Springfield, Mass. – Today, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame is saddened by the loss of legendary head coach Billie Moore who has passed away at the age of 79. Moore, an important early figure in the modern era of Women’s basketball, was enshrined by the Hall of Fame in 1999.
“Billie Moore was a trailblazer as a head coach and among a very small group of individuals that laid the foundation for where women’s basketball is today,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “She not only was a supremely successful collegiate head coach, but she was also the first Olympic women’s basketball head coach in United States history, earning a silver medal in the sports’ inaugural appearance in the 1976 Games. Her impact on the basketball community knows no boundaries, and she will be missed by the entire Hall of Fame family.”
Moore, who holds the distinction of being the first USA Olympic women’s basketball coach in 1976, was also the first coach in women’s basketball history to lead teams from two different schools to national championships, winning the AIAW (Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women) title in 1970 with Cal State Fullerton and 1978 with UCLA.
“Billie Moore was one of the most intelligent coaches I've ever played for,” said Nancy Lieberman, who was enshrined into the Hall of Fame in 1996 and was Moore’s personal selection to the 1976 Olympic team. “I can take you back to 1976, a story about her coaching the Olympic team, and we're in the locker room before the silver-medal game against Czechoslovakia. She looked at all of us and she said, ‘Ladies, whatever you do today, will change and support the course of women's basketball history for the next 25 years.’
“To have that type of understanding and vision about the historical element of what we are doing, when we're just thinking about getting loose in layup line, has never left me.”
Moore was born in Humansville, Missouri, and began her coaching career as an assistant at Southern Illinois University. She played softball for the Raybestos Brakettes, where she met Lou Albrecht, who was the women’s basketball coach at Cal State Fullerton. Albrecht left that position and recommended Moore for an interview, a job she would land that altered the course of her career.
In her first year as coach with Cal State Fullerton, Moore’s squad defeated West Chester to win the school’s only basketball title. After five seasons, she was hired to guide the UCLA women’s team, taking home the Bruins’ first women’s basketball championship in 1978.
“I remember vividly going to the Final Four that UCLA won and being amazed at the talent level and the attention that that particular tournament brought to the sport and how good Billie's team was and how well coached they were,” said Jody Conradt, who won 900 games and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1998. “That influenced me in building the program at the University of Texas.”
Moore, who was the eighth women’s coach to reach the 400-win milestone, compiled a 436-196 record in 24 seasons at the helm, going 296-191 in 16 seasons at UCLA and 140-15 in eight campaigns at Cal State Fullerton.
Throughout her illustrious career, Moore had the pleasure of coaching several influential players, including Lieberman, Lusia Harris (Naismith Hall of Fame Class of 1992) Ann Meyers (1993), Denise Curry (1997) and Pat Summitt (2000).
“When I received the call, what was foremost in my mind, was that I was being inducted as a coach in a team sport,” said Moore in her 1999 Enshrinement speech. “When you are in a team sport, you are not here because of something you did yourself. It is obvious, that this award is shared with a lot of people that have played a very important part down through the years.”
“This is obviously a wonderful award and a tremendous honor,” Moore continued. “Yet, I find myself in awe and humbled by what this represents.”
Moore also received the Naismith Women's Outstanding Contribution Award in 2002.
“She was a brilliant mind regarding the basketball,” added Conradt, who noted that Moore’s propensity to teach continued on the golf course during their annual meeting. “We continued to talk about basketball well after our coaching careers and enjoyed discussing the sport, and basking in the glory of the sport as it grew and reflecting on those early days.
“Her influence on the sport is immense. It will never decrease.”
About the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was born, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting, preserving and celebrating the game of basketball at every level – men and women, amateur and professional players, coaches and contributors, both domestically and internationally. The Hall of Fame Museum is home to more than 400 inductees and over 40,000 square feet of basketball history. Nearly 200,000 people visit the Hall of Fame Museum each year to learn about the game, experience the interactive exhibits and test their skills on the Jerry Colangelo "Court of Dreams." Best known for its annual marquee Enshrinement Ceremony honoring the game’s elite, the Hall of Fame also operates over 70 high school and collegiate competitions annually throughout the country and abroad. For more information on the Basketball Hall of Fame organization, its museum and events, visit www.hoophall.com, follow @hoophall @hoophallclassic or call 1-877-4HOOPLA.