Coaching Legend Added to Hall of Fame Ballot
6/7/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
June 7, 2007
WACO, Texas - A pioneer in the game of women's basketball, the late Sue Gunter is one of 32 names on the 2007 ballot for the Texas Sports Hall of Fame (TSHOF) to be inducted in February, 2008. A former coaching great in women's basketball, Gunter established the program at Stephen F. Austin and built into a national power before heading to Baton Rouge, La., to become the head coach at LSU.
Gunter guided SFA to five AIAW national tournaments (1972, 1973, 1976, 1978 and 1980) and won four state titles. Gunter is still the school's all-time winningest coach (266 wins).
Gunter spent the final 22 seasons of her career at LSU, where she won 442 games. Gunter guided the Tigers to 14 NCAA Tournament appearances, one NCAA® Women's Final Four®, four Elite Eight appearances, eight NCAA Sweet 16 appearances, two SEC Tournament titles and a Women's NIT title. She was named the SEC Coach of the Year in 1997 and 1999. Gunter retired from the game as the third all-time winningest coach with 708 career victories.
Gunter's success stretched beyond the collegiate game and into the international scene. Gunter coached the U.S. National team in 1976, 1978 and 1980. She served as an assistant coach on the 1976 U.S. Olympic silver medal team, before being named head coach of the 1980 U.S. Olympic team.
Gunter was a 2000 inductee into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame and a 2005 inductee into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
The TSHOF is comprised of media members around the state and chaired by Dave Campbell of Texas Football Magazine. Six nominees from the primary ballot and two from the veterans' ballot will comprise the Class of 2007.
Official voting members of the TSHOF, which is open to the public, will once again be able to help the selection committee determine its latest class. Those who have joined the museum's Official Voting Member Program (OVM) will receive their ballots at the end of the month. Those wishing to join and receive an official ballot can go to the museum's web site, www.tshof.org.
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