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| Indiana Fever | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Senior advisor | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| League | WNBA | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1947-05-10)May 10, 1947 (age 78) Dresden, Tennessee, U.S. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College | Tennessee–Martin | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coaching career | 1970–2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Coaching | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1970–1976 | Austin Peay State | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1977–1978 | Ole Miss | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1978–1987 | Miami (FL) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1987–1996 | Purdue | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–1998 | Portland Power | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2002 | Seattle Storm | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2007 | Indiana Fever (assistant) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2014 | Indiana Fever | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2022 | Kentucky (assistant/spec asst) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2024 | Indiana Fever (general manager) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2025–present | Indiana Fever (senior advisor) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Women's Basketball Hall of Fame | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medals
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Lin Dunn (born May 10, 1947)[1] is an American women'sbasketball executive and former coach, who is currently a senior advisor with theIndiana Fever of theWNBA. She was recently the general manager of the Fever.[2] She is most known for being the first coach and general manager for theSeattle Storm. She guided Indiana Fever to their first ever WNBA title. She has more than 500 wins to her name.
A native ofDresden, Tennessee, Dunn graduated from theUniversity 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 atAustin Peay State University (1970–1976), theUniversity of Mississippi (1977–1978), theUniversity of Miami (1978–1987) andPurdue University (1987–1996), she made theNCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship seven times, and theFinal Four once, in 1994 with Purdue. She is in the AthleticsHall of Fame at both Austin Peay and Miami. Dunn also was president of theWomen's Basketball Coaches Association in 1984–85.
Dunn was abruptly fired at Purdue after the 1995–96 season, but resurfaced in the pros with theAmerican Basketball League'sPortland 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 expansionSeattle Storm in the ABL's rival, theWNBA. Her folksy southern personality was a hit in urbaneSeattle, 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 superstarsLauren Jackson andSue Bird led the team to the 2002 playoffs, where they were swept by theLos Angeles Sparks. Dunn then resigned, leaving the path open forAnne Donovan to build achampionship team just two seasons later.
Dunn is a former head coach of theIndiana 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 theWomen's Basketball Hall of Fame.[4]
On May 24, 2016, she was introduced as an assistant coach forMatthew Mitchell atKentucky.[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 theIndiana 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 theIndiana Fever on January 20, 2023.
On October 4, 2024, Dunn moved to a senior advisor position.[9]
In 1990, Dunn was the assistant coach for the USA National team at the World Championships inKuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The team, behind the 22 point per game scoring ofTeresa Edwards, won all eight contests, with only the win over Cuba decided by single digits. The USA team faced Yugoslavia in the gold medal game, and won 88–78.[10]
In 1995, Dunn served as the head coach to theR. William Jones Cup Team. The competition was held inTaipei, Taiwan. The USA team won its first six games, but four of the six were won by single-digit margins. Their seventh game was against Russia, and they fell 100–84. The final game was against South Korea, and a victory would assure the gold medal, but the South Korean team won 80–76 to win the gold medal. The USA team won the bronze medal.[11]
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin Peay Lady Governors(Ohio Valley Conference)(1970–1976) | |||||||||
| Austin Peay: | 67–55 (.549) | ||||||||
| Ole Miss Rebels(Southeastern Conference)(1977–1978) | |||||||||
| 1977–78 | Ole Miss | 25–15 | N/A | AIAW State Tournament Champion AIAW Region III Runner-up AIAW National Tournament | |||||
| Ole Miss: | 25–15 (.625) | ||||||||
| Miami Hurricanes(FAIAW)(1978–1982) | |||||||||
| 1978–79 | Miami (FL) | 10–13 | N/A | ||||||
| 1979–80 | Miami (FL) | 18–16 | N/A | ||||||
| 1980–81 | Miami (FL) | 24–15 | N/A | ||||||
| 1981–82 | Miami (FL) | 19–10 | N/A | ||||||
| Miami Hurricanes(NCAA Division I independent)(1982–1987) | |||||||||
| 1982–83 | Miami (FL) | 14–13 | N/A | ||||||
| 1983–84 | Miami (FL) | 19–12 | N/A | ||||||
| 1984–85 | Miami (FL) | 21–7 | N/A | ||||||
| 1985–86 | Miami (FL) | 9–18 | N/A | ||||||
| 1986–87 | Miami (FL) | 15–15 | N/A | ||||||
| Miami (FL): | 149–119 (.556) | ||||||||
| Purdue Boilermakers(Big Ten Conference)(1987–1996) | |||||||||
| 1987–88 | Purdue | 21–10 | 13–5 | 3rd | NWIT Second Place | ||||
| 1988–89 | Purdue | 24–6 | 14–4 | 3rd | NCAA Second Round (Bye) | ||||
| 1989–90 | Purdue | 23–7 | 14–4 | 3rd | NCAA Sweet Sixteen | ||||
| 1990–91 | Purdue | 26–3 | 17–1 | 1st | NCAA Second Round (Bye) | ||||
| 1991–92 | Purdue | 23–7 | 14–4 | 2nd | NCAA Sweet Sixteen | ||||
| 1992–93 | Purdue | 16–11 | 8–10 | 6th | |||||
| 1993–94 | Purdue | 29–5 | 16–2 | T-1st | NCAA Final Four | ||||
| 1994–95 | Purdue | 24–8 | 13–3 | T-1st | NCAA Elite Eight | ||||
| 1995–96 | Purdue | 20–11 | 11–5 | 4th | NCAA First Round | ||||
| Purdue: | 206–68 (.752) | ||||||||
| Total: | 447–257 (.635) | ||||||||
National champion Postseason invitational champion | |||||||||
| Regular season | G | Games coached | W | Games won | L | Games lost | W–L % | Win–loss % |
| Playoffs | PG | Playoff games | PW | Playoff wins | PL | Playoff losses | PW–L % | Playoff win–loss % |
| Team | Year | G | W | L | W–L% | Finish | PG | PW | PL | PW–L% | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POR | 1996–97 | 18 | 9 | 9 | .500 | 4th in West | |||||
| POR | 1997–98 | 44 | 27 | 17 | .614 | 1st in West | 2 | 0 | 2 | .000 | Lost Western Conference Semi-Finals |
| POR | 1998 | 13 | 9 | 4 | .692 | Season cancelled | |||||
| SEA | 2000 | 32 | 6 | 26 | .188 | 8th in West | |||||
| SEA | 2001 | 32 | 10 | 22 | .313 | 8th in West | |||||
| SEA | 2002 | 32 | 17 | 15 | .531 | 4th in West | 2 | 0 | 2 | .000 | Lost Western Conference Semi-Finals |
| IND | 2008 | 34 | 17 | 17 | .500 | 4th in East | 3 | 1 | 2 | .333 | Lost Eastern Conference Semi-Finals |
| IND | 2009 | 34 | 22 | 12 | .647 | 1st in East | 10 | 6 | 4 | .600 | LostWNBA Finals |
| IND | 2010 | 34 | 21 | 13 | .618 | 3rd in East | 3 | 1 | 2 | .333 | Lost Eastern Conference Semi-Finals |
| IND | 2011 | 34 | 21 | 13 | .618 | 1st in East | 6 | 3 | 3 | .500 | Lost Eastern Conference Finals |
| IND | 2012 | 34 | 22 | 12 | .647 | 2nd in East | 10 | 7 | 3 | .700 | WonWNBA Finals |
| IND | 2013 | 34 | 16 | 18 | .471 | 4th in East | 4 | 2 | 2 | .500 | Lost Eastern Conference Finals |
| IND | 2014 | 34 | 16 | 18 | .471 | 2nd in East | 5 | 3 | 2 | .600 | Lost Eastern Conference Finals |
| Career | 409 | 213 | 196 | .521 | 45 | 23 | 22 | .511 |
