Shelia A. Moorman (2001) - JMU Athletics Hall of Fame - James Madison University Athletics

Shelia A. Moorman

Induction:
2001

Shelia A. Moorman guided JMU basketball teams to unprecedented success in 15 seasons (1982-97). Her teams won more than 300 games, played in six NCAA Tournaments and won four conference titles. She engineered two of the bigger upsets in NCAA Tournament history -- a 1991 victory at top-ranked Penn State and a 1986 win at regionally top-seeded Virginia -- and her teams were the first JMU basketball squads to be ranked in the national Top 25 polls.
The Jacksonville, Fla., native and 1968 Brigham Young graduate built a successful program by teaching basic fundamentals and emphasizing team play. Four of Moorman's six NCAA Tournament teams (1986-89, 91, 96) advanced to the "Sweet 16" (1986-88, 91), and the Dukes won four straight Colonial Athletic Association Tournament titles (1986-89). Under Moorman, JMU averaged more than 20 wins per year and set school records for season wins (28), consecutive wins (21), best season winning percentage (28-4, .875), consecutive home wins (39), consecutive conference wins (46) and consecutive home conference wins (32). JMU achieved its first Associated Press national ranking in 1986, and its number 12 national ranking the following year still stood as an all-time best for the program at the time of her induction.

The winningest coach in JMU history (302-134 record), Moorman was the overwhelming choice as "CAA Coach of the Decade" in 1995 in celebration of the 10-year anniversary of the CAA's founding. She was CAA Coach of the Year five times (1986-89, 91), Virginia Division I Coach of the year four times (1986, 88, 89, 91) and Mideast Region Coach of the Year in 1986. In 1990 she was named to coach the West Team at the U.S. Olympic Festival.