Buchanan spent 22 seasons as head volleyball coach at Idaho. She retired following the 2021 season with 320 wins, 16 conference postseason appearances and two trips to the NCAA Tournament. She is the program’s all-time winningest coach with an overall record of 320-317, including a 198-164 record in Big Sky, Big West, and Western Athletic Conference play.
Under Buchanan, the Vandals made a conference postseason tournament in each of her final 16 seasons.
Buchanan, a native of St. Maries, took over the helm in 2000 and led Idaho to victories over nationally ranked teams in each of her first two seasons. In 2003, the Vandals received their first at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament and duplicated the feat in 2004, which led to a thrilling five-set win over 13th-ranked UC Santa Clara. That is the program’s lone win in the NCAA Tournament as well as the highest ranked team it has defeated.
Idaho moved to the WAC the following season and advanced to the conference tournament championship in 2012. During 2011, Buchanan was named the WAC Coach of the Year and had six players earn all-WAC honors. Her teams went 91-52 (.636) in conference play over the nine years in the WAC.
Idaho then went back to the Big Sky in 2013 and earned a share of the conference title in 2018.
During her coaching career, Buchanan had one player earn All-American honors, two earn AVCA All-Region honors, 49 earn all-conference awards, and 12 earn all-conference freshman team honors. She also had 80 earn all-academic honors.
Buchanan (then Debbie Martin) led St. Maries High to four state A-2 volleyball championships and earned a scholarship to USC. However, a knee injury suffered in a high school basketball game during her senior season ultimately cut short her volleyball career at USC. She was an assistant at Idaho and Colorado State before becoming the Vandals' head coach.
Buchanan and her husband Buck have two boys, Austin and Blake, who are both college athletes.