Lin Dunn

Lin Dunn
Indiana Fever
PositionSenior Advisor
LeagueWNBA
Personal information
Born (1947-05-10) May 10, 1947 (age 77)
Dresden, Tennessee, U.S.
Career information
CollegeTennessee–Martin
Coaching career1970–2022
Career history
As coach:
1970–1976Austin Peay State
1977–1978Ole Miss
1978–1987Miami (FL)
1987–1996Purdue
1997–1998Portland Power
20002002Seattle Storm
20042007Indiana Fever (assistant)
20082014Indiana Fever
2016–2022Kentucky (assistant/spec asst)
20222024Indiana Fever (general manager)
2024–presentIndiana Fever (senior advisor)
Career highlights and awards
Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
Medals
Women's Basketball
Head coach for  United States
William Jones Cup
Bronze medal – third place 1995 Taipei Team Competition
Assistant coach for  United States
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 1992 Barcelona Team Competition
FIBA World Championship for Women
Gold medal – first place 1990 Kuala Lumpur Team Competition
Goodwill Games
Gold medal – first place 1990 Seattle Team Competition

Lin Dunn (born May 10, 1947)[1] is an American women's basketball executive and former coach, who is currently a senior advisor with the Indiana Fever of the WNBA. She was recently the general manager of the Fever. [2] She is most known for being the first coach and general manager for the Seattle Storm. She has more than 500 wins to her name.

A native of Dresden, Tennessee, Dunn graduated from the University of Tennessee at Martin in 1969. She coached for decades in the college ranks, amassing a 447-257 record in 25 seasons as a college head coach. In her tenure at Austin Peay State University (1970–1976), the University of Mississippi (1977–1978), the University of Miami (1978–1987) and Purdue University (1987–1996), she made the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship seven times, and the Final Four once, in 1994 with Purdue. She is in the Athletics Hall of Fame at both Austin Peay and Miami. Dunn also was president of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association in 1984-85.

Dunn was abruptly fired at Purdue after the 1995-96 season, but resurfaced in the pros with the American Basketball League's Portland Power in 1996. She was ABL's coach of the year in 1998, right before that league folded. Dunn then became the first coach and GM of the expansion Seattle Storm in the ABL's rival, the WNBA. Her folksy southern personality was a hit in urbane Seattle, with fans often wearing Dunn masks and quoting her rustic aphorisms. The team started with a dismal 6-26 season.

Dunn left the Storm just as it was starting to have success. New superstars Lauren Jackson and Sue Bird led the team to the 2002 playoffs, where they were swept by the Los Angeles Sparks. Dunn then resigned, leaving the path open for Anne Donovan to build a championship team just two seasons later.

Dunn is a former head coach of the Indiana Fever.[3] Dunn won the WNBA championship with the Fever on October 21, 2012.

On May 6, 2014, Dunn announced her retirement from coaching at the end of the year.

On June 14, 2014, Dunn was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.[4]

On May 24, 2016, she was introduced as an assistant coach for Matthew Mitchell at Kentucky.[5] On May 26, 2017, UK Athletics announced that Coach Dunn had signed a one-year contract extension.[6]

In 2018, her role at Kentucky changed to special assistant to the head coach.[7]

On February 14, 2022, Dunn left her role at Kentucky to become Interim General Manager of the Indiana Fever. In explaining her decision, she stated, "I wouldn't come back to another franchise. This would be the only place that I would consider coming out of retirement for."[8][2]

Dunn was named the permanent General Manager of the Indiana Fever on January 20, 2023.

On October 4, 2024, Dunn moved to a senior advisor position. [9]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference NCAA Coaches was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b "Dunn says role as Fever GM her 'final final tour'". ESPN.com. 2022-02-24. Retrieved 2022-12-29.
  3. ^ Lin Dunn Archived 2010-10-09 at the Wayback Machine. WNBA.com
  4. ^ "Dunn Inducted to Women's Basketball Hall of Fame". www.purduesports.com. Archived from the original on 2016-08-15. Retrieved 2016-05-26.
  5. ^ "Women's Basketball Hall of Famer Lin Dunn Joins Mitchell's Staff". UK Athletics. University of Kentucky. Archived from the original on 28 May 2016. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  6. ^ "Lin Dunn Signs Contract Extension". UK Athletics. University of Kentucky. Archived from the original on 31 July 2017. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
  7. ^ "Lin Dunn". University of Kentucky. Archived from the original on 26 March 2019. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  8. ^ "Kentucky Women's Basketball". Twitter. Archived from the original on 2022-12-29. Retrieved 2022-12-29.
  9. ^ "Indiana Fever Name Amber Cox Chief Operating Officer and General Manager". fever.wnba.com. October 4, 2024.

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