Mary Beth McNichol, head coach of the women’s basketball team, was inducted into the Archbishop Prendergast High School Hall of Fame in a ceremony on October 26.
McNichol’s basketball career took off during her years at Prendie. She earned All-Catholic League and All-Delco honors there before graduating in 1977.
After high school, she played at Villanova University where she was the first female student-athlete in program history to receive a full-scholarship. A four-year starter, she co-captained the team in 1979-80 and 1980-81 and was inducted into the Villanova Hall of Fame in 1997.
She is also a member of the Delaware County Hall of Fame.
“I was humbled but so honored to be inducted into the Prendie Hall of Fame,” says McNichol. “I got my love for the game at Prendie where there was so much support and spirit from the Prendie community.”
McNichol arrived at Neumann after an exceptional 27-year tenure as the head basketball coach at the Academy of Notre Dame in Villanova, Pa. With a record of 507-257 in her high school coaching career, she led Notre Dame to thirteen 20-win seasons, four league championships, and two Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association state titles.
In addition to her program's success as a team, McNichol was also instrumental in developing players to compete at the next level. In her time as coach at Notre Dame, she helped lead 37 young women into collegiate playing careers, including 17 at the Division I level. Eleven of her players reached the 1000-point plateau in high school.
Coach McNichol enters her seventh season at the helm of the women’s basketball program for the 2024-25 season. Her record at Neumann is 64-76.