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Washington State University Head Coach June Daugherty came exactly as advertised in her first season with the Cougar basketball program, leading the charge to begin a New Era in women's basketball.
Just as she had done at each of her two previous stops, Daugherty began turning around the Cougar women's program, bringing in a top-ranked recruiting class and improving attendance numbers.
Blue Star Basketball ranked Daugherty's seven recruits as the nation's 16th-best class, and the second-best in the Pacific-10 Conference. The most heralded recruiting class in school history also received a top 25 nod from HoopGurlz, coming in at No. 24.
Three of Daugherty's recruits led their high school teams to state championship games in their senior seasons, two of which (Katie Grad and April Cook) captured the state crown. Each of the seven players were nominated for McDonald's All-America honors.
The Cougars averaged 1,666 fans per game in 2007-08, more than tripling the average from the previous season.
Daugherty, whose career record stands at 319-238 (.573), has 19 years of experience working with WNBA-caliber talent. In Daugherty's first season with the Cougars, junior guard Katie Appleton garnered her first-career all-conference honor after being named All-Pac-10 honorable mention. Freshman guard Kezia Kelly was named Freshman All-Pac-10 honorable mention. Dating back to her years at Washington, Daugherty has placed at lead one individual on the All-Pac-10 Team each year since 1997.
Daugherty began her head coaching career at Boise State, where she coached for seven years (1989-96) and compiled a record of 123-74 (73-31 Big Sky Conference). Under her watch, the Broncos not only made the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history, but achieved their first national ranking and won their first regular season conference title.
In 1992, the Broncos won the Big Sky regular season championship, and in 1994 they shared the conference crown with Montana and earned an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. At the conclusion of the 1993-94 season, Daugherty was named Big Sky Co-Coach of the Year.
After turning things around at Boise State, Daugherty did the same for Washington, where she coached for 11 seasons. After finishing ninth in the Pac-10 in 2000, Daugherty led the Huskies to their first conference title since 1990, the greatest turnaround in conference history. She led Washington to nine postseason appearances in 11 seasons, six NCAA Tournament appearances and three WNIT appearances, making it all the way to the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship's Elite Eight in 2001.
Daugherty helped a number of players earn individual honors at Washington, with Giuliana Mendiola becoming the school's first Pac-10 Player of the Year, and four players earning District VIII All-America honors.
Home attendance soared under Daugherty's watch at both Boise State and Washington. The Broncos averaged 500 fans per game before Daugherty's arrival. During her tenure, however, more than 2,000 fans were coming to watch every game, placing Boise State in the nation's top 30 for home attendance in each of her seven seasons. Washington led the Pac-10 in home attendance in both 2002-03 and 2003-04.
The team chemistry formed on the basketball court is a direct result of creating a family atmosphere with Daugherty's staff and players. Daugherty creates a home away from home for her basketball family, consisting of coaches, players and support staff. This environment culminated in 16 players combining for 49 selections to the Pac-10 All-Academic Team at Washington, and 30 student-athletes on the Big Sky Conference All-Academic Team at Boise State. This past season Appleton was named Pac-10 All-Academic honorable mention.
Daugherty's basketball family is involved not only in providing everything necessary to achieve academic excellence, but also the means to becoming involved in community service. Daugherty leads by example, speaking at meetings for the Chamber of Commerce, the Kiwanis and for many women's groups.
A major advocate for healthy heart awareness, Daugherty was named the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association's National Coach of the Year in 2008. Since becoming a survivor of sudden cardiac arrest Daugherty has become one of the nation's most visible spokesmen, filming a nationally-aired commercial, speaking at fund-raisers for the Hope Heart Institute and the American Red Cross and helping WSU sponsor the inaugural "Cougs Have Heart" basketball game to raise awareness for heart disease.
She is a member of the Women's Basketball Coaches' Association and is a former member of its Board of Directors. She is also a member of both the State Farm Coaches' All-America Team and the Russell Athletic/WBCA Coach of the Year selection committees, and often serves as a clinician for the NCAA YES Clinic at the Final Four. Daugherty has been active in USA Basketball and was an assistant coach for the West Team at the 1995 Olympic Sports Festival.
Daugherty also places high priority on keeping the top local high school talent at home in the Northwest, a pattern she began with her first Husky recruit, Megan Franza, who was drafted by the Phoenix Mercury in 2001. Franza played high school basketball in Leavenworth, Wash. This continued in her first season with the Cougars, as Washington's 3A State Player of the Year Katie Grad (Auburn-Riverside) and Shadle Park's all-time leading scorer Lexie Pettersen (Spokane) were each a part of her nationally-ranked recruiting class.
Several of Daugherty's athletes have gone on to coaching careers at both the high school and collegiate level including Lisa Fisher, an associate head coach with the Cougars in 2006.
Daugherty served as an assistant coach at Stanford under head coach Tara Vanderveer prior to taking over the Boise State program. She helped guide the Cardinal to one of the finest seasons in school history, finishing the 1989 season with a record of 28-3, an undefeated Pac-10 season and a trip to the NCAA Tournament. Daugherty also had a two-year stint on the Kent State staff as an assistant coach from 1983-85.
Daugherty played collegiate basketball at Ohio State from 1974-78, where she led the Buckeyes to the Big Ten Championship in 1977 and 1978. She is still ranked on the school's career scoring list at No. 21 with 1,137 points. She also ranks fourth in career rebounds (829), 15th in career field goals made (500) and shares the single-game school record for blocked shots (12 against Michigan State in 1976). At the conclusion of her senior season, she earned first team All-America honors and was a Wade Trophy finalist the first year the award was presented.
Just prior to the start of the 2001 season, Ohio State honored Daugherty with an induction into the OSU Athletic Hall of Fame.
Following graduation in 1978, Daugherty contributed as both a player and coach on several international teams, including a period as a player and coach for the Union Sportive Vierzon Club based in France.
Daugherty, a native of Columbus, Ohio, is the daughter of Naomi and Jim Brewer and has two brothers and one sister. She and her husband Mike are the parents of twins Doc and Breanne.
