Spirk to Step Away from Sideline for 2024-25 Season; Fallara Named Acting Head Coach
BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The Moravian University Athletics Department announced today that legendary Women’s Basketball Head Coach and Athletic Director Mary Beth Spirk, one of the most successful active coaches in NCAA Division III, will not be on the bench this season as she faces a recent cancer diagnosis.
BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The Moravian University Athletics Department announced today that legendary Women's Basketball Head Coach and Athletic Director Mary Beth Spirk, one of the most successful active coaches in NCAA Division III, will not be on the bench this season as she faces a recent cancer diagnosis.
Coach Spirk remains dedicated to the team and the program and is hopeful for a return later this season. Assistant Coach Kelly Anthony Fallara will assume the role of acting head coach during her absence, providing steady leadership and continuity for our players. Longtime Assistant Coach Amy Endler '93 and recent addition Assistant Coach Don Weiss will continue in their essential roles, focusing on recruiting, game management, and operations, ensuring that the program remains on track for success both on and off the court.
Our thoughts and support are with Coach Spirk and her family during this challenging time. We ask that her privacy be respected, and we look forward to welcoming her back to the bench when she is ready.
Spirk was set to begin her 38th season on the Moravian sideline as the ninth winningest active coach in NCAA Division III, and she is 21st in total victories in NCAA Division III history. She has guided the Greyhounds to a 648-345 record in her career, and Spirk has coached the Blue & Grey to seven Middle Atlantic Southeast titles, three Middle Atlantic South Championships, two Middle Atlantic Conference crowns, nine NCAA bids, three "Sweet 16" appearances, an ECAC Championship in 2007, and most recently the 2010 Landmark Conference Championship. In 2019, Spirk surpassed the 600-win milestone with a 13-point rally over rival Muhlenberg College. She has coached 24 1,000-point scorers, 15 All-Americans, countless All-Conference performers, and a National Player of the Year in Kathy Beck.
The 1991-92 season saw the Greyhounds enjoy the most successful season the college has ever experienced. Their 31-2 campaign culminated in hosting the Final Four, an article in Sports Illustrated and a National Runner-Up finish. Spirk's efforts that year netted her the Women's Basketball Coaches Association National Coach of the Year award, as well as MAC and Mid-Atlantic Region Honors. A ten-time Conference Coach of the Year, Spirk is an ambassador for women's athletics speaking at local schools as well as attending national conferences on gender equity and Title IX.
Spirk has been instrumental in helping Moravian lead NCAA Division III in fundraising for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund over the last 16 years with the Greyhounds raising more than $233,118, including a high mark of $21,662 in 2017. The Hounds have led DIII in Play4Kay each year since 2009. This year's Play4Kay game is set for Saturday, February 22, 2025 in Johnston Hall as the Greyhounds host Juniata College in the regular season finale.
Fallara joined Moravian in July 2021 as Director of the Fitness Center and Recreation, and she added duties as Assistant Women's Basketball Coach that fall. Fallara played her collegiate basketball at DeSales University where she graduated from in 2016.
Moravian will begin its 2024-25 season on Monday, November 11 when the squad hosts Immaculata University in a non-conference game tipping off at 6:00 p.m. in Johnston Hall.
