Mountain MacGillivray, a Philadelphia native who helped lead Quinnipiac to seven straight 20-win seasons and a trip to the Sweet 16 in 2017, was appointed the ninth head coach in La Salle University women's basketball history in April of 2018.
In 2025-26, MacGillivray guided the Explorers to their first WNIT postseason berth since the 1991-92 season while finishing with a 19-14 overall record, the program's highest win total since 2006-07. La Salle also posted a 10-8 Atlantic 10 record to secure the No. 6 seed in the conference tournament. The Explorers opened the Atlantic 10 Championship with a 59-51 victory over No. 11 seed Saint Louis in the second round before advancing to the WNIT Super 16 with a 70-61 win over Binghamton, a victory that marked the 100th of MacGillivray's head coaching career. That season, Aryss Macktoon became the first player in program history to earn Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year honors, while Ashleigh Connor garnered All-Atlantic 10 Second Team and All-Big 5 First Team recognition.
During the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, the Explorers combined for 33 victories, highlighted by a No. 5 seed in the 2022 Atlantic 10 Championship, La Salle's highest conference tournament placement since the Atlantic 10 merged its East and West divisions, with the Explorers last earning a No. 5 seed in the West Division during the 2003-04 season. Under MacGillivray, standout players such as Kayla Spruill and Claire Jacobs etched their names into the La Salle record book. Spruill ranks fifth all-time in scoring with 1,629 points and first in three-pointers made with 221, while earning All-Atlantic 10 honors three times. Jacobs ranks sixth in career scoring with 1,496 points and third in three-pointers made with 190, establishing both players among the most accomplished in program history.
During the 2019-20 campaign, MacGillivray's Explorers showed significant improvement from year one to year two of his tenure, including the program's best start since 2006 at 6-1. The Blue & Gold more than doubled their overall (13) and Atlantic 10 (7) win totals from the previous season. The victory over the Penn State Nittany Lions marked La Salle's first win over a Power Five opponent since November 2015 and its first win over a Big Ten opponent since defeating Northwestern in December 1988. The Explorers also swept Big 5 and Atlantic 10 rival Saint Joseph's for the first time in program history, with a gritty victory over the Hawks inside Hagan Arena marking their first win in the venue since 1998.
Under MacGillivray's tutelage, Shalina Miller developed into one of the most dominant shot-blockers in program history. After recording just 49 blocks during her freshman and sophomore seasons prior to MacGillivray's arrival, Miller totaled 144 blocks over her final two seasons to finish with 193 career blocks and claim La Salle's all-time record. She also set the program's single-season blocks record in back-to-back seasons, with her efforts in 2019-20 earning her a spot on the Atlantic 10 All-Defensive Team.
Prior to joining La Salle, MacGillivray spent nine seasons at Quinnipiac, including the final three as associate head coach. During his tenure, the Bobcats experienced tremendous success, qualifying for the NCAA Tournament in four of his final five seasons and earning three NCAA Tournament victories over his final two seasons. Quinnipiac won four conference championships and averaged 26 wins over a seven-year span, while head coach Tricia Fabbri earned MAAC Coach of the Year honors four times during MacGillivray's tenure.
MacGillivray played a key role in the development of the Bobcats' program, particularly in recruiting and player development. His final two incoming classes featured the four highest-ranked recruits in program history, and he helped guide 18 All-Conference players, including 10 during his final three seasons, as well as three Defensive Player of the Year honorees and three Tournament MVPs.
In 2017-18, MacGillivray helped lead Quinnipiac to a historic season, as the Bobcats went undefeated in MAAC play for the third time in six years and captured their fifth regular season conference title in six seasons. After defeating Marist in the MAAC Championship game to earn the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, Quinnipiac received a No. 9 seed and defeated Miami (Fla.) in the opening round.
MacGillivray began his collegiate coaching career as an assistant at the University of Vermont during the 1999-00 season, helping guide the Catamounts to the NCAA Tournament after winning the America East regular season and tournament championships.
He later served as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at the University of New Hampshire from 2007-09, helping the Wildcats improve their conference finish in each of his two seasons.
Before and during his collegiate coaching career, MacGillivray also gained extensive experience at the high school and AAU levels. Over 13 years, he helped transform Archbishop Carroll High School in Radnor, Pennsylvania, into one of the nation's most successful prep programs. He also guided the Philadelphia AAU Lady Running Rebels from 2000-02 and the Delaware Valley Comets AAU team in 2006.
A 1996 graduate of Temple University with a degree in journalism, MacGillivray and his wife, Grace, have eight children: Chiara, Mary, Brigid, Sean, Catherine, Joseph, Theresa, and Emily.
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