Matt Ducharme

Matthew Ducharme '00 enters his eighth season as the head coach of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth women's basketball program in 2021-22. Prior to his promotion in 2014, Ducharme had previously been the lead assistant for current Director of Athletics Amanda Van Voorhis since 2011, and has advanced the Corsairs to both regional and national prestige with a 128-47 overall record.

In 2017-18, Ducharme made his first Little East Conference championship appearance at the helm for the squad. The season completed with a 24-4 record for the Blue and Gold, boasting an immaculate 14-0 mark in the league to become just the second institution and fifth team to post an undefeated conference record since the Little East Conference expanded to a 14-game conference circuit in 1997-98. The 2017-18 Corsairs joined the University of Southern Maine, who had accomplished the feat four times. Under his guidance, the University saw many record books get re-writtenjust last season alone; forward Alicia Kutil '18 became the 11th player to join the 1,000-Point Club and then later broke Cathy Johnson's 32-year long record of 1,323 points to become UMass Dartmouth's all-time leading scorer. Fellow frontcourt mate Nakira Examond soon joined Kutil in the elusive group as the 12th member to reach a comma, while also dropping a single game program-record 41 points.

In 2016-17, the Corsairs earned their first-ever NCAA Division III Championship berth, advancing to the national quarterfinals after receiving an at-large selection to the tournament field. UMass Dartmouth defeated La Roche College in the first round before upsetting No. 11 Montclair State in the second round, advancing past SUNY New Paltz in the Sweet Sixteen before falling to eventual national champion Amherst in the Elite 8. Ducharme ultimately led his charges to a program-record 26 wins, including 11 Little East Conference victories, for just the second 20-plus win season in Corsair women's basketball history. In the final WBCA Division III poll of the season, the Corsairs capped their record-breaking campaign with UMass Dartmouth's first-ever top-25 national ranking.

In 2015, UMass Dartmouth earned its first-ever Little East Conference regular season title, posting a 10-4 record in conference play as part of a 19-8 overall record. The Corsairs again surpassed the 15-win mark in the 2015-16 season, going 18-9 and earning a trip to the LEC semifinals vefore falling to eventual champions Eastern Connecticut.

Under Ducharme, the Corsairs have produced the last four LEC Players of the Year, including two-time honoree Megan Ronaghan '16, Alicia Kutil '18, and Nakira Examond. Ronaghan became the second-highest scorer in program history, accumulating 1,316 points in just three years on the court. She earned the conference's Player of the Year honor in both 2015 and 2016 and earned D3Hoops.com All-Northeast Regional honors both seasons, and was named the NEWBA Freshman of the Year in 2014. As a junior, she was recognized as a Preseason All-American by D3Hoops.com. In just two seasons thus far, Examond is averaging 12.5 points per game on 53.9 percent shooting with 664 total points.

Before assuming the head coaching role, Ducharme played a key role in leading UMass Dartmouth to its most successful stretch in terms of victories since the late 1980s under Van Voorhis. The Corsairs compiled an overall record of 50-30, three winning seasons, and a berth in the 2013 Little East Conference Women's Basketball Championship Game. He also oversaw the development of two of the greatest scorers in program history in Colleen Moriarty '13 and Erika Bornemann '14. The Canton, Mass. products became just the sixth and seventh student-athletes in program history to eclipse the 1,000-career point milestone.

In 2013, UMass Dartmouth established its first 20-win season, putting an additional two victories between the previous standard that was set by the 1988 and 1989 squads. The Corsairs edged Western Connecticut 74-64 in the semifinals to reach the championship game of the conference tournament for the first time in program hi overstory. The UMass Dartmouth coaching staff capped its impressive season when Moriarty became the first Corsair to be elected as LEC Player of the Year.

Ducharme has enjoyed nearly a 10-year professional relationship with his alma mater, aiding the University in a variety of roles. Prior to his appointment as the assistant women's basketball coach, he worked extensively in the Admissions Office as an Admissions Counselor. The 2000 graduate received his bachelor's degree in psychology from UMass Dartmouth. Ducharme earned a master's degree in physical education from Bridgewater State University in 2005. In addition to his role as a coach, he is also the Athletic Department's recruiting coordinator.