Most recently, McCallie has led the Blue Devils to the 2010 and 2011 ACC Championship, which marked the sixth and seventh overall conference titles in school history.

[permanent dead link‍] During her tenure at Duke, McCallie dealt with an investigation related to concerns about player transfers and the atmosphere.

On February 16, 2021, McCallie released her second book 'Secret Warrior', a memoir that chronicled her battle with a bipolar diagnosis.

McCallie spent seven years as the head coach at Michigan State University in the Big Ten Conference.

While with the Spartans, she led the team to 149 wins and 75 losses (.670), including five straight NCAA tournament appearances (2003–2007).

[7] McCallie left Michigan State after accepting the head coach position at Duke University in 2007.

Prior to her time at MSU, McCallie spent eight years as the head coach at the University of Maine.

[8] McCallie left Maine as the school's all-time winningest women's basketball coach with 167 victories.

[9] McCallie, then named Palombo, played Big Ten collegiate basketball at Northwestern University from 1984 – 1987.

As a senior, she was an All-Big Ten honorable mention selection and helped lead the Wildcats to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

[15] McCallie is the daughter of a Navy pilot, born in Monterey, CA and raised in Florida, New York, Texas, Rhode Island, and finally Maine, where her Mother (Father passed in 2021) and family still live.

The philosophy has been widely used by McCallie, her staff and players, who have been very active in the area schools speaking about "CNC".

In addition, McCallie's community service includes working with the Big Brothers Big Sisters "Jump" program; serving as the Honorary Chair for the Haven House — a shelter for homeless families in East Lansing, Michigan; serving as the Honorary Chair for the 2001 Crop Walk and the 2001–04 Memory Walks for Alzheimer's; and holding the Joanne P. McCallie Golf Challenge benefiting children and adolescents with cancer.

While at Maine, she organized an event called "Realizing the Dream; Celebrating Women in Athletics" that featured speakers Dr. Donna Lopiano and Sheryl Swoopes.