Scotty_Robertson_Memorial_Gymnasium
Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters basketball
Women's college basketball team
The Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters basketball team represents Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana. The team currently competes in Conference USA. The current head coach of the Lady Techsters is Brooke Stoehr.[2] Louisiana Tech has won three National Championships and has competed in 13 Final Fours, 23 Sweet Sixteens, and 27 NCAA tournaments. The Lady Techsters basketball program boasts three Wade Trophy winners, five Olympic medalists, eight members of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, 16 All-Americans, and 21 WNBA players. The Lady Techsters have an all-time record of 1207–406, with a .748 winning percentage, and are the fifth program in NCAA history to reach 1,200 wins.[3] The Lady Techsters have made 27 appearances in the NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament, which is the twelfth most all-time.
| Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| University | Louisiana Tech University | |||
| First season | 1974–75 | |||
| All-time record | 1207–406 | |||
| Head coach | Brooke Stoehr (8th season) | |||
| Conference | C-USA | |||
| Location | Ruston, Louisiana | |||
| Arena | Thomas Assembly Center (Capacity: 8,000) | |||
| Nickname | Lady Techsters | |||
| Colors | Columbia blue and red[1] | |||
| Uniforms | ||||
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| NCAA tournament champions | ||||
| 1982, 1988 | ||||
| NCAA tournament runner-up | ||||
| 1983, 1987, 1994, 1998 | ||||
| NCAA tournament Final Four | ||||
| 1982, 1983, 1984, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1994, 1998, 1999 | ||||
| NCAA tournament Elite Eight | ||||
| 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 | ||||
| NCAA tournament Sweet Sixteen | ||||
| 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004 | ||||
| NCAA tournament appearances | ||||
| 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2011 | ||||
| AIAW tournament champions | ||||
| 1981 | ||||
| AIAW tournament runner-up | ||||
| 1979 | ||||
| AIAW tournament Final Four | ||||
| 1979, 1980, 1981 | ||||
| AIAW tournament Elite Eight | ||||
| 1979, 1980, 1981 | ||||
| AIAW tournament Sweet Sixteen | ||||
| 1979, 1980, 1981 | ||||
| AIAW tournament appearances | ||||
| 1979, 1980, 1981 | ||||
| Conference tournament champions | ||||
| American South: 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991 Sun Belt: 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 WAC: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2010 | ||||
| Conference regular season champions | ||||
| American South: 1988, 1989, 1990 Sun Belt: 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 WAC: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011 | ||||
| Conference division season champions | ||||
| C-USA: 2022 | ||||
Sonja Hogg Era (1974–1982)
In 1974, Louisiana Tech President F. Jay Taylor established the university's first women's athletic program, a women's basketball team. He hired a 28-year-old P.E. teacher at Ruston High School, Sonja Hogg, as the program's first head coach. Following 13- and 19-win seasons in 1974 and 1975, she never won less than 20 games in a season for the rest of her time at Louisiana Tech. The late 70s and early 80s saw much success, with Hogg leading the Lady Techsters to 4 straight Final Four appearances from 1978 to 1981, including 2 national championships in 1980 and 1981.
Hogg-Barmore Era (1982–1985)
Leon Barmore joined the Lady Techster staff in 1977 as an assistant, quickly moving up the ranks. After becoming Associate Head Coach in 1980, he was named co-head coach in 1982. With this duo leading, Tech saw continued dominance, including 3 straight trips to the NCAA tournament, 2 Final Four appearances, and 1 appearance in the final match. Following the 1985 season, Hogg left to coach at Deer Park High School, leaving Barmore solely in charge of the program.
Leon Barmore Era (1985–2002)
Following Sonja Hogg's departure, Leon Barmore once again continued the dominance of previous years. During 16 years as the sole head coach, Barmore coached the Techsters to the NCAA tournament every season, 7 Final Four appearances, 4 more trips to the final round, and 1 additional national title during the 1987–1988 season. He also successfully navigated the Techsters through conference moves to the American South, Sun Belt, and WAC; winning 13 regular-season conference titles. Retiring after the 2001 season, Barmore had earned a coaching record of 576 wins and 87 losses, good for a win percentage of .869 and the 2nd best in basketball history. He has been inducted into both the Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.
Kurt Budke Era (2002–2005)
After Barmore's retirement, Kurt Budke was named as head coach of the Lady Techsters. Budke had served as an associate head coach under Barmore since 2000 and had previously coached successfully in the NJCAA. In his 3 years as head coach, the Techsters earned 3 regular season conference titles, 2 conference tournament titles, 3 NCAA tournament appearances, and 2 Sweet Sixteen appearances. Following the 2004–2005 season, Budke was hired by Oklahoma State to fill the same position. He left Ruston with an 80–16 record.
Chris Long Era (2005–2009)
Chris Long, another assistant who had been on staff under Barmore, was named as the 4th Lady Techsters head coach in 2005. While he started his tenure continuing the dominance of previous coaches, including 2 regular season conference titles and 1 NCAA tournament appearance, he was fired halfway into the 2008–2009 season after a 12–11 start.[4] This followed a 16–15 season in 2007–2008 where Tech failed to play in the postseason for the second season in a row. He left the Techsters with a 71–44 record.
Teresa Weatherspoon Era (2009–2014)
After Chris Long was fired midway into the 2008–2009 season, Teresa Weatherspoon was named Interim head coach, later becoming the 5th head coach of the Lady Techsters. Previously, she had played under Sonja Hogg and Leon Barmore from 1984 to 1988 and had been an associate head coach at Louisiana Tech since 2008. As head coach, she led the Techsters to 2 regular season conference titles, 1 conference tournament title in 2009–2010, and 2 NCAA tournament appearances. Following Louisiana Tech's move from the WAC to Conference USA in 2013, Weatherspoon was fired after a 12–20 season where the Lady Techsters finished last in the conference.
Tyler Summitt Era (2014–2016)
Tyler Summitt was hired in 2014 following Teresa Weatherspoon's firing. Previously he served as an assistant coach at Marquette from 2012 to 2014. Summitt gathered a 30–31 record during his tenure in Ruston. His time as head coach was marked by scandal, however, as news broke that he was involved in an extramarital affair with Brooke Pumroy, a player who had transferred from Marquette along with Summitt. After this affair was leaked, Summitt resigned on April 7, 2016.[5]
Brooke Stoehr Era (since 2016)
Brooke Stoehr was hired to be the next head coach of the Lady Techsters following Tyler Summitt's resignation in April 2016.[6] Previously, she coached for 4 seasons at Northwestern State. Before that, she played at Tech for 4 seasons from 1998 to 2002 under Leon Barmore. Currently, in her eighth season as head coach, she has led the Techsters to 4 WNIT bids, and 1 division regular season conference title.
- 1974–1987: Independent
- 1987–1991: American South Conference
- 1991–2001: Sun Belt Conference
- 2001–2013: Western Athletic Conference
- 2013–present: Conference USA
| Season | Coach | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sonja Hogg (Independent) (1974–1982) | |||||||||
| 1974–75 | Sonja Hogg | 13–9 | AIAW State | ||||||
| 1975–76 | Sonja Hogg | 19–10 | AIAW State | ||||||
| 1976–77 | Sonja Hogg | 22–9 | AIAW Region 4 | ||||||
| 1977–78 | Sonja Hogg | 20–8 | AIAW Region 4 | ||||||
| 1978–79 | Sonja Hogg | 34–4 | AIAW Finalists | ||||||
| 1979–80 | Sonja Hogg | 40–5 | AIAW Final Four | ||||||
| 1980–81 | Sonja Hogg | 34–0 | AIAW Champions | ||||||
| 1981–82 | Sonja Hogg | 35–1 | NCAA Champions | ||||||
| Sonja Hogg/Leon Barmore (Independent) (1982–1985) | |||||||||
| 1982–83 | Hogg/Barmore | 31–2 | NCAA Finalists | ||||||
| 1983–84 | Hogg/Barmore | 30–3 | NCAA Final Four | ||||||
| 1984–85 | Hogg/Barmore | 29–4 | NCAA Elite Eight | ||||||
| Sonja Hogg: | 307–55 (.848) | ||||||||
| Leon Barmore (Independent) (1985–1987) | |||||||||
| 1985–86 | Leon Barmore | 27–5 | NCAA Elite Eight | ||||||
| 1986–87 | Leon Barmore | 30–3 | NCAA Finalists | ||||||
| Leon Barmore (American South Conference) (1987–1991) | |||||||||
| 1987–88 | Leon Barmore | 32–2 | 5–0 | 1st | NCAA Champions | ||||
| 1988–89 | Leon Barmore | 24–6 | 13–2 | 1st | NCAA Final Four | ||||
| 1989–90 | Leon Barmore | 25–6 | 14–2 | 1st | NCAA Final Four | ||||
| 1990–91 | Leon Barmore | 29–5 | 14–2 | 2nd | NCAA First Round | ||||
| Leon Barmore (Sun Belt Conference) (1991–2001) | |||||||||
| 1991–92 | Leon Barmore | 20–10 | 12–4 | T–3rd | NCAA 1st Round | ||||
| 1992–93 | Leon Barmore | 26–6 | 13–1 | T–1st | NCAA Elite Eight | ||||
| 1993–94 | Leon Barmore | 31–4 | 14–0 | 1st | NCAA Final Four | ||||
| 1994–95 | Leon Barmore | 28–5 | 13–1 | 1st | NCAA Sweet Sixteen | ||||
| 1995–96 | Leon Barmore | 31–2 | 14–0 | 1st | NCAA Final Elite Eight | ||||
| 1996–97 | Leon Barmore | 31–4 | 12–2 | T–1st | NCAA Sweet Sixteen | ||||
| 1997–98 | Leon Barmore | 31–4 | 13–1 | 1st | NCAA Finalists | ||||
| 1998–99 | Leon Barmore | 30–3 | 12–0 | T–1st | NCAA Final Four | ||||
| 1999–2000 | Leon Barmore | 31–3 | 16–0 | 1st | NCAA Elite Eight | ||||
| 2000–01 | Leon Barmore | 31–5 | 16–0 | 1st | NCAA Elite Eight | ||||
| Leon Barmore (WAC) (2001–2002) | |||||||||
| 2001–02 | Leon Barmore | 25–5 | 17–1 | 1st | NCAA First Round | ||||
| Leon Barmore: | 576–87 (.869) | 186–13 (.935) | |||||||
| Kurt Budke (WAC) (2002–2005) | |||||||||
| 2002–03 | Kurt Budke | 31–3 | 18–0 | 1st | NCAA Sweet Sixteen | ||||
| 2003–04 | Kurt Budke | 29–3 | 17–1 | 1st | NCAA Sweet Sixteen | ||||
| 2004–05 | Kurt Budke | 20–10 | 14–4 | T–1st | NCAA First Round | ||||
| Kurt Budke: | 80–16 (.833) | 49–5 (.907) | |||||||
| Chris Long (WAC) (2005–2008) | |||||||||
| 2005–06 | Chris Long | 26–5 | 15–1 | 1st | NCAA First Round | ||||
| 2006–07 | Chris Long | 17–13 | 12–4 | T–1st | Declined WNIT Bid | ||||
| 2007–08 | Chris Long | 16–15 | 9–7 | T–4th | |||||
| Chris Long/Teresa Weatherspoon (WAC) (2008–2009) | |||||||||
| 2008–09 | Long/Weatherspoon | 21–13 | 12–4 | T–1st | WNIT Second Round | ||||
| Chris Long: | 71–44 (.617) | 40–16 (.714) | |||||||
| Teresa Weatherspoon (WAC) (2009–2013) | |||||||||
| 2009–10 | Teresa Weatherspoon | 23–9 | 11–5 | 2nd | NCAA First Round | ||||
| 2010–11 | Teresa Weatherspoon | 24–8 | 15–1 | 1st | NCAA First Round | ||||
| 2011–12 | Teresa Weatherspoon | 17–15 | 8–6 | 3rd | |||||
| 2012–13 | Teresa Weatherspoon | 14–17 | 9–9 | 5th | |||||
| Teresa Weatherspoon (Conference USA) (2013–2014) | |||||||||
| 2013–14 | Teresa Weatherspoon | 12–20 | 5–11 | 14th | |||||
| Teresa Weatherspoon: | 99–71 (.582) | 56–32 (.636) | |||||||
| Tyler Summitt (Conference USA) (2014–2016) | |||||||||
| 2014–15 | Tyler Summitt | 16–15 | 10–8 | T–7th | |||||
| 2015–16 | Tyler Summitt | 14–16 | 9–9 | 7th | |||||
| Tyler Summitt: | 30–31 (.492) | 14–16 (.467) | |||||||
| Brooke Stoehr (Conference USA) (2016–present) | |||||||||
| 2016–17 | Brooke Stoehr | 18–14 | 12–6 | T–4th | WNIT First Round | ||||
| 2017–2018 | Brooke Stoehr | 19–12 | 10–6 | T–3rd | WNIT First Round | ||||
| 2018–19 | Brooke Stoehr | 14–16 | 6–10 | 10th | |||||
| 2019–20 | Brooke Stoehr | 15-15 | 6–12 | T–11th | |||||
| 2020–21 | Brooke Stoehr | 14–10 | 8–8 | 4th West | |||||
| 2021–22 | Brooke Stoehr | 21–12 | 11–7 | 1st West | WNIT First Round | ||||
| 2022–23 | Brooke Stoehr | 19-13 | 12–8 | 5th | WNIT First Round | ||||
| 2023–24 | Brooke Stoehr | 14-19 | 7-9 | 4th | |||||
| Brooke Stoehr: | 134–111 (.547) | 72–66 (.522) | |||||||
| Total: | 1207–406 (.748) | ||||||||
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National champion
Postseason invitational champion
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AIAW Division I
The Lady Techsters made three appearances in the AIAW women's basketball tournament, with a combined record of 9–3.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals National Championship |
Kansas Northwestern Tennessee Old Dominion |
W, 100–61 W, 88–52 W, 102–84 L, 65–75 |
| 1980 | Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals Third Place Game |
Kansas Long Beach State Old Dominion South Carolina |
W, 81–73 W, 96–70 L, 59–73 L, 69–77 |
| 1981 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals National Championship |
Jackson State UCLA USC Tennessee |
W, 97–50 W, 87–54 W, 66–50 W, 79–59 |
NCAA Division I
| Year | Seed | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | #1 | First Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four Title Game | #8 Tennessee Tech #4 Arizona State #2 Kentucky #2 Tennessee #2 Cheyney | W 114–53 W 92–54 W 82–60 W 69–46 W 76–62 |
| 1983 | #1 | First Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four Title Game | #8 Middle Tennessee #5 Auburn #2 Texas #2 Old Dominion #1 USC | W 91–59 W 81–54 W 72–58 W 71–55 L 67–69 |
| 1984 | #1 | First Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four | #8 Texas Tech #5 LSU #2 Texas #1 USC | W 94–68 W 92–67 W 85–60 L 57–62 |
| 1985 | #1 | First Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight | #8 Illinois State #5 San Diego State #2 Northeast Louisiana | W 81–57 W 94–64 L 76–85 |
| 1986 | #2 | Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight | #7 Washington #3 Long Beach State #1 USC | W 79–54 W 71–69 L 64–80 |
| 1987 | #1 | Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four Title Game | #8 Northwestern #5 Southern Illinois #3 Iowa #1 Texas #2 Tennessee | W 82–60 W 66–53 W 66–65 W 79–75 L 44–67 |
| 1988 | #2 | Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four Title Game | #7 Kansas #3 Ole Miss #1 Texas #1 Tennessee #1 Auburn | W 89–50 W 80–60 W 83–80 W 68–59 W 56–54 |
| 1989 | #1 | Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four | #9 Oklahoma State #4 LSU #2 Stanford #1 Auburn | W 103–78 W 85–68 W 85–75 L 71–76 |
| 1990 | #1 | Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four | #8 Southern Miss #4 Purdue #3 Texas #2 Auburn | W 89–70 W 91–47 W 71–57 L 69–81 |
| 1991 | #10 | First Round | #7 Cal State Fullerton | L 80–84 |
| 1992 | #6 | First Round | #11 Northern Illinois | L 71–77 (OT) |
| 1993 | #6 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight | #11 DePaul #3 Texas #7 Southwest Missouri State #1 Vanderbilt | W 70–59 W 82–78 W 59–43 L 53–58 |
| 1994 | #4 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four Title Game | #13 SMU #6 Ole Miss #1 Tennessee #2 USC #6 Alabama #3 North Carolina | W 96–62 W 82–67 W 71–68 W 75–66 W 69–66 L 59–60 |
| 1995 | #2 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen | #15 Furman #7 Oklahoma #3 Virginia | W 90–52 W 48–36 L 62–63 |
| 1996 | #1 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight | #16 UCF #9 Southern Miss #4 Texas Tech #2 Georgia | W 98–41 W 84–46 W 66–55 L 76–90 |
| 1997 | #2 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen | #15 Saint Peter's #7 Auburn #3 Florida | W 94–50 W 74–48 L 57–71 |
| 1998 | #3 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four Title Game | #14 Holy Cross #6 Clemson #2 Alabama #4 Purdue #4 NC State #1 Tennessee | W 86–58 W 74–52 W 71–57 W 72–65 W 84–65 L 75–93 |
| 1999 | #1 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four | #16 UCF #8 Penn State #4 LSU #3 UCLA #1 Purdue | W 90–48 W 79–62 W 73–52 W 88–62 L 63–77 |
| 2000 | #1 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight | #16 Alcorn State #9 Vanderbilt #4 Old Dominion #2 Penn State | W 95–53 W 66–65 W 86–74 L 65–86 |
| 2001 | #3 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight | #14 Georgia State #11 TCU #10 Missouri #1 Connecticut | W 84–48 W 80–59 W 78–67 L 48–67 |
| 2002 | #5 | First Round | #12 UC Santa Barbara | L 56–57 |
| 2003 | #5 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen | #12 Pepperdine #4 Ohio State #1 LSU | W 94–60 W 74–61 L 63–69 |
| 2004 | #5 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen | #12 Montana #4 Texas Tech #1 Duke | W 81–77 W 81–64 L 49–63 |
| 2005 | #11 | First Round | #6 Temple | L 61–66 |
| 2006 | #11 | First Round | #6 Florida State | L 71–80 |
| 2010 | #14 | First Round | #3 Florida State | L 61–75 |
| 2011 | #10 | First Round | #7 Rutgers | L 51–76 |
Fresno State Bulldogs
| Games played | First meeting | Last meeting | La Tech wins | La Tech losses | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 | November 24, 1995 (won 77–59) | March 10, 2012 (lost 61–89) | 17 | 12 | 58.6% |
LSU Lady Tigers
| Games played | First meeting | Last meeting | La Tech wins | La Tech losses | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 | January 24, 1975 (won 97–83) | November 11, 2016 (lost 73–77) | 14 | 17 | 45.2% |
Tennessee Lady Vols
| Games played | First meeting | Last meeting | La Tech wins | La Tech losses | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 41 | December 16, 1978 (won 64–56) | November 23, 2008 (lost 59–94) | 17 | 24 | 41.5% |
WKU Lady Toppers
| Games played | First meeting | Last meeting | La Tech wins | La Tech losses | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 53 | December 3, 1983 (won 82–50) | February 23, 2023 (won 70–65) | 28 | 25 | 52.83% |
Thomas Assembly Center
The Thomas Assembly Center (TAC) has been home to the Lady Techsters basketball team since the 8,000-seat facility opened in November 1982. Constructed at a cost of $17.5 million, the TAC is a cylindrical arena with a concrete finish and bronze glass at the entrance level. In 2007 a new state-of-the-art maple wood floor was installed in the TAC and named "Karl Malone Court."
In the Lady Techsters' first game at the TAC, Louisiana Tech lost to USC, led by Cheryl Miller and Cynthia Cooper, 64–58 in front of 8,700 fans on December 4, 1982. However, the Lady Techsters picked up their first win at the TAC in their next game by defeating Alabama 83–56 on December 9, 1982.
On January 22, 1985, Louisiana Tech set an attendance record of 8,975 at the TAC in a women's/men's doubleheader in which the Lady Techsters defeated Northeast Louisiana 79–77 in overtime. The Lady Techsters have hosted 15 crowds of more than 7,000 and eight capacity crowds of more than 8,000. The Lady Techsters regularly rank in the Top 40 in NCAA women's basketball average attendance, including a program record average of 5,330 in 1983–84.
The Lady Techsters have been almost unbeatable at the TAC. As of the 2022–23 season, the Lady Techsters boast a 522–106 record at the TAC, an 83.1% winning percentage. The Lady Techsters have recorded thirteen undefeated seasons at the TAC, and is a perfect 36–0 all-time in NCAA tournament games there. The Lady Techsters won 161 consecutive games against unranked opponents at home from 1992 to 2004, and the Lady Techsters won 114 consecutive regular season home conference games between 1992 and 2007; and have posted home winning streaks of 49, 52 and 62 games, all of which rank in the Top 15 in Division I history.
Memorial Gymnasium
In 1952, Memorial Gymnasium, now Scotty Robertson Memorial Gymnasium, was constructed on the Louisiana Tech University campus in Ruston to serve as the home of the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs basketball. After the inception of the Lady Techsters basketball team in 1974, Memorial Gymnasium was home to Lady Techster basketball through the 1981–82 season. In the first game in program history, the Lady Techsters lost to Southeastern Louisiana 55–59 in Memorial Gym on January 7, 1975. However, in their next game, the Lady Techsters rebounded to defeat LSU 97–83 to christen Memorial Gym with the first victory in Louisiana Tech women's basketball history on January 24, 1975.
During the 1979–80 season, more than 5,000 fans routinely packed inside Memorial Gym to watch the Lady Techsters play, and Louisiana Tech's attendance peaked at 6,220 for UCLA and 6,314 for Stephen F. Austin. After that season, the Louisiana State Fire Marshall ordered Louisiana Tech to not allow more than 5,200 spectators into Memorial Gym again. If Louisiana Tech did not comply, the fire marshal vowed to personally count the crowd and not let more than 4,800 enter Memorial Gym again. As a result, Louisiana Tech President F. Jay Taylor initiated the construction of the 8,000 capacity Thomas Assembly Center.
In the Lady Techsters' final game played in Memorial Gym, Louisiana Tech defeated Kentucky 82–60 on March 20, 1982, in the Midwest regional final of the first NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament. Throughout the eight seasons the Lady Techsters played in Memorial Gymnasium, Louisiana Tech amassed 84 wins and only 6 losses at home. The Lady Techsters' 93.3% winning percentage at Memorial Gym ranks third best all-time only trailing Tennessee at Thompson–Boling Arena (94.2%) and Connecticut at Gampel Pavilion (93.7%).
Lady Techsters
I just didn't want us to be the Lady Bulldogs. I could hear people saying, "There comes Coach Hogg and all of her little b!+¢#ə$."
When Sonja Hogg was hired in 1974 as the first women's basketball coach, she refused to call her team the Lady Bulldogs after the Louisiana Tech men's nickname. She asserted that bulldogs were "unfeminine" and that "a lady dog is a b!+¢#." For that reason, her first initiative as head coach was to nix the nickname Bulldogs from any connection with her team. Thus, Hogg decided to change her team's nickname to the Lady Techsters.
Hogg would not allow her Lady Techsters to wear knee or elbow pads because they were unladylike. A 1986 Sports Illustrated article stated, "A Lady Techster is likely to be a good student and a devout Christian, probably favors needlepoint over Madonna tapes on airplanes and fears a drug test about as much as she does an airport metal detector." The same article stated that Hogg's insistence that her players act like ladies gave the team an "almost antebellum image" that was well-suited to a conservative town like Ruston.[8]
Columbia Blue
In 1896, Col. A.T. Prescott, president of what was then Louisiana Polytechnic Institute, announced the selection of red and blue as the institution's colors. Red was chosen to represent courage, and blue was selected to embody loyalty. In the 1960s, Columbia blue was introduced to Louisiana Tech in various applications. In 1974, Sonja Hogg, along with the head of the university's art department, Raymond Nichols, presented various shades of blue to the athletics council, and Hogg's preference of Columbia blue was adopted as the primary color of the Lady Techsters. Prior to 2003, the university's teams, departments, and organizations used various shades of blue ranging from light blue to dark blue. Yet in 2003, Louisiana Tech standardized its shade of blue by adopting reflex blue as the official hue. However, due to Louisiana Tech's rich tradition in women's basketball, the Lady Techsters basketball team was granted the only exemption to not adopt reflex blue and was allowed to continue to use the traditional Columbia blue. While other teams have since used Columbia blue in limited capacity, the shade is still mostly synonymous with the women's basketball team.
Jersey Sleeves
In 1974, Sonja Hogg designed the Lady Techster jerseys with modest sleeves to avoid her players showing sports bra straps (or before their invention, regular bra straps) or underarms. As Lady Techster basketball rose to national prominence, the jersey sleeves became recognized as part of the Lady Techster brand. Sleeves remained a staple of the Lady Techsters jerseys throughout Leon Barmore's tenure as head coach. After Barmore retired in 2002, new head coach Kurt Budke introduced the first Lady Techsters sleeveless jerseys at the behest of the players.
Hoop Troop
Hoop Troop is the official basketball pep band at Louisiana Tech University. The Hoop Troop performs at most women's basketball home games and travels to select road basketball games. The band also usually travels to all post-season games played by the Lady Techsters, and is known nationally as one of the best basketball bands in college basketball. In the 2005 post-season, the Hoop Troop was featured in a Sports Illustrated's College Edition article, "65 Things We Want to See During March Madness" in which states, "30) The Louisiana Tech pep band, a.k.a. the Hoop Troop, the funniest band in the land."[9] The Hoop Troop was the only basketball band to be listed.
Honors
Wade Trophy
Three Lady Techsters have been awarded the Wade Trophy, the award presented annually to the best women's basketball player in the NCAA. Connecticut is the only program to have more than three players awarded the Wade Trophy.
- Pam Kelly, 1982
- Janice Lawrence Braxton, 1984
- Teresa Weatherspoon, 1988
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
- Teresa Weatherspoon, inducted in 2019
- Kim Mulkey, inducted in 2020
- Leon Barmore, inducted in 2003
Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
- Pam Kelly, 2007
- Janice Lawrence Braxton, 2006
- Kim Mulkey, 2000
- Teresa Weatherspoon, 2010
- Mickie DeMoss, 2018
- Leon Barmore, 2003
All-Americans
Eleven Lady Techsters have been awarded 16 Kodak First Team All-America honors.
- Pam Kelly, 1980-1981-1982
- Angela Turner, 1982
- Janice Lawrence Braxton, 1983–1984
- Pam Gant, 1985
- Teresa Weatherspoon, 1987–1988
- Nora Lewis, 1989
- Venus Lacy, 1990
- Vickie Johnson, 1995–1996
- Debra Williams, 1996
- Amanda Wilson, 1999
- Tamicha Jackson, 2000
Conference player of the year
Fourteen Lady Techsters have garnered 19 conference player of the year honors.
- Teresa Weatherspoon, 1988
- Venus Lacy, 1989–1990
- Shantel Hardison, 1992
- Pam Thomas, 1994
- Vickie Johnson, 1995–1996
- Alisa Burras, 1997
- Amanda Wilson, 1998–1999
- Betty Lennox, 2000
- Cheryl Ford, 2002–2003
- Amisha Carter, 2004
- Tasha Williams, 2005
- Shan Moore, 2007
- Shanavia Dowdell, 2009–2010
- Adrienne Johnson, 2011
Olympic medalists
Lady Techsters have won five Olympic Games medals.
Lady Techsters in the WNBA
Twenty-one former Lady Techsters have been drafted or played in the WNBA. Numerous Lady Techsters have played professional basketball overseas.
Head coaching records
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| # | Name | Years | Seasons | GC | OW | OL | O% | CW | CL | C% | PW | PL | RCs | TCs | NCs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sonja Hogg | 1974–1985 | 11 | 362 | 307 | 55 | .848 | — | — | — | 56 | 16 | — | — | 2 |
| 2 | Leon Barmore | 1982–2002 | 20 | 663 | 576 | 87 | .869 | 186 | 13 | .935 | 56 | 19 | 13 | 12 | 1 |
| 3 | Kurt Budke | 2002–2005 | 3 | 96 | 80 | 16 | .833 | 49 | 5 | .907 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 4 | Chris Long | 2005–2009 | 3.7 | 115 | 71 | 44 | .617 | 40 | 16 | .714 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 5 | Teresa Weatherspoon | 2009–2014 | 5.3 | 170 | 99 | 71 | .582 | 56 | 32 | .636 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 6 | Tyler Summitt | 2014–2016 | 2 | 61 | 30 | 31 | .492 | 19 | 17 | .528 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | Brooke Stoehr | 2016–present | 8 | 245 | 134 | 111 | .547 | 72 | 66 | .522 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Honors
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
- Leon Barmore, inducted in 2003
Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
- Leon Barmore, inducted in 2003
- Sonja Hogg, inducted in 2009
- Kurt Budke, inducted in 2014
Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year
- Leon Barmore: 1988
USBWA Women's National Coach of the Year
- Leon Barmore: 1996
Maggie Dixon Award
- Teresa Weatherspoon: 2010
Conference coach of the year
- Leon Barmore: 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999
- Kurt Budke: 2003, 2004
- Chris Long: 2006
Leon Barmore coaching tree
Nine former assistant coaches under head coach Leon Barmore have become head women's basketball coaches.
- Gary Blair: Stephen F. Austin, Arkansas, Texas A&M
- Kurt Budke: Louisiana Tech, Oklahoma State
- Kristy Curry: Purdue, Texas Tech, Alabama
- Nell Fortner: Purdue, Team USA, Indiana Fever, Auburn
- Stacy Johnson-Klein: Fresno State
- Chris Long: Louisiana Tech
- Kim Mulkey: Baylor, LSU
- Christie Sides: Indiana Fever
- Jennifer White: St. Edward's
Lady Techsters in coaching
Nine former Lady Techsters have become head women's basketball coaches.
- Amy Brown: Tennessee Tech
- Mickie DeMoss: Florida, Kentucky
- Vickie Johnson: San Antonio Stars, Dallas Wings
- Angela Lawson: Incarnate Word
- Kim Mulkey: Baylor, LSU
- Christie Sides: Indiana Fever
- Brooke Lassiter Stoehr: Northwestern State, Louisiana Tech (current)
- Teresa Weatherspoon: Louisiana Tech
- Jennifer White: St. Edward's
- List of teams with the most victories in NCAA Division I women's college basketball
- NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament bids by school
- NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship
- 1981 AIAW National Division I Basketball Championship
- 1982 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament
- 1988 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament
- AIAW women's basketball tournament
- WAC women's basketball tournament
- Sun Belt women's basketball tournament
- Louisiana Tech Bulldogs basketball
- Louisiana Tech University Identity Standards. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
- "Louisiana Tech hires Brooke Stoehr to be new head coach". Hoopfeed.com. April 18, 2016. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
- "Lady Techsters Celebrate 50 Years With 1,200th Program Win". Louisiana Tech Sports. January 6, 2024. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
- "Chris Long Fired As Lady Techsters Head Coach". KTBS. February 8, 2009. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
- Connelly, Kevin (April 7, 2016). "Summitt out at La. Tech after engaging in relationship". The News-Star Louisiana. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
- "Louisiana Tech hires Brooke Stoehr to replace Summitt". USA Today. April 8, 2016. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
- Jim Rapier (June 24, 2009), Sonja Hogg built the Louisiana Tech women's basketball program into a powerhouse, The Times-Picayune, archived from the original on July 14, 2011, retrieved August 13, 2010
- "Belles Of The Ball". Sports Illustrated. November 19, 1986. Retrieved August 2, 2009.
- "SI.com – SI on Campus – 65 Things We Want to See During March Madness – Wednesday March 9, 2005 10:12AM". Archived from the original on October 26, 2012. Retrieved April 26, 2010.
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