NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State Athletics department will officially begin its year-long celebration of the 50th anniversary of the adoption of Title IX in June 2022, with the unveiling of a banner at Redbird Arena this Friday, September 17, for ISU trailblazer Dr. Linda Herman prior to the 7 p.m. Redbird volleyball match against Illinois.
"I believe recognizing Dr. Linda Herman for her humble servant leadership, vision and loyalty to Illinois State Athletics for over 30 years is the perfect way to begin this anniversary celebration," ISU Director of Athletics Kyle Brennan said. "In her time as a coach and administrator at ISU, Dr. Herman fought to provide women more opportunities to play the sports they loved. This recognition is so well-deserved, and I urge all of our fans to get to Redbird Arena early to be a part of this momentous occasion."
Dr. Herman dedicated 30 years of service to the Illinois State Athletics Department, including time as both an administrator and coach.
During her time as an administrator, the Redbirds won 117 Valley championships and 16 league all-sports trophies. She served as senior woman's administrator and several stints as Illinois State's interim athletics director.
Before serving as an administrator at Illinois State, Herman coached the Redbird volleyball team for seven seasons and posted a 267-112 record, including a pair of national appearances in the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) Tournament, highlighted by an eighth-place finish in 1977.
A national pioneer in women's athletics, Herman was named the 1995 National Associate of Collegiate Women Athletic Administrators (NACWAA) District V Administrator of the Year. Her leadership skills were recognized as the 1996 ATALANTA Award winner from Athletics Management magazine for her service to intercollegiate athletics.
Herman served on the NCAA Volleyball Committee for seven years, the NCAA Softball Committee for three years and was a member of the NCAA Championships Committee for two years. She was a recipient of the Bloomington-Normal YWCA Women of Distinction Award for outstanding leadership and excellence in education in 1997 and in December 2003, she was tabbed a member of the inaugural American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Hall of Fame class.
In 2005, Herman was inducted into the Illinois State Athletics Hall of Fame and in 2014, she was inducted into the Missouri Valley Conference Hall of Fame as the 13th honoree in The Valley's Lifetime Achievement category.
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