Carolyn Peck, Hall of Fame

[#1florida]

Asking, because, I don't know. What qualifies Carolyn Peck for the Basketball Hall of Fame? Her NCAA coaching record was 129-87, one national championship at Purdue.

 

[hoopsnloops32]

I really dislike Carolyn Peck as an announcer.

 

[bballnut90]

Asking, because, I don't know. What qualifies Carolyn Peck for the Basketball Hall of Fame? Her NCAA coaching record was 129-87, one national championship at Purdue.

Coaching a team to a natty is HOF worthy on its own--every other coach who has won a title is in the HOF aside from Frese who will be in there one day. Not to mention Peck has been in coaching/broadcasting for 30+ years. She's been a prominent face for a long time. Definitely a worthy selection even if I don't love her as a broadcaster or think she was a top tier coach.

 

[GCKSFN4L]

Coaching a team to a natty is HOF worthy on its own--every other coach who has won a title is in the HOF aside from Frese who will be in there one day. Not to mention Peck has been in coaching/broadcasting for 30+ years. She's been a prominent face for a long time. Definitely a worthy selection even if I don't love her as a broadcaster or think she was a top tier coach.

This 100%, and to elaborate winning a national championship is extremely rare. I believe there have been only 15 or so coaches to have win it under the NCAA. Then you add her broadcasting work, she becomes an easy pick.

Not to mention Peck also holds the distinction of being the first black head coach to win a national championship. Which she has helped opened the doors along with C. Vivian Stringer helped opened the doors for more black female coaches to get an opportunity. Personally I'm glad Peck is getting her flowers and it's well deserved.

 

[cancontent]

This 100%, and to elaborate winning a national championship is extremely rare. I believe there have been only 15 or so coaches to have win it under the NCAA. Then you add her broadcasting work, she becomes an easy pick.

Not to mention Peck also holds the distinction of being the first black head coach to win a national championship. Which she has helped opened the doors along with C. Vivian Stringer helped opened the doors for more black female coaches to get an opportunity. Personally I'm glad Peck is getting her flowers and it's well deserved.

Same here.

 

[MSSportsGuy]

I don't have an issue with Peck but not sure I would put her in the WBHOF. Of course I'm the stick in the mud who tends to have very high expectations for the Naismith and WBHOF honors.

 

[Zanzman]

When they announced the list going into the hall they listed her as a cosch
Sorry 129 wins does mot warrant the hall

 

[Zanzman]

Asking, because, I don't know. What qualifies Carolyn Peck for the Basketball Hall of Fame? Her NCAA coaching record was 129-87, one national championship at

Coaching a team to a natty is HOF worthy on its own--every other coach who has won a title is in the HOF aside from Frese who will be in there one day. Not to mention Peck has been in coaching/broadcasting for 30+ years. She's been a prominent face for a long time. Definitely a worthy selection even if I don't love her as a broadcaster or think she was a top tier coach.

Almost the exact same record that Kevin Ollie had with the UConn men can't find ti many husky fans looking to put him in the hall

 

[bballnut90]

Almost the exact same record that Kevin Ollie had with the UConn men can't find ti many husky fans looking to put him in the hall

That comparison is apples and oranges. Peck is getting in for much more than just the national championship.

 

[Zanzman]

That comparison is apples and oranges. Peck is getting in for much more than just the national championship.

When announced they said she was getting in for coaching not other contributions I stand behind her record doesn’t warrant any hall induction

 

[bballnut90]

I don't have an issue with Peck but not sure I would put her in the WBHOF. Of course I'm the stick in the mud who tends to have very high expectations for the Naismith and WBHOF honors.

Naismith I agree considering only 1-2 WBB players/coaches make the cut most years. WBHOF is a bit less selective. Lots of inductees included who I don't think of as the best of the best but still made the cut largely due to longevity or name recognition: Valerie Still, Mickie Demoss, Ruth Riley, Kara Wolters, Natalie Williams, Sherri Coale, Michelle Edwards, Sue Wicks, Jen Rizzotti, Peggie Gillom, etc.

 

[MSSportsGuy]

Naismith I agree considering only 1-2 WBB players/coaches make the cut most years. WBHOF is a bit less selective. Lots of inductees included who I don't think of as the best of the best but still made the cut largely due to longevity or name recognition: Valerie Still, Mickie Demoss, Ruth Riley, Kara Wolters, Natalie Williams, Sherri Coale, Michelle Edwards, Sue Wicks, Jen Rizzotti, Peggie Gillom, etc.

Point taken and I know the WBHOF is much more open in regards to the things you mentioned. I visited there back in 2021 and had a great time. It was a fun afternoon and I enjoyed it. I recall looking at some of the names and wondering "HOF?" but I'm not on the committee and will never be.

I'm not really sure I'd put any one of those you listed other than Demoss in the HOF but there were some great players on that list.

 

[#1florida]

When announced they said she was getting in for coaching not other contributions I stand behind her record doesn’t warrant any hall induction

Her record 129-87, and she did not spend much time with any one school. Sorry, I don't see credentials that warrant HOF.

 

[CL82]

That comparison is apples and oranges. Peck is getting in for much more than just the national championship.

And what would that be, exactly?

 

[bballnut90]

And what would that be, exactly?

Her experience being an ESPN analyst for almost 2 decades and being a prominent face in women's basketball over that time period. She's been heavily involved in the sport for almost 40 years now. As a coach she was the national coach of the year in 1999 and led Purdue to a title going 34-1. She was the youngest coach to ever win a title and the first black coach to win a title. She went on to coach in the WNBA and at UF without much success and then became a well known analyst at ESPN. She's one of the most recognizable faces in the sport.

Kevin Ollie had an unremarkable playing career and led UCONN to a Cinderella title run as a 7 seed in 2014. Program immediately went down hill after and resulted in vacating 2 seasons of wins due to NCAA violations and his firing.


Side note--other factors like longevity, being the first to do something and just being a prominent face in your sport are all qualifying factors even if someone isn't the very best in their specific role. Looking at Rebecca Lobo's playing career alone, I don't think it's HOF worthy. She had a well acclaimed senior year at UCONN, a couple of good years in the WNBA before injury, and was a seldom used player on the 1996 Olympic team. That's borderline WBHOF at best. Now when you consider she was UCONN's first major star, the media darling of the well covered 96 Olympic team, one of the 3 prominent faces promoting the WNBA in its early years, and now a well respected analyst at ESPN for the past 18 years, there's no question she's a Hall of Famer and deservedly has spots in both the WBHOF and Naismith. There aren't many other people in the last 30 years who have been more important to the sport that Lobo has. It's far more than just her playing career, just like it is far more than Peck's coaching career that earns her a spot.

 

[CL82]

Her experience being an ESPN analyst for almost 2 decades and being a prominent face in women's basketball over that time period and heavily involved in the sport for almost 40 years now. As a coach she was the national coach of the year in 1999 and led Purdue to a title going 34-1. She was the youngest coach to ever win a title and the first black coach to win a title. She went on to coach in the WNBA at at UF without much success and then became a prominent analyst at ESPN. She's one of the most recognizable faces in the sport.

Kevin Ollie had an unremarkable playing career and led UCONN to a Cinderella title run as a 7 seed in 2014. Program immediately went down hill after and resulted in vacating 2 seasons of wins due to NCAA violations and his firing.


Side note--longevity, being the first and being a prominent face in your sport are all qualifying factor even if someone isn't the very best in their specific role. Looking at Rebecca Lobo's playing career alone, I don't think it's HOF worthy. She had a well acclaimed senior year at UCONN, a couple of good years in the WNBA before injury, and was a seldom used player on the 1996 Olympic team. Now when you consider she was UCONN's first major star, the media darling of the well covered 96 Olympic team, one of the 3 prominent faces promoting the WNBA in its early years, and now a well respected analyst at ESPN for 18 years, there's no question she's a Hall of Famer and deservedly has spots in both the WBHOF and Naismith. There aren't many other people in the last 30 years who have been more important to the sport that Lobo has. It's far more than just her playing career, just like it is far more than Peck's coaching career that earns her a spot.

She wasn’t inducted as a broadcaster, or for lifetime contributions, she was inducted as a coach. If you take away her national championship, which was the premise in your post (#9 above), then what are we talking about? Her 129-87 (.597) record isn’t HOF worthy.

It doesn’t particularly matter to me one way or the other, because the woman’s hall of fame can invite whoever they want, but your suggestion that she wasn’t invited because of her national championship doesn’t make any sense. It was groundbreaking.

 

[bballnut90]

She wasn’t inducted as a broadcaster, or for lifetime contributions, she was inducted as a coach. If you take away her national championship, which was the premise in your post (#9 above), then what are we talking about? Her 129-87 (.597) record isn’t HOF worthy.

It doesn’t particularly matter to me one way or the other, because the woman’s hall of fame can invite whoever they want, but your suggestion that she wasn’t invited because of her national championship doesn’t make any sense. It was groundbreaking.

I was replying to your comment on how the comparison between Peck and Ollie as HOF candidates is apples and oranges. Regardless, I agree the championship is a major reason why she was inducted, perhaps the most significant reason. I agree her coaching career isn't HOF worthy if you take it away and look solely at the 129-87 record.

 

[schmendrick]

Disregard the record. Forget her commentating and announcing. In winning the 1999 natty, Peck changed the goalposts on what was possible for Black women coaches. And she paid it forward, growing the game, and making her, imo, HOF-worthy.

This, from a 11/21 piece in Swish Appeal.

Carolyn Peck, Dawn Staley and the "net"-work of Black women coaches

Reflecting on her 1999 title, Peck noted, “When I was described as the first, that meant there was going to be a second.”
***
In 2015, she identified a potential second in Dawn Staley, who had begun to transform a long-middling South Carolina program into a burgeoning powerhouse. Peck shared a piece of her title-winning net with Staley. She later recalled telling Staley, “‘The only thing that I ask is that when you win yours, you pass it on, because you don’t ever have a first unless there’s going to be a second.’”
***
Last week, Staley made good on her promise. In fact, she made better than good.

Staley sent a piece of her 2017 net to every Black woman head coach in Division I women’s basketball.

 

[CL82]

I was replying to your comment on how the comparison between Peck and Ollie as HOF candidates is apples and oranges. Regardless, I agree the championship is a major reason why she was inducted, perhaps the most significant reason. I agree her coaching career isn't HOF worthy if you take it away and look solely at the 129-87 record.

No, you weren’t, because I didn’t say that.

I think it’s fair to question whether she is “Hall of Fame worthy” but, in the end, the only opinion who matters is that of the nominating committee. In the end, if we decide that she’s being nominated because of one national championship, then it is fair to compare her to others who have one national championship as to what makes them different. But no one is nominating Kevin Ollie to the women’s basketball Hall of Fame and no one is inviting either Ollie or Peck to the Naismith Hall of Fame.