July 13, 2008
NORMAL, Ill. -
Former Illinois State head women's basketball coach Jill Hutchison is a part of the 2009 induction class of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, as announced by the organization on Sunday, July 13. Hutchison and five other women's basketball legends make up the 11th induction class of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame that will be enshrined on June 13, 2009, in a ceremony in Knoxville, Tenn.
The legendary coach and women's basketball pioneer was surprised to find out she would be inducted and was extremely moved by the honor.
"It is unbelievably humbling to have my name mentioned among the really great individuals in the game of women's basketball," said Hutchison. "The reward for my coaching career was simply the opportunity to be a coach. I was fortunate to be in a generation when women's roles in society and sport were changing. To have had an opportunity to participate in the process of change was a dream realized. To be recognized for my involvement certainly was not necessary, but is greatly appreciated. I am truly flattered to be inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, and I thank those involved for their support."
Hutchison spent 28 seasons (1970-73, 1974-99) as the head women's basketball coach at Illinois State and compiled a record of 461-323. The winningest coach in Illinois State basketball history (men or women), Hutchison led her teams to 19 winning seasons, five Gateway Conference titles, seven AIAW state championships, two AIAW national tournaments, seven WNIT appearances and three NCAA Tournaments. The three-time Rawlings MVC Coach of the Year (1985, 1988, 1996) coached 13 first-team all-conference players. Last season, a banner commemorating Hutchison's achievements at Illinois State was hung from the rafters of Redbird Arena, making her just the fifth person to achieve that honor.
Hutchison was also a very successful coach on the international level. She led the United States to a gold medal at the 1983 World University Games and a silver medal at the 1978 Pan American Games. Two of the greatest players in school history, Cathy Boswell and Charlotte Lewis, played for Hutchison, as well as being members of Olympic and professional basketball teams.
Hutchison was a four-time president of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and is widely credited with influencing the growth of the women's game from a level of relative obscurity to its current popularity. She is the author of "Coaching Girls' Basketball Successfully", an instructional book designed to help coaches successfully teach fundamentals to developing players.
Hall of fame induction is not a new honor for Hutchison, who is already a member of three other halls of fame. She is a member of the Illinois State and New Mexico Athletics Halls of Fame and just this past year, she was enshrined in the Missouri Valley Conference Hall of Fame in the Lifetime Achievement category.
The Albuquerque, N.M., native earned her bachelor's degree from the University of New Mexico in 1967. She also earned a master's degree from Illinois State and a doctorate from UNC-Greensboro.
The announcement of the Class of 2009 came during the Connecticut Sun-Washington Mystics WNBA game Sunday, which was televised live on ABC. Hutchison is joined by former players Jennifer Azzi, Cynthia Cooper, Jennifer Gillom, and Ora Washington and former college coach Sonja Hogg in the Class of 2009; bringing the hall of fame membership to 109.
To be considered for induction into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, an individual must be a player who has been retired from the highest level of play for at least five years, a coach with at least 20 years of experience, a referee with at least 10 years of experience in the women's game, or someone who has impacted the women's game significantly.
