Coach Joanne Bracker | Woman of Midland

Bracker holds the title of one of Midland’s most successful coaches. Not only did Bracker develop a winning women’s basketball program at Midland during her tenure as coach after amassing 700+ wins, she was also integral in developing women’s basketball on a national level. When Bracker took control of the Midland women’s basketball program in 1969, the idea of a female coach was foreign. Very few colleges offered women’s basketball, and it was illegal for women to receive athletic scholarships, but Bracker never stopped pushing for the sport. In 1998, she was recognized for her outstanding contributions to women’s basketball when she was inducted into the inaugural class of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in Knoxville, TN. Besides her coaching duties at Midland, Bracker also worked with the United States Olympic women’s basketball team, serving as both coach and selection team member.

On November 4, 2006, the court in Midland University’s Wikert Event Center was officially named “Joanne Bracker Court” in her honor. Historically one of the best women’s coaches in the NAIA, she was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame in 1996.

“I can’t say enough about Coach Joanne Bracker. In regards to basketball, she became a legend because of her passion and knowledge of the game. She taught us the fundamentals (which is often overlooked today) and had us physically and mentally prepared for every game. She emphasized the importance of hard work, teamwork, respect, attitude and humility, which have helped me throughout my life. She was, and still is, a role model for her former players as well as the many students she taught over the years. As I have gotten older, I have also realized what an amazing wife and mother (and now grandmother) she is. She’s probably one of the smartest and most dedicated women I know!” Karen Peppmuller ‘87