Army women's basketball coach Dave Magarity will retire at the end of the season, it was announced Friday.
Magarity, who turned 71 this past Tuesday, has coached over 1,000 games in his 40-plus years in men's and women's basketball. Earlier this month, Magarity coached against his daughter, Maureen, who is the head coach of Holy Cross. She won both of the games they played. This was the first coaching matchup of a father and daughter in Division I history.
"I discussed my decision with my wife Rita and my family, as well as with Athletic Director Mike Buddie and my coaching staff this past summer,'' Magarity said. "I felt after 47 years as a college coach it was the right time."
He started his coaching career at his alma mater of St. Francis in Pennsylvania in 1974 as an assistant before getting the head job there in 1978. Magarity was then an assistant at Iona before getting the head coaching job at Marist where he spent 18 years before stepping away for a couple of years. Magarity led Marist to the NCAA Tournament in 1987.
He came back as an assistant on the women's team at Army.
He took over the program in 2006 when head coach Maggie Dixon died of arrhythmia, probably caused by an enlarged heart. Magarity helped the Black Knights reach the NCAAs twice.
"These past 16 years at West Point have been some of the most rewarding ones of my career. I've been blessed to have had the opportunity to be around unbelievable people in every area of this community as a head coach,'' Magarity said.
Army is 6-7 this season with a victory over rival Navy in the team's last game. Magarity's final home game will be against his daughter on Feb. 7.