Impact Of A Scholarship: Kim McFarland

Often referred to as Brenda Frese’s first recruit as the head coach of Maryland women’s basketball, Kim McFarland and her impact on the program cannot be understated. 

McFarland didn’t have the typical impact of a star player, nor did she play basketball in college or even consider it for that matter. That’s because she was a manager for the Terps from 2002-06. She was Frese’s first manager and created a lasting impact through her proactive mindset paired with a commitment and passion for the Terps’ success.

“She was the most impactful. You look at when we came here and it was a total rebuild and just having someone with her personality and ability, it was like having another coach on staff as a student manager,” Frese said. “And she just was able to impact the program and so many things day to day within just being the person that she was.”

Frese had just been hired as the third head coach in program history in 2002 and was looking for a manager for her squad. Frese was made aware that McFarland was transferring to Maryland and offered her the opportunity - one that was made possible given McFarland’s father and his relationship with Frese through his involvement with the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) circuit. 

McFarland was a great choice given her and her father’s familiarity with future Maryland stars Crystal Langhorne and Laura Harper, both of whom played for the Philadelphia Belles AAU team. However, she was still a full-time student seeking a dual degree in psychology and communication.  

“The summer before school started, I remember going down to Maryland and meeting Brenda and the staff because I wanted to see if it would be a fit [and] what everything would entail,” McFarland said. “It just instantly clicked with her and her staff. And everybody was just so nice and just her energy was contagious.”

McFarland took the job, and her relationship with the staff and players continued to grow, especially with Frese. Her job duties varied and entailed a lot of different responsibilities. From helping set up before practice to straightening Frese’s hair before games, McFarland approached her job with an attitude that allowed her to relate to the players. 

McFarland joked with Frese, who has natural blonde and wavy hair, saying she needed a hair straightener. Next thing she knew, she boasted the honor of helping Frese do her hair before games. McFarland regarded the alone time with Frese as a time to catch up with her and an outlet to grow their relationship.

“She was the first when she came in here that had the courage and confidence to say she needed to do something with my hair because it was naturally wavy and she needed to straighten it,” Frese joked. “So that's when it came into play that year in and year out even after she graduated somewhat [that she] took the baton to have to straighten coach B's hair.”

McFarland and Frese’s inaugural season together wasn’t pervaded with many fun moments though. The Terps finished the year with a 10-18 record, the worst in the ACC. People close to McFarland even questioned all the time she was allocating towards the team. 

But McFarland had confidence in Frese, and she understood her role in helping her turn the program around. 

“I knew what her vision was for the program, and I just had the confidence in her that she'd be able to get there,” McFarland said, reflecting on the time. “I'm like, ‘Just wait, you’ll see, and you'll jump on the bandwagon.’”

The Terrapins improved from second to last in the ACC to third and even won an NCAA Tournament game the next season. During the 2004-05 season, the Terps built upon their success a season ago and created a winning formula heading into McFarland’s senior year.

The 2005-06 season was met with unprecedented success. Maryland lost just three games heading into the ACC Tournament, with two of those losses against Duke. They won the first game of the tournament and the Terps matched up against the Blue Devils for the third time of the season in the semifinals.   

McFarland was confident in her team but understood how the name “Duke” was intimidating. “It’s just the name,” she recalls saying to Frese. In practice, nobody would say the opponent's name and the scouting report printed Duke’s name backward to say “Ekud.” Frese says it was all influenced by McFarland. 

Maryland went on to defeat Duke and advanced to the ACC Championship after losing 14 games in a row to the Blue Devils. 

McFarland always felt appreciated in her role as a student manager. The Terps were set to play Utah in the Elite Eight during the NCAA Tournament that same season. A few staff members and players were coming down with a stomach virus, and McFarland was one of them. 

She was upset that she had to stay at the hotel not knowing whether or not she had already sat on the sideline with her team for the last time. Frese called McFarland in the locker room before the game and told her the team was thinking about her and that they missed her.

“You have a lot of programs that preach about family right,” McFarland said. “And when Brenda says it she means that. She walks the talk because that's something family does. For a head coach to call a manager right before a huge game like that speaks volumes about her and how she runs her program."

McFarland mustered the energy to call a cab to the game, and none of the players or anyone else knew she was in the stands for the second half. The Terps took down Utah 75-65, and she reunited with her team for the on-court celebration. Harper picked up McFarland and swung her around in excitement. McFarland also got to cut down her first piece of net that season.

The Terps won their Final Four matchup against North Carolina and went on to rally back from a 13-point deficit in the National Championship to take down Duke 79-75 in overtime. 

“To see where we started and where we ended, it was just an incredible life lesson,” McFarland said. Just so many lessons within those four years. And that last season was just so special. I mean, they’re just a special group of players, coaches, support staff, everybody in athletics supporting the program. It just felt magical.”

McFarland, 40, says her four years at Maryland shaped her into who she is today. She learned many critical skills that helped her later in her career in sales. 

“Having a scholarship too, that allowed me to just focus on making the most of that big college experience that I was looking for,” McFarland said. “And it obviously was better than I could have ever even imagined.”

It led to her first job out of college, where she met her husband, BJ. Together, they have a son and a daughter named Mikey, who’s turning 10 next month, and Maeve, age seven.

McFarland was diagnosed with multiple myeloma on her birthday, March 23. Myeloma is a rare cancer that forms in a type of white blood cell called a plasma cell. The plasma cells build up in bone marrow and prohibit the body’s ability to help fight infections. It’s also extremely rare among patients of McFarland’s age. According to a Nov. 2022 study, Less than 2% of patients with multiple myeloma are diagnosed 40 or younger. 

Frese has stood by McFarland’s side since her cancer diagnosis, as her son previously battled leukemia when he was just two years old. 

“Just like she did with me when my son was going through it, this is more than just basketball,” Frese said. “It's family. And for us, it's rallying for her. I was able to go up and visit with her when she was in the hospital for a procedure she had done back in October. We're constantly in touch.”

Frese and Harper, who is currently coaching for Towson, visited her before the season for a stem cell transplant, making the trip from Maryland to Philadelphia. 

McFarland says watching the Terps with her family helps bring them together. Her children, especially, are huge fans.

“They love watching the women's basketball games,” McFarland said. “It's cute because they're proud of me and they view me as part of the team as well which is really sweet. But I think I know that no matter what I go through, they're still family.”

Maryland women's basketball is encouraging fans to donate to a GoFundMe to help support McFarland and her family. 

Through all the memories Frese shares with her former student manager, it’s her personality and commitment to the program she remembers most.

“When you talk to her, you'll see her personality. She is so positive and so upbeat,” Frese said. "She just has a joy and a happiness for everyone. She's caring and she was just a hard worker, could think out ahead, was very proactive.”