St. Mary's College of Maryland's Director of Athletics and Recreation, Crystal Gibson, announced Wednesday morning (June 26) that Britt Kemp will be stepping down as the head women's basketball coach after three seasons. Kemp's final day will be July 1.
"I want to genuinely thank everyone at St. Mary's College of Maryland for making my family and I feel at home for the last three years. SMCM has truly become a place that I will forever hold dear in my heart," Kemp expressed. "I am excited for this next chapter, but I will miss my players immensely and I will always be grateful to all of those that played for me, and for those who I recruited to St. Mary's."
Kemp is set to assume the same role at NCAA Division III Washington & Lee University, a member of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) in Lexington, Virginia.
"We, as a department and a campus community, are certainly sad to see her go and we will miss her and her family. The Seahawks enjoyed immediate success under Britt's leadership, including a nine-game improvement in her first season," Gibson said.
Kemp, originally from Branford, Connecticut, was appointed as the program's 16th head coach in June 2021. Under her leadership, the Seahawks experienced significant achievements, including seven All-United East Conference selections, three semifinal appearances in the United East Women's Basketball Championship Tournament, and the mentoring of two United East Rookies of the Year.
In her second season (2022-23), Kemp earned the program's first-ever league Coach of the Year award. During her tenure, St. Mary's College compiled a 43-33 record overall and a 29-15 mark in the United East Conference.
"I'd like to thank Crystal for hiring me, supporting me, and allowing me to grow as a leader. This athletics department, the students and the community are truly special, and I can't wait to continue to see them all thrive," Kemp stated. "This special program bought in and believed in what we could accomplish together. The sky's the limit for this group of exceptional young women."
Kemp's first season at SMCM saw several milestones, including the program's first 10-win season since 2012-13 with a 12-13 record, and 10 conference wins for the first time since 2007-08. The team also made it to the semifinals of a conference tournament for the first time since 1999-00. She was honored as a Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Thirty Under 30 honoree after leading the team to a nine-game improvement from the 2019-20 campaign when the Seahawks finished 3-22 (0-10 C2C).
During her second season, the Seahawks finished tied for second in the regular-season conference standings with a 13-3 record and an overall record of 17-8. This marked the first time since the 2007-08 season that St. Mary's College had won 15 or more games. Additionally, Karon Williams '23 became the first-ever Seahawk women's basketball player to earn D3hoops.com All-Region honors and the conference Player of the Year award.
Academically, the Seahawks excelled under Kemp's guidance. The team received two United East Team Academic Awards, had seven members on the United East Spring All-Academic Team, and saw four earn United East Scholar-Athlete honors. Additionally, two players were named College Sports Communicators Academic All-District. SMCM twice garnered special mention for the WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll.
Gibson added, "We wish Britt well in her transition and the best of luck at W&L."
A national search for Kemp's successor will begin immediately.
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