Hired in August of 2008, Matt Dempsey enters his 16th season as the head women’s basketball coach at the United States Merchant Marine Academy in 2023-24.
In 15 seasons at USMMA, Dempsey holds a record of 191-168 and led the Mariners to three Skyline Conference Championships and NCAA Tournament appearances in 2019, 2020 and 2023. He was named USMMA's Sue Petersen Lubow Coach of the Year of a women's team all three years years as well. Additionally, in 2019 he was selected as the Skyline Conference Coach of the Year as well as the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association Division III Women's Basketball Coach of the Year. He earned the Skyline Coach of the Year Award once again after the 2022-23 season.
The 2022-23 season was the best in program history, as the Mariners finished with the most wins ever (24) as well as the least losses (3). During the campaign, the squad also produced its best winning streak when they won 14-straight contests from Jan. 7-Feb. 25. Lauren Hunter '23 also became the first women's basketball player in Academy history to be named an All-American by the ABCA.
Dempsey reached the 400-career win plateau with a victory in the only game of the 2020-21 season, a 66-44 home triumph over Yeshiva University on Sunday, Feb. 14, 2021.
With a 78-53 road victory over Purchase on Feb. 10, 2016, he became the program's all-time winningest coach with his 71st victory. On December 19, 2012, he earned his 300th career victory as a Head Coach with a 64-45 road win against New Jersey City.
Dempsey came to Kings Point after being the number one women’s assistant basketball coach at the United States Naval Academy from 2003-2008.
Before his stint at Navy, Dempsey was the head men’s basketball coach at Green Mountain College for 13 seasons. He led the Eagles to five Mayflower Conference titles and to a 216-157 record during his tenure as head coach. Green Mountain advanced to the NAIA National Tournament four times under Dempsey. He earned five conference Coach-of-the-Year honors and was selected as the 1994 NAIA District-V Coach-of-the-Year.
Dempsey left Green Mountain as the winningest coach in the program’s history.From 1986-1989 he was the head women’s basketball coach at Green Mountain College where he posted a 38-34 record in the three seasons.
Dempsey has had other coaching experience as he was the head women’s softball coach from 1990-2001. He was inducted into the Green Mountain College Athletic Hall of Fame in June 2011.
As a player, Dempsey was a four-year starter at Castleton State College for the men’s basketball team and was a three-year letterwinner for the men’s soccer team. As a soccer player, Dempsey won the All-District V Honorable Mention Award and was selected to the All-Conference team in 1983. As a basketball player, he won the 1,000 Point Basketball Award in 1984. Dempsey was inducted to the Castleton State College Athletic Hall of Fame in 1997.
He received a Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education in 1984 from Castleton State College. In 1995, he received a Master’s degree in Education from Castleton State.
Dempsey is a native of Belmar, N.J. He currently resides in Flushing, N.Y., and has one daughter, Alyssa.
