Women's Lacrosse
McCool, Marie
Marie McCool
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- mmccool@unc.edu
One of the most decorated players in the history of University of North Carolina women’s lacrosse, Marie McCool returned to Chapel Hill as an assistant coach ahead of the 2023 season. Previously serving as the volunteer assistant coach in 2021, she will officially be in her fourth season on staff in Spring 2026.
McCool was a key member of the coaching staff that won the National Championship in 2025 after going undefeated with a record of 22-0. UNC is just the 12th team to produce an undefeated season in women’s lacrosse history. Carolina went 9-0 in ACC play and won the Regular Season and ACC Tournament Championships. It led the country in both scoring offense (17.5 goals per game) and scoring defense (6.9 goals per game) as well as points per game (26.7) and shots on goal per game (27.9). The Tar Heel coaching staff mentored nine All-Americans, eight All-ACC performers, the Tewaaraton Award winner, the IWLCA Player and Attacker of the Year and the IWLCA Defender of the Year.
McCool was a standout midfielder during her Tar Heel career from 2015-18. Among many awards and honors, she was the first two-time Tewaaraton Award finalist in UNC history and the first player in the Atlantic Coast Conference to be named the ACC Midfielder of the Year twice.
She was also tabbed the National Midfielder of the Year by IWLCA in 2018, earned first-team All-America honors three times and was a three-time All-ACC honoree. She was the recipient of the Patterson Medal as a senior, the most prestigious athletic honor awarded at North Carolina.
McCool owns Carolina’s single-season record for most draw controls with 165, also ranking fifth all-time with 246 career points. She was named the 2016 ACC Tournament MVP and helped lead the Tar Heels to three-straight conference titles (2016-18). She had a goal and two assists in the 2016 NCAA Tournament to help UNC win the national title, and twice landed on the All-NCAA Tournament team.
A native of Moorestown, N.J., she graduated from UNC in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in management and society. She was selected the ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2017 – the only Tar Heel in program history to win the accolade – and was a three-time All-ACC Academic Team honoree. She was also team captain as a senior.
Prior to her senior year at UNC, McCool was one of just two college players on the United States’ roster for the 2017 World Cup. She scored twice during the title game to help the U.S. win the gold medal before securing yet another gold at the 2017 World Games that summer.
In July 2022, McCool once again competed for Team USA at the 2022 World Championship and led the team to its fourth-consecutive title under Levy, who was the U.S. National Team head coach. She was named to the All-World Team after totaling 20 goals, four assists, 24 points and 17 draw controls throughout the 11-day championship.
During the summer of 2025, McCool led Team USA to gold medals at both the Pan-American Women's Lacrosse Championships and The World Games. She was named MVP of The World Games after leading Team USA in goals (20) and points (32). McCool also claimed a spot on the six-woman All-World Team.
McCool has played in the Athletes Unlimited professional women’s lacrosse league since its founding in 2021.
She married Kevin Rice in August 2023.
McCool was a key member of the coaching staff that won the National Championship in 2025 after going undefeated with a record of 22-0. UNC is just the 12th team to produce an undefeated season in women’s lacrosse history. Carolina went 9-0 in ACC play and won the Regular Season and ACC Tournament Championships. It led the country in both scoring offense (17.5 goals per game) and scoring defense (6.9 goals per game) as well as points per game (26.7) and shots on goal per game (27.9). The Tar Heel coaching staff mentored nine All-Americans, eight All-ACC performers, the Tewaaraton Award winner, the IWLCA Player and Attacker of the Year and the IWLCA Defender of the Year.
McCool was a standout midfielder during her Tar Heel career from 2015-18. Among many awards and honors, she was the first two-time Tewaaraton Award finalist in UNC history and the first player in the Atlantic Coast Conference to be named the ACC Midfielder of the Year twice.
She was also tabbed the National Midfielder of the Year by IWLCA in 2018, earned first-team All-America honors three times and was a three-time All-ACC honoree. She was the recipient of the Patterson Medal as a senior, the most prestigious athletic honor awarded at North Carolina.
McCool owns Carolina’s single-season record for most draw controls with 165, also ranking fifth all-time with 246 career points. She was named the 2016 ACC Tournament MVP and helped lead the Tar Heels to three-straight conference titles (2016-18). She had a goal and two assists in the 2016 NCAA Tournament to help UNC win the national title, and twice landed on the All-NCAA Tournament team.
A native of Moorestown, N.J., she graduated from UNC in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in management and society. She was selected the ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2017 – the only Tar Heel in program history to win the accolade – and was a three-time All-ACC Academic Team honoree. She was also team captain as a senior.
Prior to her senior year at UNC, McCool was one of just two college players on the United States’ roster for the 2017 World Cup. She scored twice during the title game to help the U.S. win the gold medal before securing yet another gold at the 2017 World Games that summer.
In July 2022, McCool once again competed for Team USA at the 2022 World Championship and led the team to its fourth-consecutive title under Levy, who was the U.S. National Team head coach. She was named to the All-World Team after totaling 20 goals, four assists, 24 points and 17 draw controls throughout the 11-day championship.
During the summer of 2025, McCool led Team USA to gold medals at both the Pan-American Women's Lacrosse Championships and The World Games. She was named MVP of The World Games after leading Team USA in goals (20) and points (32). McCool also claimed a spot on the six-woman All-World Team.
McCool has played in the Athletes Unlimited professional women’s lacrosse league since its founding in 2021.
She married Kevin Rice in August 2023.
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