Lin Dunn

Last updated
Lin Dunn
Lin Dunn.JPG
Indiana Fever
PositionGM
LeagueWNBA
Personal information
Born (1947-05-10) May 10, 1947 (age 75)
Dresden, Tennessee, U.S.
Career information
College Tennessee–Martin
Coaching career1970–present
Career history
As coach:
1970–1976 Austin Peay State
1977–1978 Ole Miss
1978–1987 Miami (FL)
1987–1996 Purdue
1997–1998 Portland Power
2000–2002 Seattle Storm
2004–2007 Indiana Fever (assistant)
2008–2014 Indiana Fever
2016–2022 Kentucky (assistant/spec asst)
2022–Present Indiana Fever (General Manager)
Career highlights and awards
Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
Medals
Women’s Basketball
Head coach for Flag of the United States.svg  United States
William Jones Cup
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 1995 Taipei Team Competition
Assistant coach for Flag of the United States.svg  United States
Olympic Games
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 1992 Barcelona Team Competition
FIBA World Championship for Women
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1990 Kuala Lumpur Team Competition
Goodwill Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1990 Seattle Team Competition

Lin Dunn (born May 10, 1947) [1] is an American women's basketball coach, currently general manager with the Indiana Fever. [2] She is most known for being the first coach and general manager for the Seattle Storm. She has more than 500 wins to her name.

Contents

A native of Dresden, Tennessee, Dunn graduated from the University of Tennessee at Martin in 1969. She coached for decades in the college ranks, amassing a 447-257 record in 25 seasons as a college head coach. In her tenure at Austin Peay State University (1970–1976), the University of Mississippi (1977–1978), the University of Miami (1978–1987) and Purdue University (1987–1996), she made the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship seven times, and the Final Four once, in 1994 with Purdue. She is in the Athletics Hall of Fame at both Austin Peay and Miami. Dunn also was president of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association in 1984-85.

Dunn was abruptly fired at Purdue after the 1995-96 season, but resurfaced in the pros with the American Basketball League's Portland Power in 1996. She was ABL's coach of the year in 1998, right before that league folded. Dunn then became the first coach and GM of the expansion Seattle Storm in the ABL's rival, the WNBA. Her folksy southern personality was a hit in Urbane, Seattle, with fans often wearing Dunn masks and quoting her rustic aphorisms. The team started with a dismal 6-26 season.

Dunn left the Storm just as it was starting to have success. New superstars Lauren Jackson and Sue Bird led the team to the 2002 playoffs, where they were swept by the Los Angeles Sparks. Dunn then resigned, leaving the path open for Anne Donovan to build a championship team just two seasons later.

Dunn is a former head coach of the Indiana Fever. [3] Dunn won the WNBA championship with the Fever on October 21, 2012.

On May 6, 2014, Dunn announced her retirement from coaching at the end of the year.

On June 14, 2014, Dunn was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. [4]

On May 24, 2016, she was introduced as an assistant coach for Matthew Mitchell at Kentucky. [5] On May 26, 2017, UK Athletics announced that Coach Dunn had signed a one-year contract extension. [6]

In 2018, her role at Kentucky changed to special assistant to the head coach. [7]

On February 14, 2022, Dunn left her role at Kentucky to become Interim General Manager of the Indiana Fever. In explaining her decision, she stated, "I wouldn't come back to another franchise. This would be the only place that I would consider coming out of retirement for." [8] [2]

Dunn was named the permanent General Manager on January 20, 2023.

USA Basketball

In 1990, Dunn was the assistant coach for the USA National team at the World Championships in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The team, behind the 22 point per game scoring of Teresa Edwards, won all eight contests, with only the win over Cuba decided by single digits. The USA team faced Yugoslavia in the gold medal game, and won 88–78. [9]

In 1995, Dunn served as the head coach to the R. William Jones Cup Team. The competition was held in Taipei, Taiwan. The USA team won its first six games, but four of the six were won by single-digit margins. Their seventh game was against Russia, and they fell 100–84. The final game was against South Korea, and a victory would assure the gold medal, but the South Korean team won 80–76 to win the gold medal. The USA team won the bronze medal. [10]

Head coaching record

College

Statistics overview
SeasonTeamOverallConferenceStandingPostseason
Austin Peay Lady Governors (Ohio Valley Conference)(1970–1976)
Austin Peay:67–55 (.549)
Ole Miss Rebels (Southeastern Conference)(1977–1978)
1977–78Ole Miss 25–15N/AAIAW State Tournament Champion
AIAW Region III Runner-up
AIAW National Tournament
Ole Miss:25–15 (.625)
Miami Hurricanes (FAIAW)(1978–1982)
1978–79Miami (FL) 10–13N/A
1979–80Miami (FL) 18–16N/A
1980–81Miami (FL) 24–15N/A
1981–82Miami (FL) 19–10N/A
Miami Hurricanes (NCAA Division I independent)(1982–1987)
1982–83Miami (FL) 14–13N/A
1983–84Miami (FL) 19–12N/A
1984–85Miami (FL) 21–7N/A
1985–86Miami (FL) 9–18N/A
1986–87Miami (FL) 15–15N/A
Miami (FL):149–119 (.556)
Purdue Boilermakers (Big Ten Conference)(1987–1996)
1987–88Purdue 21–1013–53rdNWIT Second Place
1988–89Purdue 24–614–43rdNCAA Second Round (Bye)
1989–90Purdue 23–714–43rdNCAA Sweet Sixteen
1990–91Purdue 26–317–11stNCAA Second Round (Bye)
1991–92Purdue 23–714–42ndNCAA Sweet Sixteen
1992–93Purdue 16–118–106th
1993–94Purdue 29–516–2T-1stNCAA Final Four
1994–95Purdue 24–813–3T-1stNCAA Elite Eight
1995–96Purdue 20–1111–54thNCAA First Round
Purdue:206–68 (.752)
Total:447–257 (.635)

      National champion        Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion        Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion      Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

Professional

Legend
Regular seasonGGames coachedWGames wonLGames lostW–L %Win–loss %
PlayoffsPGPlayoff gamesPWPlayoff winsPLPlayoff lossesPW–L %Playoff win–loss %
TeamYearGWLW–L%FinishPGPWPLPW–L%Result
POR 1996–97 1899.5004th in West
POR 1997–98 442717.6141st in West202.000Lost Western Conference Semi-Finals
POR 1998 1394.692Season cancelled
SEA 2000 32626.1888th in West
SEA 2001 321022.3138th in West
SEA 2002 321715.5314th in West202.000Lost Western Conference Semi-Finals
IND 2008 341717.5004th in East312.333Lost Eastern Conference Semi-Finals
IND 2009 342212.6471st in East1064.600Lost WNBA Finals
IND 2010 342113.6183rd in East312.333Lost Eastern Conference Semi-Finals
IND 2011 342113.6181st in East633.500Lost Eastern Conference Finals
IND 2012 342212.6472nd in East1073.700Won WNBA Finals
IND 2013 341618.4714th in East422.500Lost Eastern Conference Finals
IND 2014 341618.4712nd in East532.600Lost Eastern Conference Finals
Career409213196.521452322.511

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References

  1. ↑ "Women's Basketball Coaches Career". NCAA. Retrieved 24 Sep 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Dunn says role as Fever GM her 'final final tour'". ESPN.com. 2022-02-24. Retrieved 2022-12-29.
  3. ↑ Lin Dunn Archived 2010-10-09 at the Wayback Machine . WNBA.com
  4. ↑ "Dunn Inducted to Women's Basketball Hall of Fame". www.purduesports.com. Archived from the original on 2016-08-15. Retrieved 2016-05-26.
  5. ↑ "Women's Basketball Hall of Famer Lin Dunn Joins Mitchell's Staff". UK Athletics. University of Kentucky. Archived from the original on 28 May 2016. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  6. ↑ "Lin Dunn Signs Contract Extension". UK Athletics. University of Kentucky. Archived from the original on 31 July 2017. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
  7. ↑ "Lin Dunn". University of Kentucky. Archived from the original on 26 March 2019. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  8. ↑ "Kentucky Women's Basketball". Twitter. Archived from the original on 2022-12-29. Retrieved 2022-12-29.
  9. ↑ "ELEVENTH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FOR WOMEN -- 1990". USA Basketball. Archived from the original on 14 September 2010. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
  10. ↑ "1995 WOMEN'S R. WILLIAM JONES CUP". USA Basketball. Archived from the original on 28 April 2013. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
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