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Maria Marchesano
Photo by: Josh Gales
Maria Marchesano Steps Down as Mastodon WBB Head Coach
4/8/2026 2:02:00 PM | Women's Basketball
FORT WAYNE, Ind. - Maria Marchesano has stepped down as the Purdue Fort Wayne women's basketball head coach, effective immediately. She will be the head coach for Butler, her alma mater.
Marchesano was the head coach of the Mastodons for five seasons, amassing a record of 94-76, with a 71-36 mark in the last three seasons. The Mastodons were 56-24 at home in her five years at the helm.
"I am appreciative of Maria's leadership and guidance of the Mastodon women's basketball program," Purdue Fort Wayne Athletic Director Kelley Hartley Hutton said. "She came home to Fort Wayne and built a program where competing for a Horizon League Championship is the expectation each season. The teams she guided in her five seasons connected with this city and university in ways which will always be remembered."
The 2025 Horizon League Coach of the Year led Purdue Fort Wayne to three Women's National Invitation Tournament appearances, with trips to the Super 16 in 2024 and 2026 and Great 8 in 2025. Under her leadership, the Mastodons had the best season in program history in 2024-25 with a 27-9 mark and a Horizon League Championship runner-up finish.
A national search will begin immediately to identify Marchesano's successor.
Marchesano was the head coach of the Mastodons for five seasons, amassing a record of 94-76, with a 71-36 mark in the last three seasons. The Mastodons were 56-24 at home in her five years at the helm.
"I am appreciative of Maria's leadership and guidance of the Mastodon women's basketball program," Purdue Fort Wayne Athletic Director Kelley Hartley Hutton said. "She came home to Fort Wayne and built a program where competing for a Horizon League Championship is the expectation each season. The teams she guided in her five seasons connected with this city and university in ways which will always be remembered."
The 2025 Horizon League Coach of the Year led Purdue Fort Wayne to three Women's National Invitation Tournament appearances, with trips to the Super 16 in 2024 and 2026 and Great 8 in 2025. Under her leadership, the Mastodons had the best season in program history in 2024-25 with a 27-9 mark and a Horizon League Championship runner-up finish.
A national search will begin immediately to identify Marchesano's successor.
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