Carol Dewey's Purdue Hall of Fame Video
Honoring A Legend: 2007 Feature Story
Purdue Volleyball Program History
USA Volleyball All-Time Great Coach Award
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue Hall of Fame volleyball coach Carol Dewey is being honored by USA Volleyball with the Bertha Lucas All-Time Great Coach Award (Pioneer Division).
Dewey, who was inducted into the Purdue Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame in 2003 and the American Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2005, will be one of 12 legendary figures within the volleyball community to be recognized at the 70th-annual Dorothy C. Boyce Banquet and Reception on May 20 at the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center.
Dewey enjoyed an outstanding 20-year tenure with the Boilermakers from 1975 to 1994. She was hired as the first volleyball coach in school history and retired as the winningest with an overall record of 469-256, a .647 winning percentage. She was 240-134 in Big Ten Conference matches and had a winning record against nine of the 10 other conference schools. Sixteen of Dewey's 20 teams posted winning seasons, and she piloted the Boilermakers to four Big Ten championships (1979, 1980, 1982 and 1985), six 30-win seasons and nine postseason national tournaments. Six players were selected All-Americans and 39 earned All-Big Ten honors.
Every one of the student-athletes who played for Dewey at Purdue for four years graduated. Six Boilermakers were named Academic All-America, 11 academic all-district and 32 Academic All-Big Ten.
Dewey was the Big Ten Coach of the Year in 1982, 1985 and 1987.
Dewey was a true pioneer of collegiate volleyball as Purdue was one of the first schools in the country to emphasize the sport. With Dewey's leadership, Purdue changed the way volleyball was being supported and viewed on college campuses as evidenced by the national attendance record set at Purdue on Oct. 29, 1985 with 10,645 - a record that lasted for five years. Thus, Purdue became a model program for other schools to follow. She also had a tremendous influence on the coaching profession as a charter member of USA Volleyball's CAP Cadre and has mentored former players in the coaching profession.
Dewey also was a member of the first NCAA Volleyball Championship Selection Committee in 1981, when the NCAA opened championships to women's sports. She was an active member of the AVCA All-America Committee. Dewey experienced national success as a player, as well. She was a member of the 1975 United States National Team and played with E Pluribus Unum, winning national championships in 1972 and 1973.
After retiring from coaching, Dewey remained with the Purdue Athletics Department as a compliance and academic advisor from 1995 to 2000.
A native of Brecksville, Ohio, Dewey graduated from Muskingum College in 1967 and presently resides in Iowa City, Iowa.
Among the previous recipients of the All-Time Great Coach Award are former Boilermaker Mary Wise, who played for Dewey, and Big Ten coaches John Cook, Chuck Erbe, Mike Hebert, Russ Rose and Jim Stone.
The Boyce Banquet is the signature event during the USA Volleyball Annual Meetings. A reception will begin at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m. For more information and to order tickets, click here.
Others being honored at the banquet:
* Tara Cross-Battle, Flo Hyman All-Time Great Female Player
* Duncan McFarland, Tom Haine All-Time Great Male Player
* Karch Kiraly, All-Time Great Male Beach Player
* Kathy Gregory, All-Time Great Female Beach Player
* Lora Webster, All-Time Great Female Sitting Player
* Charlie Sullivan, Donald Shondell All-Time Great Coach Award (Contemporary Division)
* Kathy DeBoer, Jeff Hoppen and Terry Lawton, George J. Fisher Leader in Volleyball Award
* Marcia Alterman, Wilbur H. Peck Referee Emeritus Award
* Jeff Hoppen, Nancy S. Sharpless Scorekeeper Emeritus Award