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Marynell Meadors came to Tennessee Tech as an instructor in health and physical education.
She established the women’s basketball team in 1970-71, help to start the women’s tennis program in 1973 and started the volleyball program in 1975. She served as the women’s volleyball head coach for one season while spending 16 years as the head coach for women’s basketball.
Meadors never experienced a losing season as a women’s basketball coach, posting 20 or more wins 13 times. She finished with a 363-139 record at Tech to become the first coach in Division I with 300 wins at one institution. She ranked second among active coaches for career wins when she left Tennessee Tech for a similar position at Florida State.
While at TTU, Meadors was twice named OVC Coach of the Year. Her 1971-72 squad reached the AIAW National playoffs. In 1975-76, the Tech women’s basketball team posted a school-record 28 wins and ranked fifth nationally. She reached national championships five straight years. In 1978, Meadors won the first of four OVC championships. Her teams reached national tournaments (AIAW, WNIT or NCAA) a total of 13 times in 15 years.The first two women inducted into the TTU Sports Hall of Fame, Pam Chambers and Gayle Burgess-Hastings, were players under Meadors.
She was welcomed into the school’s Sports Hall of Fame in 1992 and inducted into the OVC Hall of Fame in 1993.
Meadors spent time as the head coach of the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream. She has led the dream to two playoff appearances, including the 2010 WNBA Finals. She was named the WNBA Coach of the Year in 2009. Meadors also served as an assistant coach for USA Basketball, helping the team win the gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics. Prior to joining the Dream, she spent the previous three seasons as an assistant coach for the Washington Mystics. She was also the first General Manager and Head Coach of the now defunct Charlotte Sting where she led the franchise to the playoffs in each of its first two seasons. She also served as the Sting’s director of player and staff personnel.