Lady Techster History Techster History When Louisiana Tech President F. Jay Taylor appointed physical education instructor Sonja Hogg as the first head coach in the history of the Lady Techsters women’s basketball program in 1973, very few people ever dreamed it was the birth of one of the premier programs in the country - but history proves this to be a fact. “There was no way to expect the outpouring of devotion when it all started back in 1974,” Hogg said. “Of course, we couldn’t really envision the scope and magnitude of what might be accomplished by this program, either.” Hogg and Taylor were staples in the program’s early suc- cess, and the addition of a young Leon Barmore as an assistant in 1977 and eventually the head coach in 1982 only strengthened an already dominating Lady Techsters program. After 20 years as head coach of Tech, Barmore retired Aug. 22, 2002, as the winningest coach percentage wise in the history of collegiate bas- ketball -- men’s or women’s -- with an incredible mark of 576-87 (.869). One day after Barmore’s announcement, Louisiana Tech Athletic Director Jim Oakes named Kurt Budke as the third head coach in the illustrious history of Lady Techster basketball. Budke responded by leading the Lady Techsters to a 31-3 record and the Sweet 16 of the 2003 NCAA Tournament in his first year. Following the season, Budke departed Tech and President Dan Reneau and Athletic Director Jim Oakes along with the Tech Athletic Council decided to promote six-year assistant coach Chris Long as the fourth head coach in the program’s history. 87 Long’s first season was a success as he was named the WAC Coach of the Year after leading Tech to a 26-5 mark and the program’s 25th straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Heading into its 35th season, Louisiana Tech is still consid- ered one of the top five women’s basketball programs in the his- tory of the game, and rightly so. The numbers tell the story. No one can argue the incredible success this mid-major school has seen on the women’s basketball front over the years. The stories are numerous and the memories are various - howev- er, the results have always been the same ... a winning tradition. 1974 to 1980 1975-76 -- Tech’s second year of women’s basketball Record: 148-45 (.766) proved to be even better than the first as the Lady Techsters 1973 Head Coach: Sonja Hogg (1974-1980). posted a 19-10 record. Tech’s 14-member roster was com- • Dr. F. Jay Taylor Conference Titles: no conference affiliation. prised of all Louisiana athletes with freshman Kay Ford and announces the formation of a NCAA Tournament Appearances: 2 sophomore Mary Robertson coming from farthest away women’s basketball (1978-79/AIAW; 1979-80/AIAW). — Alexandria, La., located less than 100 miles from Ruston. program at Kodak All-American Selections: 1 (Pam Kelly, 1979-80). Hogg’s team opened the season with two convincing Louisiana Tech Wade Trophy Winners: 0. wins over Ouachita Baptist and Nicholls State before drop- • Sonja Hogg named Final Fours: 2 (1978-79/AIAW; 1979-80/AIAW). ping a 74-63 decision to Panola Junior College. On three head coach of the newly-formed Lady National Championship Titles: 0 separate occasions during the season, Tech posted four- Techsters game winning streaks. 1975 -- Louisiana Tech embarked on its new adventure Jan. Once again the Lady Techsters earned a bid to the 1974-75 7, 1975, when the 12-member Lady Techster squad under Louisiana AIAW State Tournament where they won two • The Lady Techsters the direction of Coach Sonja Hogg lost to Southeastern games before being ousted by LSU. play first game vs. Southeastern Louisiana 59-55 at Memorial Gym in Ruston. Louisiana January The Lady Techsters would rebound and post the Statistical Leaders: Kay Ford, 18.5 ppg; Belinda Jones, 7, 1975 school’s first ever victory Jan. 24, when Tech downed 13.4 rpg • Techsters record Louisiana State University 97-83 in Memorial Gym. Honors: Ford, Mandy Warren, DeMoss — All-Louisiana first victory ever vs. Tech eventually finished the regular season 11-7 before Louisiana State, 97- 83, on Jan. 24, 1975 splitting four games at the Louisiana AIAW State Tournament. 1976-77 -- The Lady Techsters posted the first of 23 20-plus • First post season Tech’s season ended with a two-point defeat to McNeese winning seasons by registering a 22-9 mark and earning the victory, 85-62 over State at the tournament, but the foundation had been set for school’s first ever trip to the AIAW Regional Tournament. Nicholls State in the years to come. Once again an all-Louisiana roster rolled along as the Louisiana AIAW Techsters posted a 15-7 regular season mark before entering State Tournament Statistical Leaders: Belinda Jones, 22.5 ppg; LaVerne the state AIAW Tournament for the third consecutive year. 1975-76 Henderson, 15.6 rpg (still school record) However, this time Tech’s balanced attack - featuring four • Three players Honors: Mickie DeMoss — All-Louisiana players averaging double figures -was simply too much for named to All- opponents as the Lady Techsters captured the state title by Louisiana teams winning four consecutive games. Lady Techster History Statistical Leaders: Pam Kelly, 19.0 ppg; Elinor Griffin, 11.1 1976-77 rpg; Mary Nell Kendrick, 7.2 apg • Kay Ford and Honors: Angela Turner — Louisiana MVP; Kelly, Griffin Belinda Jones — All-Louisiana become the first two Lady Techsters to reach 1,000 1979-80 -- Expectations were high entering the season as career points Tech returned the nucleus of its national title game team • Win first Louisiana and Lady Techster fans would not be disappointed. Once AIAW State Tournament and again the Lady Techsters cruised through the regular sea- advance to first son before advancing through the state and regional AIAW AIAW Regional Tournaments. Tournament Tech defeated Kansas and Long Beach State to earn its • Collect first national second Final Four appearance before falling to Old Dominion post season victory, 93-74 over and South Carolina to finish fourth in the country. The 40-5 Oklahoma State mark still stands as the national and school record for the most victories in a season. 1977-78 Once again Pam Kelly dominated inside, scoring 932 • Leon Barmore is points during the season, a mark that still stands in the Tech hired as an assistant coach record books. Kelly earned the program’s first Kodak All- • Elinor Griffin American honor for her efforts. becomes the third Lady Techster Statistical Leaders: Pam Kelly, 20.7 ppg; Kelly, 10.9 rpg; to reach 1,000 career points Jennifer White, 8.1 apg Honors: Kelly — Kodak All-American, All-Louisiana; Angela 1978-79 Turner — All-Louisiana • Jane Ellen Cook In the regional tournament, Tech opened with a convinc- becomes the fourth 1980-1990 Lady Techster to ing victory over Oklahoma State before falling to Baylor in Record: reach 1,000 career a tight contest. Two more Lady Techster wins, over Texas- 312-25 (.926) Head Coach: points Arlington and Northwestern State, advanced them to the title Sonja Hogg (1980-1985), Leon Barmore • Collect their 100th game where they fell 94-85 to Texas. (1982-1990) 88 victory vs. Southern Conference Titles: 3 American South titles (1987-88, 1988- in the Louisiana 89, 1989-90) AIAW State Statistical Leaders: Elinor Griffin, 16.0 ppg; Griffin, 13.3 rpg NCAA Tournament Appearances: Tournament Honors: Kay Ford, Belinda Jones, Griffin — All-Louisiana 10 (1980-81/AIAW; 1981- • Won their first AIAW 82, 82-83, 83-84, 84-85, 85-86, 86-87, 87-88, 88-89, 89-90). Regional Tournament Final Fours: 1977-78 -- Although the Lady Techsters posted another 20- 8 (1980-81/AIAW; 1981-82, 82-83, 83-84, 86- • Advance to their first 87, 87-88, 88-89, 89-90). Final Four after win season and earned its second trip to the AIAW Regional National Championship Titles: collecting wins over Tournament, the big news was the hiring of a 33-year-old 3 (1980-81/AIAW; 1981-82, Kansas and assistant named Leon Barmore. 1987-88). Northwestern in the Kodak All-American Selections: 9 Pam Kelly, 80-81, 81-82; National Tournament Barmore, who lettered for the Tech men’s program for three years, came to Tech after coaching in the high school Angela Turner, 1981-82; Janice Lawrence, 1983-84; Pam • Finish as the Gant, 1984-85; Teresa Weatherspoon, 1986-87, 1987-88; national runner-up ranks for 11 seasons at Bastrop and Ruston High Schools. • Finish second in the Barmore’s vast coaching knowledged combined with Hogg’s Nora Lewis, 1988-89; Venus Lacy, 1989-90 Wade Trophy Winners: national poll recruiting prowess formed one of the most talented coaching 3 Pam Kelly, 1981-82; Janice • The National Lawrence, 1983-84; Teresa Weatherspoon, 1987-88 Championship game staffs in the country. against Old On the playing court, Tech posted a 20-8 record on the Dominion is the first road to earning the school’s first ever national ranking. After live nationally making its third straight appearance in the AIAW Regional televised game in Tournament and splitting four games, the Lady Techsters women’s college basketball ended the season ranked 20th in the country. • Elinor Griffin becomes the Lady Statistical Leaders: Elinor Griffin, 19.4 ppg; Griffin, 12.6 ppg Techsters’ first All- Honors: Griffin, Belinda Jones — All-Louisiana American 1979-80 1978-79 -- The 1978-79 season saw Louisiana Tech turn the • Lost only two corner and develop into one of the top teams in the country.