After over three decades on Alden Street, Springfield College women’s head basketball coach Naomi Graves is stepping away from her role, as she announced she will retire at the end of the 2025-26 academic year. Her departure marks the close of one of the most impactful coaching tenures at Springfield College.
After entering the Division III coaching ranks in 1995, Graves worked relentlessly to develop a program grounded in commitment and resilience. Her vision slowly began to unfold, and success quickly followed. Under her guidance, the Pride accumulated six New England Men’s and Women’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) titles and eight appearances in the NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Championship Tournament. Graves also amassed four NEWMAC Coach of the Year awards and over 600 career wins.
Yet, for Graves, the numbers only tell part of the story. Through all her accomplishments, the decision to retire was never going to be easy, especially given the connections and relationships she built across the Springfield College community.
“It really wasn’t about this year, or any year,” Graves said. “At the end of the season, you start to think about what’s really good for everyone, including me… and I think it was just the right time.”
The announcement comes following another strong year with an impressive group of returning players. She leaves her legacy in the hands of a team that will honor her in every game for decades to come.
“She truly built this program to what it is today,” said junior captain Claire Finney. “We all want to carry that as the team and continue to honor the standard she has set.”
A Williamsburg, Mass. native, Graves’ legacy in basketball began long before her coaching career. At Hampshire Regional High School, her incredible 2,137 point career led the team to four consecutive state titles, showcasing her skill at an early age. Her high school dominance only set the stage for what was to come.
She then went on to play at the Division I level at the University of Rhode Island, where she earned AIAW All-Region 1A and All-New England honors in all four seasons and served as captain. Her standout college career later led to her induction into the Rhode Island Hall of Fame in 1995, and she was recognized as part of the Atlantic 10’s 2015 Legends of College Basketball class.
While her career started on the court, Graves later found her calling on the sidelines. Her role quickly adapted into something deeper, where coaching became more than strategy or competition. It became about mentoring and shaping athletes one drill or play at a time.
“It’s a pure passion for me. First of all, I love being the basketball coach at Springfield College,” Graves said. “I can’t imagine coaching anywhere else.”
Her resume is filled with countless awards and accolades, including recognition at the national level with the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association’s Carol Eckman Award that celebrates integrity in coaching. Yet, Graves shares a standout moment in her career when she was selected as the 2011-12 Distinguished Professor of Humanics.
“It blew me out of the water,” Graves said. “To be selected… I just sit back sometimes and think, ‘How did I ever become one of these people?’”
The Distinguished Professor of Humanics award is given to coaches who show Springfield College’s humanics mission to grow student-athletes in mind, body and spirit.
As an alum of the Springfield College graduate program, Graves’ mindset truly reflects that philosophy in every aspect of her work. Coaching at the Birthplace of basketball is a role that Graves embraced with deep respect. Her purpose always extends beyond the numbers and the strategy, as program success is rooted in team development off the court in addition to the stats.
This approach shaped every aspect of the program, from game-winning shots to meaningful conversations. It is also what she says she’ll miss most about coaching.
“The student-athletes, the interactions I have with them,” Graves said. “Helping mold and develop and be a part of someone else’s life… that whole leadership and service to others, I do it through sport.”
As she departs from her role, Graves leaves the program with the hopes that future coaches and athletes will propel the team to new heights and push the boundaries of Pride basketball while maintaining the standard that she established.
“I’m hoping whoever sits in my chair will take it to the next level,” she said. “But also continue to focus on educating the whole student-athlete… that it’s not just about the end product, but the process and developing the whole person.”
The tremendous success and triumphs of her work could never be measured by trophies and medals, but rather by the countless lives she has impacted off the court.
Athletes, coaches, officials, fans and students will forever remember how coach Naomi Graves built something far greater than a program. She leaves behind a community that will continue to honor the leadership, service and commitment that she upheld every day.