Women's Basketball Head Coach Tricia Fabbri Announces Retirement Following Historic Career
3/16/2026 11:30:00 AM | Women's Basketball
HAMDEN, Conn. – Quinnipiac University women's basketball head coach Tricia Fabbri will retire at the conclusion of the 2025-26 season, as announced by QU Athletics on Monday, March 16, 2026.
Fabbri led a three-decade run at Quinnipiac that will serve as the benchmark for success moving forward. She wraps up her 31-year career at QU with five conference championships and five NCAA Tournament appearances.
She will retire as the winningest coach in program history (570 wins currently). Fabbri is one of nine active Division I women's basketball head coaches with at least 500 victories with a single program.
"31 years ago, I accepted an offer from Burt Kahn to become the first full-time coach of the women's basketball program at Quinnipiac. Simply put, it has been the best decision of my life," said Fabbri. "The people, my coaching staff and, most importantly, the young women that I've been fortunate enough to coach have made my life fulfilling beyond my wildest expectations."
"For 31 years, Tricia Fabbri has defined Quinnipiac women's basketball," said Quinnipiac University President Marie Hardin. "She built a program of excellence and, more importantly, mentored generations of young women who have gone on to be strong leaders and engaged citizens. Her impact reaches far beyond the court, and her legacy will endure for years to come."
"I would like to congratulate Tricia on an incredible career," said Quinnipiac Director of Athletics Greg Amodio. "She has distinguished herself as one of the premier coaches in the nation, and we are eternally grateful for everything she has done to help build Quinnipiac women's basketball into a perennial powerhouse. Her accomplishments both on the court and in the community have been equally transformative throughout the years, and we wish Tricia and her family the best moving forward."
Thank you, Coach 🫶#BobcatNation x #NCAAWBB pic.twitter.com/HztDCd0GPx
— Quinnipiac Athletics (@QUAthletics) March 16, 2026
Under Fabbri's tutelage, Quinnipiac women's basketball student-athletes have earned 71 total all-conference selections.
She has led the Bobcats to 10 separate 20-win seasons throughout her successful tenure. Quinnipiac reached the 30-win mark in both 2012-13 and 2014-15.
Fabbri's historic coaching career will culminate in a postseason appearance in the Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT), as the Bobcats will take on George Mason in the first round on Thursday, March 19 in Fairfax, Virginia.
THE CHAMPIONSHIP YEARS
Fabbri wraps up her 31-year career at Quinnipiac with five conference championships and five NCAA Tournament appearances.
Fabbri led Quinnipiac to its first-ever Division I NCAA Tournament in 2012-13, as the Bobcats posted a perfect 18-0 record in conference play on the way to an NEC Championship.
Quinnipiac then won its first MAAC title in 2014-15 after going 20-0 in league action during the regular season.
Fabbri pioneered a run of three consecutive MAAC championships and NCAA Tournament appearances from 2016-2019, including Quinnipiac's first-ever Sweet 16 appearance during 2016-17. The Bobcats won a pair of NCAA Tournament games against Marquette and Miami during the Sweet 16 run in 2016-17, then QU captured another March Madness win in 2017-18 over Miami.
2012-13 Season: Bobcats Make Inaugural Trip to NCAA Tournament
Fabbri led the Bobcats to the school's inaugural trip to the NCAA Division I Tournament in 2012-13, helping lead Quinnipiac to a perfect 18-0 record in conference play en route to an NEC Championship. Fabbri guided Quinnipiac to the first 30-win season in both program and conference history in 2012-13.
Through that championship run, Quinnipiac was recognized in the College Insider Mid-Major Top 25 Poll for 15 consecutive weeks. The Bobcats also received votes in the National AP Polls for the first time in program history. Fabbri was named the 2013 NEC Coach of the Year by her peers and accepted the Sterling House "Spirit Award" at the annual celebrity breakfast in Stratford, Conn. Under Fabbri's tutelage, Felicia Barron earned her second consecutive NEC Defensive Player of the Year award and a trip to the NEC First Team; Brittany McQuain was named to the NEC Second Team; and Jasmine Martin was selected to the NEC Third Team.
2014-15 Season: QU Completes Undefeated MAAC Season, Reaches March Madness for Second Time
Quinnipiac joined the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) in 2013-14 and made an immediate impact in its new league as the Bobcats advanced to the MAAC Championship game before finishing runners-up to Marist.
In 2014-15, Fabbri would help guide the Bobcats back to the top. Fabbri's transformative 2014-15 season redefined the record books at Quinnipiac as her squad went 31-4 (.886-win percentage) overall and 20-0 in conference play on the way to yet another NCAA Tournament trip. Fabbri led the Bobcats to their most wins (31) in a single season in program history as well as their second 30-win campaign in the last three seasons. Quinnipiac became the first MAAC school in conference history (est. 1980) to finish 20-0 in conference play and just the sixth squad to go undefeated in league play.
As the No. 1 seed in the 2015 MAAC Tournament, Quinnipiac upended Monmouth, Siena, and ultimately nine-time defending MAAC champion Marist. Her record-breaking season earned Fabbri the MAAC Coach of the Year award via a unanimous vote by her peers. Throughout the season, Quinnipiac received unparalleled recognition in the national polls as Fabbri's squad earned four votes in the Associated Press (AP) Top 25 National Poll, totaled two votes in the USA Today Coaches' Poll, ranked No. 10 in the ESPNW Mid-Major Poll, and were ranked No. 6 in the College Insider Mid-Major Poll. All four distinctions in the national voting polls were good enough for program records, while the Bobcats' votes in the USA Today Coaches' Poll marked the first time the program had ever received recognition in that selective poll.
2016-17 Season: Fabbri, Bobcats Reach Sweet 16 for First Time in School History
In 2016-17, Fabbri led the Bobcats on a thrilling ride to the Sweet 16, establishing one of the greatest single seasons by any program in school history. Behind the play of the Tournament's Most Outstanding Player, Adily Martucci, the Bobcats beat Rider, 64-59, in the MAAC championship game.
Quinnipiac then became just the fourth No. 12 seed in NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Tournament history to advance to the Sweet 16. The Bobcats beat No. 25 Marquette, 68-65, in Miami to earn their first-ever NCAA Tournament victory. Two nights later, they upset No. 16 Miami, 85-78. The Cinderella story ended a week later when the Bobcats were done in by eventual NCAA Champion South Carolina 100-58 in Stockton, California. Quinnipiac, which finished 29-7, was voted No. 23 in the USA Today Coaches' Poll, its first-ever national ranking. In addition, Quinnipiac was voted the top mid-major program in the nation in the College Insider Mid-Major Poll, another first.
2017-18 Season: Fourth NCAA Tournament Appearance
In the 2017-18 season, Fabbri led the Bobcats to a 28-6 record, an 18-0 mark in the MAAC, and a third MAAC title. They overcame Marist, 67-58, in the league championship contest as Jen Fay was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. The title marked Quinnipiac's fourth conference championship in six seasons (three in the MAAC, one in the NEC). The Bobcats also claimed their third perfect season against conference opponents in that span.
The No. 9 seed in the East Region, Quinnipiac beat Miami, 86-72, for a second consecutive year, before losing to No. 1 Connecticut in the second round. Fabbri was named MAAC Coach of the Year for the third time. Three Bobcats earned All-MAAC honors with Jen Fay and Aryn McClure being named to the All-MAAC First team and Carly Fabbri earning All-MAAC third team honors.
2018-19 Season: Third-Straight MAAC Championship
The 2018-19 campaign featured Quinnipiac's eighth consecutive 20-win season. The 26-7 team posted its fourth undefeated season in MAAC play and won its third consecutive MAAC title and fourth overall when it thumped Marist, 81-51. Jen Fay was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player for the second year. The Bobcats eventually fell to sixth-seeded South Dakota State, 76-65, at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. Fabbri won her fourth Coach of the Year honor.
Quinnipiac saw another three named to All-Conference teams after a perfect conference season. Aryn McClure was named to the All-MAAC First team for the second straight season, while Jen Fay and Paula Strautmane were named to the conference's second team. Along with three being named to All-MAAC teams, Taylor Herd earned the conference's Sixth Player of the Year award, the program's first since the 2014-15 season.
Fabbri guided the program's transition from the Northeast 10 Conference in Division II to the Northeast Conference in Division I. The team registered its first winning season in nine years during 2000-2001 – with Fabbri earning Coach of the Year honors in the process.
Since joining NCAA Division I, Coach Fabbri has distinguished herself as a premier coach in the region. Fabbri and the Bobcats left the Northeast Conference in 2013, ranking second all-time in career NEC regular season wins (177) and overall NEC wins (187).
Fabbri and Quinnipiac captured one title during 15 seasons in the NEC. She coached one Player of the Year, one Rookie of the Year, two Defensive Players of the Year, and 28 All-Conference selections. Fabbri was named conference Coach of the Year three times.
During her 13-year MAAC tenure, Fabbri and Quinnipiac have won four MAAC championships, three NCAA Tournament games, and two WNIT games. She has been named conference Coach of the Year in the MAAC five different times. Quinnipiac has had two Player of the Year award winners, a Defensive Player of the Year, two Rookies of the Year, and three Sixth Players of the Year. Quinnipiac has had 30+ players selected to All-Conference teams, including eight first-team selections.
Fabbri was hired at Quinnipiac in 1995 after a three-year stint as an assistant coach at her alma mater, Fairfield University. As a player under Coach Dianne Nolan, the former Tricia Sacca won two MAAC championships, scored 1,622 points, grabbed 1,037 rebounds, and earned three First-Team All-Conference selections and an All-Team selection. She was twice selected to All-Conference teams, a feat later matched by her daughter, Carly, in 2017 and 2018 at Quinnipiac.
In 1998, Fabbri was inducted into the Fairfield University Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2002, she was also inducted into the Connecticut Women's Basketball Hall of Fame and the Delran (N.J.) High School Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2006, she was named to the MAAC 25th Anniversary Team. She was inducted into the Albert Carino Basketball Club of South Jersey Hall of Fame. That year, she also received the St. Clare Award at the 22nd Annual Franciscan Sports Banquet.
Fabbri served on the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Competition Committee from 2016-2018.
A national search for Quinnipiac's next head coach will begin immediately.
