Coaching Experience
Jay Ritchie enters his 16th season as Head Coach of the Monarchs Women’s Basketball program in 2024-25. Ritchie is the all-time winningest coach in program history with an overall record of 301-114 (.725) entering the 2024-25 campaign.
Last season (2023-24), Ritchie led the Monarchs to the program's 14th consecutive winning season and guided the Blue & White to another NJCAA Region XII Tournament appearance.
Recently, Ritchie's program went on a historic run, winning 43 straight contests from 2019 to 2021 while earning back-to-back MCCAA Eastern Conference crowns, two NJCAA Region XII Championships and a pair of berths to the NJCAA Division II National Championship.
Ritchie's 2019-20 team was one for the record books as the team cruised to a 32-0 season that culminated in an invite to the NJCAA Division II Women's Basketball National Championship where the team earned the third seed in the 16-team field. Unfortunately, the season would end abruptly due to Covid-19 concerns, ending the campaign a week prior to the national championship. The NJCAA National Championship invite was the second in program history and first since Ritchie and the Monarchs qualified for the 2016-17 NJCAA Division II National Tournament in Harrison, Arkansas. During the 2019-20 campaign, the Monarchs outscored opponents by nearly 50 points per game and scored over 100 points in 16 out of their 32 contests.
Overall, Ritchie is a four-time MCCAA Eastern Conference Coach of the Year (2011-12, 2014-15, 2016-17, 2019-20) and three-time MCCAA Coach of the Year (2014-15, 2019-20, 2020-21). During his tenure, Ritchie has led the Monarchs to four MCCAA Eastern Conference Championships (2011-12, 2014-15, 2016-17, 2019-20) and one MCCAA Metro Conference Championship (2020-21). In addition to the league titles, the longtime head coach has also guided the program to a pair of MCCAA State Championships (now referred to as MCCAA Championships), one in 2014-15 and most recently in 2019-20. There was no MCCAA Championship held during the Monarchs' undefeated 2020-21 season.
Under Ritchie’s tutelage, many student-athletes have garnered individual accomplishments, highlighted by four Monarchs being named NJCAA Division II All-Americans: Dominique Mahone (2011-12), Dayshia Vance (2014-15), Sade Lemons (2016-17) and Emily Swiercz (2020-21). In all, over 85 student-athletes have been named to various All-Region, All-Conference and All-MCCAA teams under Ritchie, including four Conference Players of the Year (Sade Lemons, 2016-17 & Dayshia Vance, 2014-15; Emily Swiercz, 2020-21; Tamia Tounsel, 2023-24).
Ritchie's Career Snapshot at Macomb Community College (2009-Present)
- Compiled a 301-114 (.725) overall record and a 169-56 (.751) conference record
- Five-time MCCAA Conference Champion (2011-12, 2014-15, 2016-17, 2019-20, 2020-21)
- Four-time MCCAA Eastern Conference Coach of the Year (2011-12, 2014-15, 2017-18, 2019-20)
- Four-time NJCAA Region XII Champion (2016-17, 2017-18, 2019-20, 2020-21)
- Four-time NJCAA Division II National Championship Qualifier (2016-17, 2017-18, 2019-20, 2020-21)
- Three-time MCCAA Coach of the Year (2014-15, 2019-20, 2020-21)
- Three-time BCAM Junior College Coach of the Year (2013-14, 2017-18, 2020-21)
- Two-time MCCAA Champion (2014-15, 2019-20)
- Coached four NJCAA All-Americans: Dominique Mahone (2011-12), Dayshia Vance (2014-15), Sade Lemons (2016-17) and Emily Swiercz (2020-21)
