MONKS TAB WOODSIDE AS WOMEN’S HOOPS COACH

Saint Joseph’s College of Maine has announced that Dr. Christopher Woodside will serve as the next head coach of its women’s basketball program. Woodside succeeds Mike McDevitt, who retired from that position in March after thirty-two seasons (1987-2003, 2009-2025) at the helm of the Monks. The winningest coach in SJC women’s basketball history, McDevitt compiled an overall record of 667-231 (.743) and led his team to fourteen national tournament appearances.

“We look across history,” notes Woodside, “and see that when the titans of the game retire, it is very hard to fill their shoes.”  “I feel incredibly grateful that . . . I have had an opportunity to work with Mike.  He has treated me like a second head coach . . .  He has done a lot over the last five years preparing me for this moment.”

A native of Calais, Maine, Woodside graduated from Eastern Connecticut State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Sports and Leisure Management, in 2008. He also received a Master of Arts in Sports Management from the University of Connecticut (2011) and a doctorate in education from Concordia (2021). For the past five years, he has served as an assistant professor at Saint Joseph’s College of Maine in its sports management program while also serving as co-facilitator of the Monks Leadership Academy.

Woodside has served as both a head and assistant coach at both the high school and collegiate levels since 2013. Following a season as an assistant coach at his high school alma mater, he was tabbed to be the Calais head boys basketball coach in 2014. In his first campaign as the Blue Devils mentor, he guided the team to a Class C state championship. Woodside led Calais to an overall record of 28-14 (.667) in his two seasons as head coach.

In 2016 Woodside relocated to Schreiner University in Kerrville, Texas, where he served as an assistant men’s basketball coach. During this time, he helped the program emerge from last place to winning its first ever league championship. Woodside’s duties at Schreiner included overseeing the recruiting efforts, game planning, scheduling, and video analysis.  He also served as the leadership coach for the men’s basketball, women’s basketball, and baseball teams.

In 2017 Woodside returned to his native state, where he worked as a Jobs for Maine Graduates specialist at Hermon High school while also serving as an assistant high school soccer coach for three years. During that same period, he was the varsity girls basketball coach at John Bapst Memorial High School in Bangor, where he piloted the Crusaders to an overall mark of 33-27.

While working as an assistant professor at Saint Joseph’s College, Woodside has also served as an assistant coach for the women’s basketball team for the past five seasons. During his time with the program, the Monks have achieved an overall record of 92-27 (.773), including two Great Northeast Athletic Conference championships. During that tenure, he has been responsible for game strategy, scouting, and practice planning and execution.

“Chris Woodside brings an impressive coaching pedigree, a strong passion for the sport, and an understanding of the Division III student-athlete experience to the table,” states Saint Joseph’s College of Maine interim athletic director Gary Stevens. “His tenure working at SJC as a coach, professor, and director of our student leadership program should help make this transition a smooth one. As someone who has worked within the program for the past five years and has directly contributed to its performance on and off the court, he understands what has made it one of the most successful ones in New England.”

Woodside is both excited and optimistic about continuing the outstanding tradition that has marked Saint Joseph’s College of Maine women’s basketball.  “I’m ecstatic about the opportunity [to serve as SJC head coach],” he observes. “At nineteen as a college student, I wanted to be a college head coach.  Life took many twists and turns, here we are twenty years later, I have that opportunity to do what I wanted to do.” He adds, “(W)hat it means to be a Monk is clear. We are not going to stray away from a culture of excellence. . . .”