Sports are typically known as a male-dominated field, especially when it comes to coaching. According to High School Coach Demographics, more than 46,000 high school coaches are currently employed in the United States. Of that, 33.2% are women and 63.5% are men. Therefore it’s all the more important to recognize some of the women who have made an impact in sports today. Here are some of the greatest female coaches in high school athletics.
Louise Crocco
Louise Crocco was a volleyball coach at Cardinal Gibbons High School in Fort Lauderdale, FL. The team was the all-time leader in volleyball wins in Florida with 1,132 and just 113 losses. Crocco also coached girls basketball and softball. She had a combined 1,452 career wins in the three sports.
According to the Sun-Sentinel, Crocco graduated from Gibbons in 1965 and returned to the school in 1969 as a health and physical education teacher. When she learned that a lot of the school’s girls teams were being cut, she asked the administration if she could step in and coach volleyball, softball, and basketball. In 1981, she became one of the first women in Broward County to be named an athletic director.
Crocco has won many state championships, most notably in volleyball. She went on to win 18 state championships, 31 district titles, 25 regional titles, and 15 sectional titles. Crocco has also received many honors including National High School Hall of Fame inductee, four-time National Coach of the Year in volleyball, and Florida High School Athletics Hall of Fame.
Marcia Ward
Marcia Ward was a volleyball coach at Westminster High School in Atlanta, GA. She was born in Georgia and attended Miller County High School. She graduated from Georgia Southern College with a B.S in Health and Physical Education. She went on to earn her master’s degree from Georgia State University. In 1974, began coaching at The Westminster Schools in Atlanta and remained there until her retirement in 2005.
Ward ranks among the state’s all-time wins leaders in volleyball with 844 wins and just 180 losses. Her teams won five state championships. She also wast named GACA Volleyball Coach of the Year eight times, and she became the first woman to be inducted into the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
Leta Andrews
Leta Andrews was a girls basketball coach at Granbury High School in Texas. No basketball coach, male or female, has won more games than Andrews, who retired with a 1,416-355 record. She reached the state final four tournament 16 times and won a state championship in 1990. Andrews grew up in Granbury and graduated from Granbury High School.
Andrews coached high school basketball for a total of 52 years. She served as head coach in the McDonald’s All-American Game and the Gatorade All-American, and was named High School Coach of the Year. Andrews was also inducted into the High School Basketball Hall of Fame, the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, and the Texas Sports Hall of Fame.
Jodi Manore
Jodi Manore was a volleyball coach at Bedford High School in Michigan. No coach has won more games in one sport than Manore, who has 2,099 victories at Bedford. According to the Michigan High School Coaches Association, Manore attended Bedford High School; during this time, no sports were offered for girls. Manore went on to attend Michigan State University, where she played on the intercollegiate volleyball team.
After graduation, she returned to Bedford High school to teach. Later on, Manore took over the varsity volleyball program, and her coaching skills quickly proved to be a success. The team went on to 22 semifinals appearances, three state championships, and five runner-up titles.
Manore received many honors including National Coach of the Year, and was inducted into the American Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame and the National High School Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame. These honors, along with a stellar career, are why she’s considered one of the greatest female coaches of all time.
Nola Ayres
Nola Ayres was a gymnastics coach for Sehome High School in Washington. Over her 25-year career, she lost only one match. Winning 26 league titles and 22 state championships with one of the nation’s top gymnastics programs, Ayres earned many notable awards. She was the National High School Coach of the Year and National Federation Coach of the Year. She was also inducted into the Western Washington Hall of Fame.
Lillian Shelton
Lastly, we have Lillian Shelton, a field hockey coach at Severna Park High School in Maryland. Shelton ranks as one of the winningest field hockey coaches of all time. She posted a record of 544-60-10 over the course of 40 years and led the Falcons to 20 state championships.
Shelton received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama and eventually relocated to Severna Park. According to the National Field Hockey Coaches Association, Shelton was hired as a physical education teacher and was known for advocating for girls sports and equal opportunities.
Throughout her career, she led her team to 29 regional championships and 20 state titles, putting Severna High School at the top of the NFHS most-wins list. Shelton’s record-breaking success earned her a spot in the NFHCA Hall of Fame.
These women have earned their titles as the greatest female coaches in high school sports. Their prolific contributions and dedication to their sport have been an inspiration to many, and they have opened many doors for young women and future female coaches to come.
