Hall of Fame
During her tenure at Washington State (1948-75), Dorothea Coleman was one of the most respected advocates for girls’ and women’s sports in the nation. Much of her effort came long before the more modern Title IX emphasis. She was active in the Northwest College Women’s Sports Association, founded in the 1960s, an organization that provided sports competition for women on a regional basis before any comparable organization existed. Coleman was an early leader in rule changes regarding women’s sports and was active in other organizations at Washington State, including the University Senate and Academic Standards Committee. From her arrival in Pullman until 1962, she was the only coach for all women’s intercollegiate team sports. Her field hockey, volleyball and basketball teams were very successful during those years. With other coaches joining the staff and taking over field hockey and volleyball in 1962, “Dort” continued her success in basketball, finishing off a distinguished coaching career by winning the NCWSA title in 1971.
