Mark McDevitt was announced as assistant coach of the women's soccer team in June 2018 and will enter his seventh season with the Crimson in 2024-25.
The Crimson made its second consecutive trip to the Ivy League Tournament in 2024, winning its final two games of the regular season - Including a come-from-behind win over Yale in the team's final match - to qualify. Harvard won seven games during the campaign that also including five draws against a number of highly ranked opponents. The Crimson, once again, compiled a number of impressive accolades under Hamblin, Calise and McDevitt in 2024 most notable posting the second longest shutout streak to begin a season in program history at 441 consecutive minutes. Six players earned All-Ivy accolades after remarkable seasons on the pitch, three of which were First Team selections for Jade Rose, Josefine Hasbo and Áslaug Gunnlaugsdóttir. Rose was also honored as a CSC First-Team Academic All-American after the season.
McDevitt and the group made history during the 2023 season, winning 13 games and capturing the inaugural Ivy League Tournament Championship. The 13-win total was the most for the program since the 1999 season and was driven by a scoring offense that ranked 12th in the nation and atop the Ivy League by scoring 2.53 goals per game. Harvard rose to as high as No. 14 in the NCAA RPI poll and No. 10 in the Top Drawer Soccer Rankings during its historic season. Under his guidance, six players earned All-Ivy honors and two of his players - Josefine Hasbo and Jade Rose - were named All-Americans. Harvard's Ivy League crown gave them it's thrid consecutive bid to the NCAA Tournament, where it broke a first-round attendance record, packing over 1,600 fans into Jordan Field for the match.
The Crimson continued its rise during the 2022 season, posting a 12-2-3 record that included an unbeaten 5-0-2 mark in Ivy League action. The team finished the year ranked No. 25 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll and climbed to as high at No. 9 in the NCAA RPI rankings during the successful campaign. Harvard advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament after receiving an at-large bid to the field of 64. Under his mentorship, Jade Rose and Hannah Bebar both earned All-America honors and the team received six All-Ivy team honors - including Rose who also was named the Ivy League's Defensive Player of the Year - and six Academic All-District selections.
McDevitt helped lead the Crimson to an at-large berth in the 2021 NCAA Championship as the program made its 17th all-time NCAA appearance and gained its first at-large bid since 2004. The Crimson went 12-3-1 on the year and earned rankings as high as No. 4 in the NCAA RPI, No. 8 in the Top Drawer Soccer poll, and No. 16 in the United Soccer Coaches poll. Hannah Bebar collected both Third Team All-America and Ivy League Rookie of the Year honors. The Crimson totaled six All-Ivy selections and five Academic All-District choices.
McDevitt and the rest of the Harvard staff was hard at work during 2020, putting together one of the most prolific recruiting classes in mid-major collegiate soccer history. The class was ranked inside the National top 10 and remains the highest ranked recruiting class in Ivy League history. The group featured three players in the National top 10 including Hannah Bebar (No. 1), Smith Hunter (No. 4) and Ainsley Ahmadian (No. 9). Also featured in the class was Josefine Hasbo, who went on to become a full National Team player with Denmark, where she competed in the 2023 Women's World Cup. This class played a major role in the future success of the program and helped lead the team to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances while collecting a host of individual honors. Most notably, Bebar and Hasbo, who each received a MAC Hermann Trophy Semifinalist distinction in their careers.
In his second season as assistant coach, McDevitt helped guide the 2019 Harvard squad to a 12-3-2 overall record, including a 5-1-1 mark against Ivy League opponents. Murphy Agnew was tabbed as the Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year and was one of six Crimson players to earn All-Ivy honors. Additionally, Cammie Dopke and Taylor Nielson earned CoSIDA Academic All-District accolades in 2019.
Harvard posted a 7-7-1 mark in 2018, including a 4-2-1 third-place record in Ivy League play. Leah Mohammadi and Agnew, both First Team All-Ivy, were among the four Crimson student-athletes to garner All-Ivy accolades. Harvard’s 2020 season was canceled due to COVID-19.
McDevitt joined the Crimson after five seasons at Boston College, including the last two as associate head coach. While with the Eagles, he helped the program to two NCAA tournament appearances, including a 2013 trip to the Elite Eight. McDevitt served as the recruiting coordinator for the program, helping to bring in three-consecutive top-25 classes from 2016-18.
Prior to his time at Boston College, McDevitt spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Boston University, and in leadership roles with Global Premier Soccer (GPS) in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. He was also on the coaching staff of the Boston Renegades in the women's professional league for three seasons, including as the head coach in 2007.
A graduate of the University of Ulster, Magee in 2000, McDevitt helped lead his team to a national championship in college, and two in high school. He also represented Northern Ireland's national team at the youth levels and was selected for the Ireland Universities National team his senior year at Ulster, Magee. McDevitt holds a USSF A-license. McDevitt is also a US Soccer Youth National Team Scout and US Soccer National Grassroots Coaching Course Instructor.
