| Felisha Legette-Jack | |
| Current Title: | Head coach |
| Current Team: | Syracuse |
| Current Record: | 44–21 |
| Birth Date: | 4 September 1966 |
| Birth Place: | Syracuse, New York |
| Player Years1: | 1984–1989 |
| Player Team1: | Syracuse |
| Coach Years1: | 1989–1991 |
| Coach Team1: | Westhill Senior HS |
| Coach Years2: | 1991–1993 |
| Coach Team2: | Boston College (asst.) |
| Coach Years3: | 1993–2000 |
| Coach Team3: | Syracuse (asst.) |
| Coach Years4: | 2000–2002 |
| Coach Team4: | Michigan State (asst.) |
| Coach Years5: | 2002–2006 |
| Coach Team5: | Hofstra |
| Coach Years6: | 2006–2012 |
| Coach Team6: | Indiana |
| Coach Years7: | 2012–2022 |
| Coach Team7: | Buffalo |
| Coach Years8: | 2022–present |
| Coach Team8: | Syracuse |
| Overall Record: | 387–300 |
| Tournament Record: | 4–5 |
| Awards: |
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Felisha Legette-Jack (born September 4, 1966) is the current head coach of the Syracuse University's women basketball team. She previously served as the head coach at the University at Buffalo, Indiana University, and Hofstra University's women basketball teams.
Coming from an athletically gifted family, Legette-Jack first came to prominence at Nottingham High School, in Syracuse, New York, in the mid 1980s.[1] Her brother, Ronnie, had led the Bulldogs to a state championship earlier, but Felisha went one better, leading the Lady Bulldogs to two state titles before going on to star at Syracuse University. At Syracuse, Legette-Jack scored 1,526 points, grabbed 927 rebounds, and graduated as the all-time leading scorer and rebounder in program history.[2] As of 2021, she ranked fifth in scoring and third in rebounds. She was the 1985 Big East Rookie of the Year, and all-league player three times, and was the recipient of a LetterWinner of Distinction Award.[3]
Legette-Jack was inducted into the Syracuse Hall of Fame in 1998.[4] Syracuse University retired her basketball jersey (#33) in November 2021.[5] She became the first women's basketball player at Syracuse to have her number retired, and one of the first three female athletes to have their uniforms retired by the Orange.[6]
After graduating from Syracuse, Legette-Jack became an assistant coach for the Boston College Eagles women's basketball and then returned to Syracuse in similar role, working under Marianna Freeman from 1993 to 2000.[7]
From 2002 to 2006, she served as the head coach at Hofstra.[8]
In April 2006, Legette-Jack was hired at Indiana.[9] She was fired by IU Athletic Director Fred Glass on March 12, 2012.[10] She was hired by University at Buffalo Athletic Director Danny White on June 14, 2012, marking White's first coaching hire at UB.[11]
After being hired as the new women's basketball coach at Buffalo, Coach Legette-Jack made significant advances to the program. Under her leadership, Buffalo earned four trips to the NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament, in 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2022. The 2016 tournament appearance was the first in program history.[12] The 2018 appearance culminated in Buffalo's first run to the Sweet Sixteen in program history.[13]
Legette-Jack served as an assistant coach of the U19 team representing the US at the 2005 FIBA Americas U19 Championship for Women in Tunis, Tunisia. The USA team won all eight of their games, including the championship game against Serbia & Montenegro. Crystal Langhorne hit 77.5% of her field goal attempts, to lead the USA scorers with over 16 points per game. Candice Wiggins was close behind with almost 16 points per game. The USA team was dominant, winning every game by more than 20 points.[14]
On March 26, 2022, Legette-Jack was officially announced as the head coach of Syracuse, marking a return to her alma mater.[8] [13] [15] [16]
Source:[17]