Nancy Winstel cuts down the net after NKU won the 2003 regional title.
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - After winning 636 games in 29 seasons as the women's basketball head coach at Northern Kentucky University and building the program into a national powerhouse, Nancy Winstel announced her retirement Wednesday night.
“I was very fortunate to work at the school that I attended, and I'm not sure I would have even gone to college if NKU had not been around,” said Winstel, a 1977 graduate of NKU. “I want to thank Marilyn Scroggin Moore, who was my coach in college, for being the person I wanted to be like the most when I was a player.
“I also want to thank Jane Meier for hiring me. Jane is a great mentor and a great friend, and I will love her forever. Most of all, I want to thank all of the players who have worn the NKU uniform proudly over the years. I will love them forever and always be here for them. I will always be a Lady Norse…because once a Lady Norse, always a Lady Norse.”
Winstel led NKU to a pair of NCAA Division II national championships (2000 and 2008) and finished with a record of 636-214 as the Norse head coach. She was named the national coach of the decade by Women's Division II Bulletin in 2009, and her basketball program was also tabbed the best during that decade by that same publication.
“Nancy is an absolute legend in the coaching profession, and she is a true icon in the sport,” NKU athletic director Dr. Scott Eaton said. “Most people don't get to work with a legend in any profession, but I was fortunate enough to have that honor with her. No one is more competitive than Nancy, and her teams always reflected that intensity.
“She built NKU into one of the nation's top programs, and I am very sad she is retiring. But at the same time, Nancy said it was the right time and I respect her decision. She is a first-class lady who has represented our university in grand fashion. Nancy is also a very dear friend of mine, and she will always be a part of the NKU family.”
A six-time Great Lakes Valley Conference Coach of the Year, Winstel was named the WBCA Division II National Coach of the Year in 1999-2000 after leading NKU to its first national title. The Norse posted a 32-2 record that season and won 24 consecutive games en route to the school's first-ever national championship.
In 2008, Winstel reinforced what most already knew - that NKU was one of the nation's elite programs and its head coach was possibly the country's most outstanding mentor – by leading the Norse to the NCAA Division II national championship in Kearney, Neb.
“The entire NKU community owes a debt of gratitude to Nancy Winstel for her years of service to the university and the Norse intercollegiate athletics program,” NKU President Dr. James Votruba said. “Under Nancy's leadership, the women's basketball team has set a standard for excellence both on the court and in the classroom. Nancy's commitment to ensuring that her players develop as students, athletes and citizens has made her a role model nationally, as evidenced by her being named national coach of the decade.”
After being named head coach at NKU in 1983, Winstel guided her first team to a 17-10 record. In 1984-85, NKU posted a 19-9 record and advanced to the NCAA Division II Tournament.
Winstel then coached NKU to six consecutive 20-win seasons, including a trip in the 1987 NCAA Division II Final Four. That marked the first time NKU had ever been in the national spotlight for any sport during NCAA postseason play.
In addition, Winstel spent three years as the head coach at Midway (Ky.) College prior to arriving at NKU and posted a 39-41 record. She finished with a collegiate coaching record of 675-255 in 32 seasons. Winstel's 675 victories rank No. 3 all-time in NCAA Division II history.
Winstel played for then-Northern Kentucky State College's first women's basketball team in 1974, and she scored 787 career points in three seasons. Winstel also averaged 8.3 rebounds per game during her playing career.
After graduating from NKU with a degree in physical education and history in 1977, Winstel attended Indiana University and earned her master's degree in physical education with an emphasis on coaching in 1978.
“Nancy embodies all that is good about not just NKU athletics but all of college sports,” Votruba said. “Throughout her career, she has served as a player, coach, teacher, mentor, friend, colleague and mother figure. Nancy's teams have always represented this university with the dignity, respect and honor that will forever define her legacy.
“We thank Nancy for all she has done to advance women's athletics and we celebrate her wonderfully successful and impactful career.”
Eaton noted that NKU will recognize Winstel's career with a special day in her honor later this spring. Details will be announced once everything is finalized.
