Sue Gunter
Inducted:
2005
Stats
Born
May 22, 1939
Walnut Grove, Mississippi, U.S.
Died
August 4, 2005
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S.
Position
Coach
College
NA
Sue Gunter was a trailblazing architect of women’s basketball, whose career bridged the era of half-court amateur ball and the modern collegiate game. Most famously associated with LSU, Gunter spent 22 seasons in Baton Rouge, transforming the Lady Tigers into a perennial contender in the powerhouse SEC. She was known for her integrity, her "snow-white hair," and a fierce competitive spirit that earned her 708 career victories—making her the third-winningest coach in women’s history at the time of her retirement.
Gunter’s influence reached the global stage as the head coach of the 1980 U.S. Olympic Team, though the Moscow boycott tragically prevented her from competing for gold. She also served as an assistant on the 1976 Olympic team that won the first-ever silver medal in Montreal. Her coaching tree includes Hall of Famers like Pat Summitt, who considered Gunter a primary mentor. She was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2005.
Gunter's Awards and Records
- Women's Basketball Hall of Fame (2000)
- National Coach of the Year (1983)
- 2x SEC Coach of the Year (1997, 1999)
- Olympic Silver Medalist (1976 - Assistant Coach)
- WNIT Champion (1985)
- LSU Athletic Hall of Fame (Posthumous)
- Early leader for women in athletic administration
NBA Position
LSU (1982–2004)
NBA Stats
Seasons as Head Coach:
40 (1962–2004)
Career Record:
708–308 (.697)
LSU Program Record:
442–221 (Winningest in school history)
NCAA Tournament appearances:
9
NCAA Final Four:
1 (2004)
NCAA Elite Eight:
4
SEC Tournament Titles:
2 (1991, 2003)