STANDISH – Mark McCaleb has been hired as the sixth head coach in the 26-year history of the Saint Joseph’s College women’s basketball program, David Roussel, the school’s athletic director, announced Thursday.

McCaleb, who replaces Michael McDevitt, begins his new duties immediately. McDevitt announced his resignation after 16 seasons on May 13.

“We are extremely fortunate to have Mark McCaleb as our head women’s basketball coach,” Roussel said. “He brings with him a great deal of experience and knowledge to our basketball program and college. He is a professional and Saint Joseph’s is happy that Mark and his family will be a part of the College and community.”

McCaleb comes to Saint Joseph’s from Northeastern University, where he helped the Huskies the past two seasons, rebuilding the women’s basketball program. At Northeastern, McCaleb was responsible for the athletes’ academic progress, scouting and game-plan preparation, and was a recruiting coordinator.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for my family and me both professionally and personally,” McCaleb said. “To be the head coach of a program this caliber at a college like Saint Joseph’s is what every coach dreams of.

“The school’s academic and service reputation combined with a nationally recognized athletic program makes this one of the best head coaching jobs in Division III women’s basketball,” he added. “The state of Maine is a great place to raise a family. With all the support from the athletic department, faculty, student body and community, Saint Joseph’s is a great place to coach.”

Prior to Northeastern, McCaleb spent five seasons as an assistant at Central Connecticut State University. McCaleb’s duties included on-floor coaching, practice organization, opponent scouting and game plan preparation. He was also the academic and recruiting coordinator for Central Connecticut.

“As impressive as the campus, staff and facilities were on my interview [at Saint Joseph’s] it was the time spent with the student-athletes that finalized my decision,” McCaleb said. “When I started coaching, the first two student-athletes I ever recruited were from Maine and I was so impressed with them I have been after student-athletes from the state ever since. There is a tremendous talent pool in this state with great community support and now I get the chance to recruit and coach these student-athletes.”

He earned his first collegiate coaching job in 1993-94 as an assistant at Springfield College and was also head coach at Southwick-Tolland Regional High School in Southwick, Mass., for one year.

McCaleb siad he has some big shoes to fill at St. Joe’s.

” For a program to average 20 wins for the last 16 years and be ranked 15th in Division III all-time winning percentage is amazing,” he said. “It is and exciting time for women’s basketball in the state and the country and I look forward to continuing and building the success of the women’s basketball program.”

A native of Northboro, Mass., McCaleb is a 1989 UMass grad with a master’s degree from Springfield College in 1995. He and his wife Karen, have twin boys and a daughter.