Becky Carlson, the coach who took Quinnipiac women’s rugby to an unbelievable three national championships, just found her next big gig: the new athletic director for the University of Maine at Fort Kent. This is huge, not just because of her insane resume, but because it follows a wild few months where her championship-winning program at Quinnipiac got completely gutted. Seriously, what a turn of events!
A Coaching Legend’s Unforgettable Run
Look, Carlson didn’t just coach at Quinnipiac; she built something special. She was there for 15 years, from 2011 to 2026, and in that time, she led the Bobcats to national championships in 2015, 2016, and 2017. Talk about a dynasty! The woman was so good she even got named College Rugby Coach of the Year in 2015. She helped found the women’s rugby team back in 2011, making it only the second Division I NCAA rugby program in history. She also coached a staggering 32 All-Americans, including the absolute legend, US Olympic rugby star Ilona Maher. Quinnipiac’s men’s hockey team only won *one* national championship in 2023, and that was their *first* team national title. Carlson did that three times over with her squad! You gotta respect that kind of success.
From Advocacy to AD: A Wild Twist
But here’s where things got really messy. Carlson wasn’t just about winning; she was a fierce advocate for equality in sports, especially for women’s programs. She spent years publicly pushing for her rugby team to be treated equally to other varsity sports at Quinnipiac, even raising Title IX concerns. And what happened? This spring, Quinnipiac downgraded her program to club status, meaning the school yanked all its funding. It was a brutal blow, especially after all her dedication. Former players even sued the school, claiming the decision was retaliation for Carlson’s Title IX advocacy. A federal judge shot down their request to reinstate the team in June, leaving the program essentially dead as a varsity sport.
Now, Carlson’s taking her talents to the University of Maine at Fort Kent. She stepped into the athletic director role in August, replacing Jason Coleman, who’d only been there since August 2025. UMFK competes in the USCAA, which is a non-NCAA setup for smaller colleges. They’ve got nine varsity sports, including men’s and women’s basketball, softball, baseball, women’s and men’s soccer, women’s volleyball, and track and field. Interestingly, UMFK doesn’t even *have* a rugby team. It’s a completely fresh start, a new challenge for a coach who’s seen it all.
Carlson’s got the chops for this, too. She’s got a journalism degree, a master’s in physical education and sports administration, and even a law degree from Tulane specializing in labor and employment law. She’s not just a coach; she’s a force. This move to UMFK is a massive opportunity for her to shape an entire athletic department. It’ll be awesome to see what she does there.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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