Kay Yow

Class of 2000

One of the most admired and respected coaches on both the international and collegiate basketball scene
In her 38 years as a head coach at the college-level, Coach Yow was one of only six Division I head women’s basketball mentors to achieve 700 career victories
Played a key role in the United States winning a pair of gold medals in the Olympics, serving as the head coach of the U.S. women’s basketball squad at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul after serving as an assistant coach for the 1984 team in Los Angeles
Worked with seven other U.S. select teams, including Pan American, World University, Goodwill Games and World Championship squads
Led her North Carolina State teams to 20 of the 27 NCAA Tournaments, 11 trips to the Sweet 16, and a trip to the Elite Eight and Final Four in 1998. She also collected five ACC Regular Season Championships, four ACC Tournament titles, amassed 21, 20-win seasons and a staggering 29 winning seasons.
In the 2005-06 season at the helm of the Wolfpack, Yow became the first women’s basketball coach in ACC history and fifth in NCAA history to coach 900 games at the same school. Also that year, Yow became the fourth Division I head women’s coach to surpass 1,000 career games on the sideline.
Won the inaugural Jimmy V ESPY for Perseverance at the 2007 ESPY Awards
Named national Coach of the Year eight times by various organizations
A member of numerous halls of fame, including the Guilford County Sports Hall of Fame, the Elon University Hall of Fame, the North Carolina Softball Hall of Fame, the Women’s Sports Hall of Fame, the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Hall of Fame, the AIA Hall of Faith, the Raleigh Sports Hall of Fame, the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame and the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.