Fahey sets the tone for Bears’ success
Head coach Nancy Fahey came to Washington University in 1986 to do what she loves: compete in women’s basketball via coaching.
Fahey attended Belleville High School in Wisconsin from 1973-1977. She won four letters for women’s varsity basketball, and was an all-conference selection twice. In addition, she was twice team captain and most valuable player.
She carried her success with her from high school to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1977-1981, where she won four varsity letters for women’s basketball. She started at point guard her junior year, and senior year she not only started but was also team captain.
Her role model back then was.well she really did not have one. According to her, “Back then, there weren’t as many women [involved in athletics]. They were just starting to get exposure in athletics.”
During these developing stages of athletics, Fahey was also an astute student. In high school, she was junior class president. In college, she earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1981 with honors. Furthermore, she received the Helen Pfunder Physical Education Academic Award.
After her college days, Fahey compiled some coaching experience before deciding to take over the helm of the Bears program in 1986. While here at WU, she has compiled a .848 winning percentage in amassing a 352-63 record. Her career winning percentage is first among active Division III coaches.
Under her watchful eye, the Bears have won at least nineteen games each of the last fourteen seasons. She coached the Bears to a record winning streak of 81 games for all divisions of NCAA women’s basketball. She also made WU the second team ever, in any division, men or women, to have consecutive undefeated national championship seasons.
She has led the Bears to eleven University Athletic Association (UAA) conference titles, as well as thirteen NCAA Division III Tournament appearances. Moreover, she has led the Bears to four consecutive national titles, making the Bears the second women’s basketball team, and the third team in NCAA history to win four straight national titles.
Her accomplishments have not gone unrecognized. She has won UAA Staff of the Year honors eight times. She has been Division III Central Region coach of the year four times. She was the Division III Coach of the Year (by Columbus Multimedia and Women’s DIII News) in 1998-1999. She has been named Women’s Basketball Coaches Association NCAA Division III National Coach of the Year for the 1999-2000 season.
These awards warrant some boasting, but Fahey opts not to do so. Rather, when asked what individual accomplishment she was proudest of, she responded, “there are no individual ones [of which I am proudest]. That is the fun about being in a team sport.” However, she does not shy away from the attention. In fact, she is proud of “the attention we have got over the last four years.”
The team accomplishments warrant some boasting as well. However, there are so many, that there is not one of which she is proudest. About her proudest team accomplishment, she says, “there isn’t one. It’s a series of ones. It’s like which one is your favorite kid? There’s not one.”
Fahey definitely knows what she wants to accomplish in the future and how she wants to accomplish it.
“The team goal that we always talk about is to reach our potential each year,” she said. “We have high standards for ourselves, and that is a good thing. At this point in my career [my goal] is enjoying each year. Washington University has been a real good fit for me. Changing jobs or doing that sort of thing is not really something I am thinking about.”
One may wonder, with all her accomplishments, what keeps her coaching. The answer: her love for the game makes her tick. She has a strong desire to continue doing what she loves: coaching at WU.
“You play because you like to compete,” she said. “It’s the competition. You don’t play for the awards.” Yet, the awards keep coming. Four in a row to be exact.
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