McCormack began his coaching career in 1991 and spent 18 years as an FAU assistant under head coach
Kevin Cooney. During that time, the Owls appeared in six NCAA tournaments. McCormack handled much of the program's
recruiting during his time as an assistant, focusing on players from the
South Florida region where FAU is located. Although he was offered coaching positions at other schools and professional scouting jobs, McCormack chose to stay at FAU. When Cooney retired at the end of the 2008 season, McCormack was hired to replace him. The Owls spent his first five seasons in the Sun Belt, winning two regular season titles and one tournament. They reached the NCAA tournament in
2010 and
2013, losing in the regional final both times. In 2010, McCormack was named the Sun Belt Coach of the Year. In 2013, after losing their opening game, the team reached the decisive seventh game of the Chapel Hill Regional against #1 national seed
North Carolina. The Owls lost, 12–11, in a game that multiple media outlets described as "epic." Trailing 6–2 in the ninth, the Owls took an 8–6 lead, then gave up two runs in the bottom of the ninth to send the game to extra innings. They scored three in the top of the 12th, but UNC answered with three in the bottom half and walked off in the bottom of the 13th. ==Head coaching record==