Hall of Fame
Lorene Ramsey is a women’s sports pioneer, and quite simply one of the most successful college coaches of all time. In 1969, she started the women’s basketball program at Illinois Central College, and the softball program in 1970, coaching both until her retirement in 2003.?In 1974, Ramsey also started the ICC’s women’s volleyball program, and she has the distinction of being the only coach in NJCAA history to win a National Championship in both Women’s Basketball and Softball—and in the same year (1998).? On the basketball court, Ramsey led the program to five NJCAA Division II Women’s Basketball National Championships (1992, 1993, 1998, 1999, and 2003) and amassed an overall record of (887-197) for an .818 winning percentage.?With the softball Cougars, she put together an 840-309 career record and collected a pair of NJCAA Softball National Championships in 1982 and 1998, when softball was all Division I.
Ramsey is responsible for mentoring hundreds of young women, many of whom went on to earn scholarships at four-year colleges and universities. In addition to the NJCAA, Ramsey served as an assistant coach for the United States women’s softball team in the Pan Am Games, assisting the late Ralph Raymond and winning a gold medal in 1979 and a silver medal in 1981. In 2003 the ICC gymnasium was named in her honor as the Lorene Ramsey Gymnasium. Her name is also tied to the award for the NJCAA’s Division II Softball Coach of the Tournament each year at the National Tournament.?The five-time National Coach of the Year is still seen frequently around Illinois Central College athletic events, sharing her many memories and passing on her vast knowledge from over 33 incredibly successful seasons as a collegiate head coach.
