TicketsCINCINNATI – As we prepare to celebrate 50 seasons of Cincinnati women's basketball on Saturday, Feb. 19, there is one person that will forever be remembered for her impact on the program.
In 1986, Laurie Pirtle was named the head coach of the Bearcats, the sixth head coach in 15 years. Born in Columbus Ohio, Pirtle played at Ohio State University where she was originally a walk-on who eventually went on to be a three-year starter. She began her collegiate coaching career at Capital University in 1982, where she earned the Ohio Athletic Conference Coach of the Year honor twice over her four seasons.
Pirtle's first season with the Bearcats finished with a 6-22 overall record. She rebounded her second season, with the Bearcats finishing 18-11 overall.
The 1988-89 season, Pirtle's third season at the helm, was known as the "Super Season." Behind big wins over UCLA, Ohio State, Kentucky, and Bowling Green and a then-school record-tying 12 consecutive wins, the Bearcats started to receive votes in the national polls. The team finished the season 21-9 and earned its first NCAA Tournament appearance in program history, led by hall-of-fame player Bev Obringer, who ranks in the program's top six in points, rebounds, and is No. 1 in blocks.
Pirtle's best stretch came in the late 1990s and into the early 2000s, when her teams advanced to the postseason in seven consecutive seasons including three trips to the NCAA Tournament.
During the 2001 season, the Bearcats received their first-ever ranking in the polls, coming in at No. 23 in the USA Today/ESPN poll and No. 25 in the Associated Press poll. Cincinnati went on to have its best start in program history, capturing the 2001 Conference USA Tournament title and earning 11 straight wins along the way. Earning a bid into the NCAA tournament, Pirtle guided the Bearcats to the program's first-ever win at the "Big Dance," beating St. Peter's 76-63 in overtime. Pirtle was later named the Ohio Coach of the Year.
UC began the 2002-03 season ranked No. 18, the first time any Cincinnati women's basketball program was ranked in the preseason.
Pirtle retired in 2007 after 21 seasons as the Bearcats head coach. She finished as the winningest coach in school history with 310 victories.
Her success goes further than what the program accomplished on the court.
In 1990, Pirtle successfully campaigned for the name "Lady" to be removed from the team's name so the team would simply be known as the Bearcats just like the other varsity teams.
She coached numerous UC Hall of Fame players and many who would go on to play professionally. Bev Obringer, Valerie King, Jolinda Lewis-Miller, Madinah Slaise and Doris Scott are five of the 12 hall of famers that were coached and recruited by Pirtle. Valerie King, who played for Pirtle from 2001-04, currently sits in the No. 2 spot for all-time points in the program with 2,156.
Madinah Slaise, who is No. 4 in the record books with 1,849 career points, is the first player in program history to be drafted into the WNBA.
Amber Stocks, who played for Pirtle from 1995-1999, and K.B. Sharp, from 1999-03, went on to have the most successful careers in the WNBA. Stocks was on the Los Angeles Sparks staff that won the 2016 WNBA Finals and was the head coach of the Chicago Sky for two years. Sharp competitively played in the WNBA on three different teams over six seasons, averaging 7.1 points and 3.6 assists per game.
She is also credited for bringing a new attitude and new expectations for success to the women's basketball program.
In 2012, Pirtle was inducted into the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame for her contributions to the sport of women's basketball.
50 YEARS CELEBRATION
Saturday, Feb. 19, the athletics department will host a celebration event tied in with the Bearcats' women's basketball game against the ECU Pirates at 2 p.m. Former players, coaches, and staff will join us in Cincinnati to remember and honor the successes of the past and present and look ahead to the future.
For tickets to the game, you can call the ticket office at 1-877-CATS-TIX or visit the website here.
FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For all the latest information on Cincinnati women's basketball, please visit GoBEARCATS.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow Cincinnati WBB (@GoBearcatsWBB) and Coach Michelle Clark-Heard (@Coachheard) on Twitter. You can also follow the team on Facebook and Instagram.
In 1986, Laurie Pirtle was named the head coach of the Bearcats, the sixth head coach in 15 years. Born in Columbus Ohio, Pirtle played at Ohio State University where she was originally a walk-on who eventually went on to be a three-year starter. She began her collegiate coaching career at Capital University in 1982, where she earned the Ohio Athletic Conference Coach of the Year honor twice over her four seasons.
Pirtle's first season with the Bearcats finished with a 6-22 overall record. She rebounded her second season, with the Bearcats finishing 18-11 overall.
The 1988-89 season, Pirtle's third season at the helm, was known as the "Super Season." Behind big wins over UCLA, Ohio State, Kentucky, and Bowling Green and a then-school record-tying 12 consecutive wins, the Bearcats started to receive votes in the national polls. The team finished the season 21-9 and earned its first NCAA Tournament appearance in program history, led by hall-of-fame player Bev Obringer, who ranks in the program's top six in points, rebounds, and is No. 1 in blocks.
Pirtle's best stretch came in the late 1990s and into the early 2000s, when her teams advanced to the postseason in seven consecutive seasons including three trips to the NCAA Tournament.
During the 2001 season, the Bearcats received their first-ever ranking in the polls, coming in at No. 23 in the USA Today/ESPN poll and No. 25 in the Associated Press poll. Cincinnati went on to have its best start in program history, capturing the 2001 Conference USA Tournament title and earning 11 straight wins along the way. Earning a bid into the NCAA tournament, Pirtle guided the Bearcats to the program's first-ever win at the "Big Dance," beating St. Peter's 76-63 in overtime. Pirtle was later named the Ohio Coach of the Year.
UC began the 2002-03 season ranked No. 18, the first time any Cincinnati women's basketball program was ranked in the preseason.
Pirtle retired in 2007 after 21 seasons as the Bearcats head coach. She finished as the winningest coach in school history with 310 victories.
Her success goes further than what the program accomplished on the court.
In 1990, Pirtle successfully campaigned for the name "Lady" to be removed from the team's name so the team would simply be known as the Bearcats just like the other varsity teams.
She coached numerous UC Hall of Fame players and many who would go on to play professionally. Bev Obringer, Valerie King, Jolinda Lewis-Miller, Madinah Slaise and Doris Scott are five of the 12 hall of famers that were coached and recruited by Pirtle. Valerie King, who played for Pirtle from 2001-04, currently sits in the No. 2 spot for all-time points in the program with 2,156.
Madinah Slaise, who is No. 4 in the record books with 1,849 career points, is the first player in program history to be drafted into the WNBA.
Amber Stocks, who played for Pirtle from 1995-1999, and K.B. Sharp, from 1999-03, went on to have the most successful careers in the WNBA. Stocks was on the Los Angeles Sparks staff that won the 2016 WNBA Finals and was the head coach of the Chicago Sky for two years. Sharp competitively played in the WNBA on three different teams over six seasons, averaging 7.1 points and 3.6 assists per game.
She is also credited for bringing a new attitude and new expectations for success to the women's basketball program.
In 2012, Pirtle was inducted into the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame for her contributions to the sport of women's basketball.
50 YEARS CELEBRATION
Saturday, Feb. 19, the athletics department will host a celebration event tied in with the Bearcats' women's basketball game against the ECU Pirates at 2 p.m. Former players, coaches, and staff will join us in Cincinnati to remember and honor the successes of the past and present and look ahead to the future.
For tickets to the game, you can call the ticket office at 1-877-CATS-TIX or visit the website here.
FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For all the latest information on Cincinnati women's basketball, please visit GoBEARCATS.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow Cincinnati WBB (@GoBearcatsWBB) and Coach Michelle Clark-Heard (@Coachheard) on Twitter. You can also follow the team on Facebook and Instagram.