Nancy Fahey celebrates her fifth NCAA Division III women’s basketball national championship on March 20, 2010 by cutting the net in Bloomington, Ill. Fahey was chosen for induction into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame on July 23, 2011.

Fahey was tabbed in late July for induction into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame and will be one of six members of the hall’s Class of 2012.

“[I was] surprised, shocked, humbled, honored,” Fahey said of hearing that she was selected. “It was a surprise to me.”

The announcement took place during halftime of the 2011 WNBA All-Star Game on July 23, before a national audience via ABC.

Fahey’s selection comes on the heels of another spectacular season, in which she coached the Bears to a 25-6 record and the ninth national championship game of her career.

“I’ve worked with Nancy since 1986, and I knew that we had someone that was very special,” athletic director John Schael said. “Not only as a coach, but as a person. And she has not disappointed throughout the years. She’s an incredible coach, incredible person and outstanding leader.”

As one of only two coaches in the history of the University’s women’s basketball program, Fahey has been a model of both consistency and excellence during her 25-year tenure. She sports a career record at Wash. U. of 596-106 (a .849 winning percentage) and has never finished less than 11 games over .500 in a single season.

The .849 winning percentage is second in NCAA women’s basketball across all divisions, behind only University of Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma. The Bears have never lost more than eight games in a season with Fahey at the helm.

With all of the success, however, Fahey was quick to acknowledge that the award is just as much a testament to the players at Wash. U. as it is to her.

“This is a team sport, and I think of [the award] as a team recognition,” Fahey said. “It’s the coaches I’ve worked with, the administration, but most importantly the student athletes. This is a shared honor; I’m very well aware of it.”

Her players, however, contend that Fahey’s coaching ability has been just as crucial to the program’s success.

“Coach Fahey is a basketball genius. She is the architect of the best defensive and offensive systems that I have ever seen,” said Jaimie McFarlin, the school’s all-time leading rebounder and a member of the 2010 championship team. “The way our teams played reflected the passion she brought to the [Wash. U.] Fieldhouse every day, and we all learned from her the importance of dedication and paying attention to details.”

After lettering four times at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, serving as the team’s captain her senior year, Fahey coached at the high-school level in Wisconsin and Illinois until she was hired  by Wash. U. in 1986. Since then, she has been an assistant coach at the 1995 U.S. Olympic Festival and was a court coach for USA Women’s Basketball in 2001.

All of Fahey’s years with the Bears have been successful, but possibly none more so than the late ‘90s, when the team won an unprecedented four straight national championships between 1998 and 2001. With these titles and the championship in 2010, she has led Wash. U. to five national titles, a Division III best.

Yet when asked about the highlights of her time here at Wash. U., Fahey reflected on the smaller, less-noticeable moments with her team.

“The moments in practices, when something happens that’s funny, or a game that you’re not supposed to win and you win….It doesn’t necessarily always hinge on national championships,” Fahey said. “So my highlights just seem to be something that, a lot of times, people never see. And those are the important things that I cherish.”

Fahey will also be the only coach or student athlete from a Division III school to be inducted—an honor that she hopes she won’t hold for long.

“I hope the door has been opened,” Fahey said. “There are so many great coaches, so many great players I’ve had the opportunity to meet over these years that are deserving.”

But no matter what kind of ramifications her selection to the Hall of Fame has on the rest of basketball, Fahey’s impact on Wash. U. is clear.

“As the backbone of the Wash. U. women’s basketball program, she has been a great coach, mentor and role model for hundreds of women,” McFarlin said. “Her accomplishments are the standard of excellence that not just Division III and women’s basketball, but collegiate athletics, should be measured up against.”

The date of the induction ceremony has yet to be announced.