Palombo gains deal worth $450,000

Joanne Palombo-McCallie won’t commit to a task unless she is convinced the people for whom she is working have similar goals and share her determination to achieve them.

Palombo appears to be comfortable with her situation at the University of Maine, which Thursday announced its successful women’s basketball coach has signed a new five-year contract.

The 33-year-old Palombo, who has led the Black Bears to a 147-62 (.703), four America East championships and five straight trips to the NCAA Tournament in seven seasons, will be paid $90,000 per year. That represents a 26 percent increase over her previous annual salary of $71,673.

Palombo, who last season guided the Bears to a 24-7 record and the program’s first NCAA Tournament victory, now ranks No. 2 with football coach Jack Cosgrove on UMaine’s coaching pay scale. Men’s ice hockey coach Shawn Walsh is the highest paid coach with a base salary of $94,335.

“I feel honored to serve as the coach of the University of Maine,” said Palombo, whose stock rose after another outstanding season, one accompanied by other high-profile, high-paying job opportunities. She interviewed for the opening at her alma mater, Northwestern, then withdrew.

UMaine athletic director Sue Tyler said, through a press release, the university is happy to have the three-time America East Coach of the Year on its staff.

“The university is certainly proud of the accomplishments on the court and in the classroom of this model program,” Tyler said in a release. “And the university is committed to Joanne and her student-athletes and enabling them to continue to attain their goals.”

Palombo stressed it was the university’s commitment to the growth and development of women’s basketball, not her pay increase, that made signing a five-year deal easy.

“I’m very pleased with the communication with [president] Peter Hoff, and Sue [Tyler] has been right on it as well,” said Palombo, who submitted a list of her concerns and received a favorable response.

“These discussions were not a lot about [salary] numbers, they were more about issues and principles,” Palombo said. “It wasn’t that complicated. I had one meeting. There was no back-and-forth.”

One of Palombo’s biggest victories in the process was procuring raises for her assistant coaches.

“I’m trying to make a statement about rewarding excellence. It doesn’t only revolve around me,” Palombo said. “It has to be based on productivity, and we have shown consistency on this staff throughout the years,” Palombo said.

Palombo described the task of taking the program forward as a work in progress. However, she would like to see the team marketed more aggressively at key times and she’s still dreaming about eventually finding a nekey times and she’s still dreaming about eventually finding a new home for the team.

“Facilities are always an issue because we don’t practice at the Alfond [Arena], but you always have to be dreaming, brainstorming,” Palombo said. “That’s a process that continues.”

Under Palombo, UMaine has posted six straight seasons with 20 or more victories. She believes the best is yet to come.

“I think there’s such great potential for us to build off the success of the past years and reach a new level,” said Palombo, who pointed to making the “Sweet 16” as the next big step for the program. “Somewhere along the way you have to have the dream, because it can happen.”