The University of Maine at Fort Kent (UMFK) has named three-time national championship coach Becky Carlson its director of athletics.
Carlson brings more than two decades of coaching, leadership and advocacy experience to the Bengals after building Quinnipiac University’s National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I women’s rugby program from the ground up. Under Carlson’s leadership, Quinnipiac captured three consecutive national championships in 2015, 2016, and 2017—the first national titles in university history.
“Becky brings a remarkable combination of proven success, visionary leadership, and a deep commitment to student-athletes,” said UMFK President Deb Hedeen. “Building a championship program from the ground up takes more than coaching expertise. It takes vision, perseverance, and the ability to bring people together around a shared purpose. We are excited to welcome her to UMFK and look forward to the leadership, energy and experience she will bring to Bengals Athletics.”
Quinnipiac hired Carlson in 2010 to launch its women’s rugby program. When the Bobcats began competition in 2011, Quinnipiac became the nation’s second NCAA Division I women’s rugby program, while Carlson became the first woman to lead an NCAA Division I women’s rugby program as head coach.
Across 14 competitive seasons, Carlson guided Quinnipiac to 99 victories and 32 All-Americans. She was named College Rugby Coach of the Year in 2015 and graduated from the NCAA Women Coaches Academy in the same year, earning the Class of 36 “Judy Sweet Award”.
Carlson was the former college coach of Olympic standout Ilona Maher, who helped Team USA win a rugby sevens bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Maher was named Best Breakthrough Athlete at the 2025 ESPYS, was a finalist on the 2024 season of “Dancing with the Stars,” and has become a prominent advocate for body positivity.
Quinnipiac’s success helped establish a model for other institutions interested in sponsoring varsity women’s rugby. During Carlson’s tenure, the number of NCAA women’s rugby programs grew from five to 30 nationwide. The program’s story was featured in the 2024 documentary “Believe — The Quinnipiac Rugby Story.”
Before joining Quinnipiac, Carlson served as USA Rugby’s NCAA Emerging Sports Program Manager, leading initiatives to expand women’s rugby and varsity opportunities for female student-athletes. She previously coached rugby at Eastern Illinois University and served as an assistant coach for soccer, lacrosse, and softball at Ferrum College.
Carlson competed in Division I rugby and tennis at Eastern Illinois, where she was among the first recruits for the nation’s first NCAA Division I women’s rugby program. She earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism in 2003 and a master’s degree in physical education and sports administration in 2004, and an MJ in Labor and Employment from Tulane in 2024. A three-sport varsity athlete and 1999 graduate of Arundel High School, Carlson became the first female student-athlete in Maryland to play high school boys’ baseball in 1996. She also appeared on ABC’s “Wide World of Sports” with the Colorado Silver Bullets women’s professional baseball team.
“We are very grateful for the support that Becky has already brought to the Athletics Department,” said Davis Cyr, UMFK’s head track and field and women’s volleyball coach. “Immediately, she has put pieces in place to help coaches with professional development. Personally, she has connected me with a bi-monthly working group of coaches from around the country whose philosophy is centered around athlete development and positive team culture. Becky has also been valuable in listening to the needs of our teams and has begun to establish some new standards and benchmarks to help us achieve our goals.”
For more information about Carlson and the UMFK Athletic Department, visit the university’s website.