Bio

Walter Paschal enters his 14th year as Head Women’s Basketball Coach and Home Events Coordinator in the 2026-27 season. In twelve seasons on the bench for the Rams, Paschal is the all-time winningest coach in program history with an overall record of 222-93. Including his 14 seasons at Fitchburg State, Paschal has a career record of 422-257.

Since taking over the program before the 2013-14 season, Paschal has turned the women’s basketball program into an annual contender in the MASCAC. Under his direction, the Rams have captured four MASCAC Regular Season titles, four MASCAC Tournament titles and made four trips to the NCAA Tournament.

In 2025-26, the Rams went 17-11 overall and 11-3 in MASCAC play, earning the #2 seed in the conference tournament. Framingham State defeated Salem State 60-56 in the semifinals and then knocked off top-seeded Bridgewater State 63-59 in the championship game to capture the program’s fourth MASCAC Tournament title, with Jacqueline Schels earning tournament MVP honors. The Rams advanced to the NCAA Tournament, where their season ended with a first-round loss at Scranton.

In the 2024-25 season, Paschal led the Rams to a 14-10 overall record, including a 6-4 mark in MASCAC play. The team advanced to the MASCAC Tournament Championship after a hard-fought semifinal win over Salem State. On January 25, 2025, Paschal picked up his 400th career win in a 70-53 victory over Worcester State.

The 2023-24 squad started the season winning its first 11 games before falling to nationally ranked Trinity (TX) at the D3hoops.com Classic. After splitting their next two games, the Rams rolled off another impressive twelve-game winning streak, capturing the MASCAC Regular Season Title. The win streak was capped off by a 74-62 win over Bridgewater State in the MASCAC Championship and a return trip to the NCAA Tournament.

The 2022-23 team posted a strong 9-3 record in MASCAC play, earning the #2 seed in the conference tournament but came up short in the semifinals.

After the cancellation of the 2020-21 season, the 2021-22 Rams continued their dominance of the conference as they posted their second straight undefeated MASCAC season and second consecutive MASCAC Regular Season and Tournament Championship.

The 2019-20 Rams set numerous program records, posting a 22-6 record and a 12-0 MASCAC Regular Season record and winning the program’s first MASCAC Tournament Title and first appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

Before the 2019-20 championship run, the 2016-17 Rams became the winningest team in program history at the time, with a record of 21-5 and a trip to the MASCAC Championship game. The 2017-18 team followed that success by going 9-3 in league play and making a MASCAC Tournament Championship appearance for the third straight season.

In his first season, Paschal guided the Rams to a share of the MASCAC Regular Season Title, the first in program history. After falling in the MASCAC Tournament finals as the three seed, the 2013-14 Rams made just their second appearance in the ECAC Women’s Basketball Tournament, advancing to the semifinal round.

Paschal, who was an assistant coach with the Rams from 1997-99, returned to Framingham State University after spending 14 seasons as the head coach at MASCAC rival Fitchburg State University. During his tenure with the Falcons, Paschal became the program’s all-time winningest coach with 200 victories. He led the program to a MASCAC regular season championship, a MASCAC tournament title, and the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance, advancing to the second round.

Paschal’s 2006-07 Falcon team established several program records, including wins (26) and longest winning streak (23), en route to capturing the MASCAC regular season and tournament title. That team was ranked #24 in the country by the WBCA and earned a first-round victory in the NCAA Tournament.

A graduate of Bridgewater State University, Paschal lives in Holden with his wife Stephanie and children Abby and Logan.

• 4 MASCAC Tournament Championships (2019-20, 2021-22, 2023-24, 2025-26).
• 4 NCAA Tournament appearances (2019-20, 2021-22, 2023-24, 2025-26).
• 4 MASCAC Regular Season Championships (2013-14, 2019-20, 2021-22, 2023-24).
• All-time winningest coach in Framingham State women’s basketball history (222-93).
• Guided the Rams to a program-record 24 wins in 2023-24.
• 7-time MASCAC Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year (2005, 2007, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022, 2024).
• At Framingham, his student-athletes have earned 30 All-Conference honors, ten All-Region honors, and nine Conference Player or Rookie of the Year awards.
• Named the WBCA and D3hoops.com Northeast Coach of the Year in 2007.