Active head coach Carlee Dewey knows all too hectic how those days as a student athlete can be as she herself is a former UMBC basketball player. Dewey was a three-year starter and four-year letter winner with the Retrievers from 2006-10, being a part of UMBC’s first America East championship team in 2007. At the time of her graduation, Dewey ranked second all-time with the black and gold with 1,627 points and 347 free throws made ranking first in both categories during the Retrievers’ Division I era and still holds the school’s record for three-pointers.
Dewey grew up in Syracuse, New York where she fell in love with the game of basketball. As she stood in the hall talking about her time in New York, a smile perked up across her face as she explained her childhood. “I grew up playing basketball,” she said. “My brother played college ball, and we spent plenty of time shooting hoops in the driveway.”
Dewey always knew she would be playing basketball, and she specifically picked UMBC for college for not only the culture change but for a change of scenery, especially when it comes to the weather. “I chose UMBC because of the diversity. If I was going to go six hours away from Syracuse, I was going to go south,” Dewey said with a laugh.
Coaching is not something that everyone can do: It takes a certain level of intelligence and people skills to have success. Dewey knew that this was something she wanted to do from her time as a player. During her time as a player at UMBC, she double majored in media communications and sociology. “I knew I wanted to get into the coaching profession [but] it’s not a clear path. That’s why I had to double major, and to come back seven years later to coach is just amazing,” Dewey proclaimed. Since joining UMBC’s staff, Dewey had been tasked with the progress of the Retrievers’ guards, in addition to being named the team’s recruiting coordinator. Under her direction, UMBC has tallied five America East All-Conference honors for its guards, in addition to All-Defensive Team and All-Rookie Team selections.
Every person has something that scares them in life and Dewey is no different. Her fear is something many can relate to, the fear of failure. When things are looking bleak, Dewey turns to an old saying that her father told her: “Failure to prepare is preparing to fail.” This quote helped shape Dewey into the woman she is today. For the last two months, Dewey has served as head coach for the Retrievers after head coach Phil Stern has been placed on administrative leave. In his absence, Dewey has done her best to keep the team afloat but has definitely struggled. The team has gone 2-12 under Dewey including a current three-game losing streak
With all the interest surrounding the team and the coaching carousel, Dewey remains positive. If there is one thing she wants people to remember her for, it is not for her coaching but how much she cared about the team and others. “I want people to know that I care, and hopefully I have an impact on people, not just on coaching but in life in general,” she said.
