Lori Gear McBride (born July 27, 1974) a Canadian-American basketball player and coach, and former head coach of the University of Vermont Catamounts women's basketball team.
Gear McBride was born in Lennoxville, Quebec (now Sherbrooke, Quebec), and played scholastically at Alexander Galt HS and Champlain College before accepting a scholarship to the University of North Carolina. She helped the Tar Heels to the 1994 National Championship and later served as captain in both her junior and senior seasons, leading UNC to three ACC titles during her four years in Chapel Hill.
After one season playing professionally in Portugal, she started her coaching career at Seton Hall University, spending 6 years at the BIG EAST school, including two as Assistant Head Coach. After one season at UNC-Charlotte, she took a head coaching position at Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School in NJ, and then accepted the job at Colby prior to the 2004âÂÂ05 season, building a program from a 6âÂÂ17 mark to a 24âÂÂ5 record in her final season, though only held a 62âÂÂ65 record at the school.
In May 2010, she accepted the head coaching position at the University of Vermont, becoming the only Canadian women's basketball coach at the, Division I level.
In her six years with the Catamounts, Gear McBride only amassed a double-digit season win total twice, and lost 20 games in each of her six seasons at the helm. The team's highest finish in America East play was a tie for fourth place during the 2012âÂÂ13 season, with a 6âÂÂ10 conference record. Despite four 20-loss campaigns, University of Vermont Athletic Director Dr. Robert Corran signed Gear McBride to a four-year contract extension, which runs through the 2018 season. On March 25, 2016, Gear McBride was fired from the University of Vermont with an overall record of 46âÂÂ134, and two years remaining on her contract. Gear McBride's tenure culminated worst winning percentage of any University of Vermont women's basketball coach (.257) since the 1984âÂÂ85, when women's basketball became an officially sponsored sport by the America East.
McBride is currently the Assistant Athletic Director for External Relations at Dartmouth College. She is married to Pat McBride, the former Director of Major Gifts for the athletic department at the University of Vermont.