Kay Yow Biography

Sandra Kay Yow better known as Kay Yow is entering her 30th year with the 2004-05' season as North Carolina State University's head women's basketball coach. Her tenure alone would give one pause to be impressed given her venue in the rabid basketball state of North Carolina and the equally rabid basketball school NC State where Wolfpack basketball of both genders reigns supreme.

Yow's 33 year career as a women's head basketball coach have produced a remarkable record of consistency as well as an incredible array of records. Her career record of 653-300 (.685) places her fifth among active NCAA coaches. Given her win total of 596 at NC State prior to the start of the 2004-05 season its obvious Yow will win her 600th game as NC State's mentor early in the season making You only the fourth women's basketball coach in history to win this many games at one school.

Amongst the records Yow and her teams have amassed are: 17 out of 23 possible trips to the postseason NCAA Tournament, 10 trips to the "Sweet 16" as well as an "Elite Eight" and "Final Four" appearance. The Wolfpack, in one of the premiere basketball conferences in the country, have won five ACC regular season Championship crowns and four ACC Tournament Championships, enjoyed 19 seasons with 20 or more wins, had 25 winning seasons and produced a stellar 246-135 (.646) ACC record. Yow currently ranks as the second winningest coach in the history of ACC women's basketball and has won more games than any current ACC head coach.

Yow started her collegiate coaching career at Elon College where in four seasons she coached the Phoenix to an outstanding 57-19 (.750) record. Additonally she took the Elon Phoenix to the 1974 state crown and quietly served notice of her destiny to be ranked among the greatest women's basketball coaches ever.

From Elon Yow moved on to the North Carolina State where she commenced setting a standard for collegiate basketball that has stood her, her school and her players in good stead for the past 29 years.

In her tenure Yow is responsible for developing a basketball program from its infancy to the powerhouse it represents today. She coached her first Wolfpack squad to the postseason WNIT finishing the season with a strong 19-7 (.731) record.

Yow, the first female women's head basketball coach in North Carolina is considered by most to be a pioneer in the field of women's basketball. She has coached some of the most well known players of all-time.

Over the years various organizations have chosen Yow as the National Coach of the Year eight times including USA Today, Sports Illustrated, the WBCA and the prestigious John and Nellie Wooden Association. She is a member of several Halls of Fame including the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Hall of Fame, Elon College Hall of Fame, Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, Women's Basketball Hall of Fame and Women's Sports Hall of Fame.

Yow's players have received many varied and distinct honors. Nine of her players were named to the ACC's 50th Anniversary team, three were named to the Golden Anniversary team as the top 50 All-Around Female ACC Athletes. She has coached 39 All-ACC players as well as 30 All-ACC Tournament players. Yow has had two ACC Players of the Year amd two ACC Rookies of the Year along with four ACC Tournament MVPs and four Kodak All-Americas. She has seen 12 of her former players move on to play or coach in the WNBA.

Yow is about more than just basketball. She has coached 72 Wolfpack women players who were named to the ACC Honor Roll by achieving a 3.0 GPA or better for a full scholastic year.

Yow is about more than just ACC basketball. She has created a significant presence in international basketball having been chosen as one of eight coaches to lead USA Basketball in women's international play. Yow served as an assistant in 1984 and head coach in 1988 assisting or leading both these teams to gold medals. Since the first women's basketball Olympics in 1976 she is the only coach to win gold twice with a remarkable record of 21-1 (.955) in international competition.

Several of Yow's NC State players have participated in international play representing the United States. They have played in such venues as the USA Select National Team, US Junior National Teams, Pan American Games, Olympic Sports Festival and the Jones Cup.

In September of 2002 Kay Yow was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame aka Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield MA.

It is worthy of note her; impressive induction class included former LA Lakers star Magic Johnson, Arizona coach Lute Olson, NBA World Champion Detroit Pistons coach Larry Brown and the legendary Harlem Globetrotters, not bad company for someone who started life in a small rural North Carolina town. Yow is one of three coaches from the Triangle Area to be selected. The others being former University of North Carolina coach Dean Smith and Duke's Mike Krzyzewski, who were inducted in 2001.

Yow commented at a press conference held following her selection to the Basketball Hall of Fame: "I didn't get in last year and I was talking about what a great honor it was just to be nominated. I still feel that way," Yow said. "The Hall of Fame people told me that they start with 300 people before narrowing the field down to 24 finalists. You see what a great honor it is just to be a person that is considered. I would guess that the majority of people in the Hall of Fame never set out to set a goal of making the Hall of Fame. I think the majority of people that are in there set out to do their best in whatever they do. This is icing on the cake for me. I'm honored, I'm grateful and I'm humbled. I couldn't possibly be in the position that I'm in right now without having great players and the great staff that I've had. I really have to accept the honor as a tribute to those people. I hope in some way that they can feel like they played a part in it."

Education has played an important role in Yow's life. She holds a B.S. in English from East Carolina University and earned a Masters Degree in Physical Education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Some of her accomplishments are:

33 year NCAA Division I women's basketball coach
First female women's head basketball coach in North Carolina State's history
Completed 4 years as women's head basketball coach at Elon College
Coached the Elon Phoenix to an outstanding 57-19 (.750) record
Took the Phoenix to the 1974 state championship
Completed 29 years as women's head basketball coach at North Carolina State
Career record of 653-300 (.685) - fifth among active NCAA coaches
Win total of 596 at NC State prior to the start of the 2004-05 season
Will win her 600th game as NC State's mentor early in 2004-05 season
Only the fourth women's basketball coach in history to win 600 games at one school
Have made 17 out of 23 possible trips to the postseason NCAA Tournament
Have made 10 trips to the "Sweet 16"
One "Elite Eight" and one "Final Four" appearance
Won five regular season ACC Championships
Won four ACC Tournament Championships
Has had 19 seasons with 20 wins or more
Has had 25 winning seasons
Recorded a 246-135 (.646) record in ACC play
Second winningest coach in ACC women's basketball history
More overall wins than any current ACC coach
Coached Wolfpack to first season 19-7 (.731) record
Coached her first Wolfpack squad to postseason WNIT
Chosen National Coach of the Year eight times
Member of six Halls of Fame
Inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002
Had nine players named to the ACC's 50th Anniversary team
Three players named to Golden Anniversary team - Top 50 All-Around Female ACC Athletes
Coached 39 All-ACC players
Coached 30 All-ACC Tournament players
Had two ACC Players of the Year
Coached two ACC Rookies of the Year
Coached four ACC Tournament MVPs
Had four Kodak All-Americas
12 former players have played or coached in WNBA
Coached 72 Wolfpack women players named to ACC Honor Roll achieving a 3.0 GPA or better for a full academic year
Created a significant presence in international basketball
Chosen as one of eight coaches to lead USA Basketball in women's international play
Only coach to win Olympic gold twice
Coached USA women's teams to record of 21-1 (.955) in international competition
Holds a B.S. in English from East Carolina University
Earned a Masters Degree in Physical Education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro