Gravina reaches coaching milestone as Leathernecks continue strong start to season

MACOMB, Ill. — JD Gravina’s career victory total is at 300 and counting.

A strong start to the season by the Western Illinois University women’s basketball team helped the former Quincy University coach reach his milestone moment.

Tuesday night’s 86-72 victory over Chicago State at Western Hall featured Anna Deets scoring seven of the Leathernecks’ first nine points and a dominant third quarter in which WIU scored 30 points and extended its lead to 28 points.

It made for an uneventful fourth quarter in Gravina’s 300th career coaching victory.

Now in his 13th season at the helm at WIU, Gravina has compiled a 186-182 record with the Leathernecks. The 6-1 start is the best seven-game stretch to open a season during Gravina’s tenure, and the Leathernecks are on pace for the best start since the 2021-22 team went 11-2 before getting into the heart of Summit League play.

Gravina’s teams have won 15 or more games five times at WIU with back-to-back 20-win seasons in 2016-17 and 2017-18.

Prior to becoming the head coach at WIU, Gravina led the QU women’s basketball program for four seasons, guiding the Hawks a 93-28 record and three NCAA Division II national tournament appearances. He was a two-time Great Lakes Valley Conference Coach of the Year and led the Hawks to a pair of GLVC regular-season championships.

Gravina began his head coaching career at McPherson (Kan.) College, where he went 21-33 over two seasons.