Karen McConico took over the reins at SHC for her first head coaching position in 2011 following a successful 7-year tenure as Assistant Coach at High Point University in North Carolina. She led the Badgers to their first winning season in 10 years in 2014-15 with a 14-12 overall record and an 11-7 mark in their first season as a member of NCAA Division II and the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC). In 2017-18, the Badgers won the SIAC West Division championship with a 22-6 overall record, a 15-3 mark in SIAC play and a perfect 12-0 record in divisional competition.

During her time with the Panthers, HPU built an overall record of 118-94 including a 65-37 record in the Big South Conference as the program completed the transitioned from NCAA Division II to Division I status. McConico was a major factor in the Panthers' regular reason Big South Championship in 2006-07 and their trip to the National Women's Invitation Tournament (NWIT) that same season.

As Recruiting Coordinator for the Panthers, McConico signed four Big South All-Freshman Team honorees including two Big South Freshmen of the Year - Mackenzie Maier in 2008 and Shamia Brown in 2009. She also worked with 10 Big South All Conference selections, including Big South Player of the Year Katie O'Dell in 2006, and three CoSIDA Academic All America® winners.

On the court, McConico still ranks as the all-time leading scorer in High Point men's and women's basketball history with 2,616 points scored from 1994-98 when the Panthers played among the NCAA Division II ranks. She is also the all-time assists leader at HPU with 645 handouts and ranks fourth in career rebounding with 904 boards. She was inducted into High Point's Inaugural Hall of Fame Class in 2015.

Averaging 22.7 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, McConico was a two-time Kodak All-American at HPU during the 1997 and 1998 seasons as well as a three-time Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference (CVAC) Tournament Most Valuable Player. Following her collegiate career, she was named to the All-Time CVAC Women's Basketball Team.

In her four seasons, the Panthers compiled a 93-21 record and advanced to the "Elite 8" of the Division II National Championship Tournament in 1997. Additionally, McConico continues to hold several spots in the NCAA Division II record book, ranking fourth all-time in career points scored and 10^th in scoring average.

McConico, a native of Apex, N.C., graduated from HPU with a bachelor's degree in Human Relations in 1998. She played professionally in Switzerland from 1998 to 2000 where she averaged 25 points per game as a point guard. She began her coaching career in 2000 at Cary (N.C.) High School where she was head coach until 2002. During her tenure in the high school ranks, she led her team to back to back top three conference finishes and placed three players into NCAA Division I programs.

As she has risen through the coaching ranks, McConico coached two Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) squads in the Cary Cardinals 15 & under team and the Triangle Knights 18 & under squad. From 2002-2004, she served as the Director of Physical Education and Health at the Raleigh (N.C.) Boys & Girls Club and still maintains close ties to the national organization.

Married to Calvin McConico, Jr., they have one son, Karvin.

Email: kmcconico@shc.edu
Office: 251.380.3488
Cell: 251.289.7816
 

McConico's Career Record