ST. LOUIS — Former LSU women’s basketball coach Sue Gunter was one of five basketball legends named to the 2005 induction class of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Monday.
The announcement was made at a morning press conference at the site of the 2005 NCAA Men’s Final Four. Enshrinement for the induction class will take place September 8-10 in Springfield, Mass.
Gunter, who retired following the conclusion of the 2004 season, led LSU to eight Sweet 16s, four Elite Eight appearances and one Final Four. She retired in 2004 as the third winningest coach in women’s NCAA history with 708 career victories.
Joining Gunter in the announced induction class for the ceremonies Sept. 8-10 in Springfield, Mass., are men’s basketball coaches Jim Boeheim of Syracuse, Jim Calhoun of Connecticut, former ABA, NBA coach and broadcaster Hubie Brown and Brazilian women’s basketball star Hortencia Marcari.
Gunter, a native of Walnut Grove, Miss., coached at LSU for 22 seasons (1982-2004) and spent 16 seasons at Stephen F. Austin (1964-80) in Nacogdoches, Texas, after beginning her coaching career at Middle Tennessee State (1962-64). Gunter led LSU to 14 NCAA Tournament berths, including the 2004 NCAA Women’s Final Four in her last season.
Gunter also was the head coach on the 1980 United States Olympic Team and was an assistant on the silver medal winning 1976 squad. Gunter was elected to the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000 and will be inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in June of this year.
Gunter was also a fine player in her own right, playing AAU basketball for Nashville Business College from 1958-62, earning AAU All-America honors. She was also a member of the 1960-62 United States teams that competed against the Soviet Union.
Since coming to LSU, she earned several coaching honors including Louisiana, Converse Region IV and Basketball News National honors in 1983. She was a two-time SEC Coach of the Year in 1997 and 1999, she was Louisiana Coach of the Year in 2002 and 2003 and was a WBCA Regional Coach of the Year selection in 2003.
She was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000 and was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 2003.
“For Sue to make this Hall of Fame is one of the greatest achievements that anybody can have,” said LSU Athletics Director Skip Bertman. “I am so proud that she has been selected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. She had an outstanding career, one that touched many lives, while also having tremendous success. She’s very deserving of this honor.”
Gunter, Boeheim and Calhoun have all won 700 games in their respective careers. Gunter won her 700th game on Feb. 12, 2004 at the Maravich Center against Arkansas. Boeheim, who has coached Syracuse since 1976, and Calhoun, in 33 seasons at Northeastern and Connecticut, both won their 700th game this past season.
Gunter won 442 games in her 22 years as the LSU head coach.
The induction of these five individuals will bring the list to 263 people and five teams enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Gunter will become the third person with LSU ties in the Naismith Hall joining men’s basketball players Bob Pettit and Pete Maravich.
Coach Gunter remains hospitalized in Baton Rouge recovering from a recent bout with pneumonia.