Reaction to the death of retired LSU coach Sue Gunter:

Posted 4:59PM on Thursday 4th August 2005 ( 19 years ago )

Reaction to the death of retired LSU coach Sue Gunter: ``LSU will miss Sue Gunter, but will always remember her. Sue not only represented LSU for many years, but she also represented our country as coach of the US Olympic team, and she always did so with great pride, grace, and humility. She was one of a select few women whose perseverance and dedication to her sport many years ago helped create the popularity of womens athletics that exists today.'' -- LSU Director of Athletics Skip Bertman. ``When I was honored with the privilege of presenting Sue for nomination to the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame a few weeks ago, I referred to her as a legend in the coaching profession. As I think about her life and the positive influence she had on everyone she touched, including myself, I now can say she was a legend as a human being who lived her life in an exemplary way. She had class, she was positive, she showed toughness with compassion and you just feel better about life by being around her. LSU, our state, the coaching profession, and our fans will miss a wonderful lady, coach, and person in Sue Gunter. I am grateful to have known her and to have worked with her. -- LSU men's basketball coach John Brady. ``She was a great lady and she was also a very good player, that's something a lot of people don't know about her. She played for Nashville Business College, the number one team in the country. She was good. She was one of the early pioneers in coaching the women's game we know today. She washed the uniforms and scrubbed the floors and all the things that coaches did back then when they first got started. She has been voted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. A great honor.'' -- Former LSU AD Joe Dean. ``In the last few years, LSU has lost two great women's basketball coaches and two very nice ladies in Jinx Coleman and now Sue Gunter. Sue and I had a relationship that went further than just on the basketball court. Our teams supported each other. They went to each other's games. We watched the other team practice. There was not one time that Sue and I had a conflict. It was just the opposite. We were always friends. I'll miss her. She was gallant right until the end.'' -- Former LSU men's basketball coach Dale Brown. ``You say I like that coach or I don't like that coach, nobody ever said they didn't like Sue Gunter. She treated me better and with more respect than anybody in the business.'' -- Leon Barmore ``When you look at Sues record and all the accomplishments throughout her career, its easy to say that we have lost a great coach. But, in reality we have lost a better person.'' -- Ohio State women's basketball coach Jim Foster. ``I am very saddened today. Sue's passing is a great loss for our sport and a personal loss of a close friend. My thoughts are with Sue's family and those at LSU at this sad time.'' --Texas Coach Jody Conradt ``A lot of the things you see today in the game of womens basketball are due to a large price earlier paid by people such as Sue Gunter. I had the utmost respect for her as a person and as a coach. She will really be missed in our game. Her achievements and legacy will far exceed her wins and losses, even though they were very impressive in her case.'' -- Marsha Sharp, Texas Tech head coach. ``I loved her. There was always a lot of respect, not just as a coach, but in life. She was an unbelievable friend and sister. I will always cherish what we had. And she was a hell of a coach.'' -- ESPN analyst and Basketball Hall of Famer Ann Meyers. ``Sue was one of the keystones of women's basketball. She was a role model for all players and coaches to use. She had the ability to be a great competitor on the court as well as have great compassion for her players and fellow coaches.'' -- former Auburn head coach Joe Ciampi. (Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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