020 WNBA Draft.

In addition to her duties on the court, McCorvey handled the team’s recruiting efforts and the Seminoles’ 2019 recruiting class consisted of two five-star recruits and one top-20 post player. Her 2021 recruiting class included three four-star prospects.

Prior to being on staff at Florida State, McCorvey was a member of former Seawolf Kim Barnes Arico’s coaching staff at Michigan from 2012-18. During her six seasons in Ann Arbor, the Wolverines registered a 134-73 record and made six postseason appearances (two NCAA Tournaments & four WNITs). McCorvey helped Michigan win the 2017 WNIT Championship.

A standout player at St. John’s from 2006-10, McCorvey was hired at her alma mater for the 2011-12 season and spent a year on Barnes Arico’s staff there prior to making the move to Michigan.

Before becoming a coach, McCorvey made a name for herself as one of the Red Storm’s finest leaders, both on and off the court, during her four years as a student-athlete. She was instrumental in lifting St. John’s into the national spotlight, leading the team to three postseason runs. As a senior in 2009-10, McCorvey was part of one of Barnes Arico’s most successful teams, as the Red Storm finished with a 25-7 overall record and advanced to the Second Round of the 2010 NCAA Tournament.

A four-year captain at St. John’s, McCorvey was a three-time Big East All-Academic Team selection (2007-10), a top-30 candidate for the 2010 Lowe’s® Senior CLASS Award, a member of St. John’s University’s prestigious President’s Society and was the 2008 recipient of the St. John’s University Marianne Noonan Memorial. She earned a bachelor’s in childhood education from St. John’s in 2010.

The native of Brewton, Alabama, and graduate of T.R. Miller High School is just one of four St. John’s players to amass more than 700 points and 700 rebounds.