Josh Pace joined the Pepperdine women's basketball coaching staff in 2015 after playing professionally for 10 years and following a standout collegiate career at Syracuse. He completed his fourth season with the Waves in 2018-19.
During his tenure at Pepperdine, he coached the program's first WCC Player of the Year since 2002 in Yasmine Robinson-Bacote. He also helped the Waves to a 22-12 finish, the best since 2002, and a Sweet 16 berth into the Women's National Invite Tournament, the team's best ever finish.Â
Pace won an NCAA championship as a player at Syracuse in 2003 under head coach Jim Boeheim and played professionally both abroad and in the U.S.
Pace won an ABA championship with the Shreveport-Bossier Mavericks in April of 2015. He has had stints abroad in the New Zealand, Australian, Estonian and Finnish professional leagues and domestically in the ABA and CBA.
He was a four-year contributor for Syracuse during his collegiate career, taking over a spot in the starting five for the Orangemen after Carmelo Anthony left early for the NBA. Pace, a 6-5 shooting guard/small forward, was a key contributor off the bench on the Orange’s 2003 national championship squad, averaging 8.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.2 steals during the team’s tournament run.
As a starter in the 2004 and 2005 seasons, Pace averaged better than 10 points and five rebounds per game for Syracuse. He earned All-Big East honorable mention and was named to the Big East All-Tournament team as a senior, as well as garnering the Big East Sportsmanship Award.
Undrafted out of college, Pace was invited to join the Utah Jazz for the 2005 summer league before signing on with the Nelson Giants in New Zealand. He would earn NBL All-Star honors in his first professional season, scoring 19.1 points per game. Pace played in both Finland and New Zealand during the 2006-07 season before returning stateside to join the East Kentucky Miners of the CBA. He led the Miners with 23.0 points per game to earn All-CBA second team status in 2008.
Pace then signed with BC Kalev/Cramo in Estonia for the 2008-09 season, winning an Estonian national championship and Estonian National Cup with the club. He would again return to the U.S. to play for the Southeast Texas Mavericks of the ABA in both the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons, while also competing with the Hawke’s Bay Hawks in New Zealand during the offseason. Pace signed with the Manawatu Jets (coached by former Pepperdine head coach Ryan Weisenberg) in 2012, and would go on to lead the league in scoring with 23.1 points per game.
Pace moved on to rejoin the Nelson Giants for the 2013 and 2014 seasons, while also spending time with the Townsville Crocodiles in Australia in between seasons. He joined the Shreveport-Bossier Mavericks in 2014, helping the team to an undefeated season and championship before deciding to pursue coaching opportunities.
