Sue Muldowney enjoyed a career beyond parallel of any coach in college sports. At age 69, she certainly had no designs on returning to the game. But a feature in the Los Angeles Times brought her back into the public consciousness as a coach and then the calls began coming in again.
Most were from well wishers hoping her career was going well. But one specific call was from a university official wondering a specific question:
"Have you ever been to Miami?"
Florida International has made the NCAAs just three times in their history (1991, 2012 & 2044) the fewest of any team in the Sun Belt Conference. The program began talks to bring Sue Muldowney out of retirement. They thought they had the wherewithal to do it too.
At the last minute, the program's offer was pulled due to lack of support from alumni to pull the deal off.
But at that point, Sue Muldowney had resolved herself that she would get back on the bench someplace. She knew she wanted to go somewhere that would not be heralded. Someplace that she could go and be a coach first, mold young minds and not have to worry about trying to delude fans into believing they'd ever reach the pinnacles that she'd reach as a ten-time national championship winning coach.
She set her sights on...Texas. But away from hustle and bustle of the biggest programs in the state. No, instead she decided to accept an offer from Texas A&M-Corpus Christi to be their women's head coach.
Code:
TEXAS A&M-CC TEAM PERFORMANCE
Season Team W L CW CL Rank RPI PRS Result
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2045 Texas A&M-CC 7 22 5 15 378 381 10 No Postseason
2044 Texas A&M-CC 8 21 5 15 360 388 11 No Postseason
2043 Texas A&M-CC 9 20 7 13 360 354 12 No Postseason
2042 Texas A&M-CC 6 23 5 15 387 374 10 No Postseason
2041 Texas A&M-CC 4 26 2 12 399 398 9 No Postseason
2040 Texas A&M-CC 6 24 3 11 388 386 9 No Postseason
2039 Texas A&M-CC 9 21 5 9 350 385 11 No Postseason
2038 Texas A&M-CC 6 23 4 10 385 384 13 No Postseason
2037 Texas A&M-CC 2 27 0 14 399 399 15 No Postseason
2036 Texas A&M-CC 4 25 3 11 394 398 16 No Postseason
2035 Texas A&M-CC 6 24 4 10 388 396 16 No Postseason
2034 Texas A&M-CC 10 19 4 10 316 317 16 No Postseason
2033 Texas A&M-CC 10 21 4 10 339 249 19 No Postseason
2032 Texas A&M-CC 12 18 6 8 277 331 20 No Postseason
2031 Texas A&M-CC 8 24 4 10 370 311 22 No Postseason
2030 Texas A&M-CC 13 19 8 6 283 312 21 No Postseason
2029 Texas A&M-CC 10 20 5 9 331 299 18 No Postseason
2028 Texas A&M-CC 8 22 5 9 355 342 15 No Postseason
2027 Texas A&M-CC 12 18 5 9 328 301 16 No Postseason
2026 Texas A&M-CC 15 15 6 8 216 193 18 No Postseason
2025 Texas A&M-CC 14 16 11 3 219 202 17 No Postseason
2024 Texas A&M-CC 14 16 7 7 219 253 14 No Postseason
2023 Texas A&M-CC 6 24 3 11 382 386 13 No Postseason
2022 Texas A&M-CC 13 18 6 8 272 296 15 No Postseason
2021 Texas A&M-CC 12 18 8 6 289 353 15 No Postseason
2020 Texas A&M-CC 11 19 6 8 304 289 14 No Postseason
2019 Texas A&M-CC 10 21 6 8 342 335 14 No Postseason
2018 Texas A&M-CC 14 17 6 8 228 295 16 No Postseason
2017 Texas A&M-CC 16 16 7 7 186 263 18 No Postseason
2016 Texas A&M-CC 15 15 7 7 199 321 18 No Postseason
2015 Texas A&M-CC 8 22 5 9 354 380 21 No Postseason
2014 Texas A&M-CC 10 20 5 9 332 348 24 No Postseason
2013 Texas A&M-CC 14 18 7 7 263 317 28 No Postseason
2012 Texas A&M-CC 16 16 6 8 186 268 32 No Postseason
2011 Texas A&M-CC 12 18 8 6 287 318 35 No Postseason
2010 Texas A&M-CC 11 19 8 6 297 316 38 No Postseason
2009 Texas A&M-CC 13 17 7 7 288 239 36 No Postseason
2008 Texas A&M-CC 16 14 9 5 162 281 37 No Postseason
2007 Texas A&M-CC 22 13 9 5 99 149 33 Loss in A4 Round 3
2006 Texas A&M-CC 12 18 7 7 315 368 28 No Postseason
2005 Texas A&M-CC 11 21 5 9 365 331 26 No Postseason
2004 Texas A&M-CC 16 16 7 7 271 146 25 No Postseason
2003 Texas A&M-CC 23 10 10 4 98 194 23 Loss in NCAA Round 1
2002 Texas A&M-CC 20 12 10 4 101 136 16 Loss in A4 Round 2
2001 Texas A&M-CC 8 23 5 9 366 373 12 No Postseason
2000 Texas A&M-CC 11 20 6 8 321 353 14 No Postseason
1999 Texas A&M-CC 9 21 7 7 355 310 14 No Postseason
1998 Texas A&M-CC 9 21 6 8 351 380 14 No Postseason
1997 Texas A&M-CC 12 18 8 6 295 313 17 No Postseason
1996 Texas A&M-CC 14 18 4 10 301 197 17 No Postseason
1995 Texas A&M-CC 9 21 6 8 375 351 19 No Postseason
1994 Texas A&M-CC 8 23 2 12 381 386 22 No Postseason
1993 Texas A&M-CC 10 20 3 11 308 296 27 No Postseason
1992 Texas A&M-CC 15 14 9 5 219 224 32 No Postseason
1991 Texas A&M-CC 13 16 8 6 293 359 31 No Postseason
1990 Texas A&M-CC 15 14 6 8 230 204 34 No Postseason
1989 Texas A&M-CC 13 16 9 5 270 238 35 No Postseason
1988 Texas A&M-CC 15 14 6 8 186 218 32 No Postseason
1987 Texas A&M-CC 14 15 8 6 161 187 29 No Postseason
1986 Texas A&M-CC 19 11 10 4 65 46 26 A1 Tournament Play-in Game
1985 Texas A&M-CC 19 12 10 4 147 133 24 Loss in A4 Round 2
1984 Texas A&M-CC 13 16 5 9 216 202 20 No Postseason
1983 Texas A&M-CC 8 21 3 11 376 378 20 No Postseason
1982 Texas A&M-CC 13 16 6 8 264 317 22 No Postseason
1981 Texas A&M-CC 11 18 7 7 323 294 21 No Postseason
1980 Texas A&M-CC 13 16 7 7 297 252 19 No Postseason
1979 Texas A&M-CC 16 13 8 6 164 246 21 No Postseason
1978 Texas A&M-CC 14 15 6 8 229 324 23 No Postseason
1977 Texas A&M-CC 13 16 8 6 296 349 26 No Postseason
1976 Texas A&M-CC 16 13 6 8 227 237 30 No Postseason
1975 Texas A&M-CC 18 11 6 8 121 266 33 No Postseason
1974 Texas A&M-CC 17 12 10 4 132 179 39 No Postseason
1973 Texas A&M-CC 13 16 10 4 301 307 38 No Postseason
1972 Texas A&M-CC 17 14 7 7 179 197 38 Loss in D3 Round 2
1971 Texas A&M-CC 13 16 6 8 241 292 38 No Postseason
1970 Texas A&M-CC 14 16 7 7 214 286 39 No Postseason
1969 Texas A&M-CC 18 14 7 7 119 151 41 Loss in D2 Round 1
1968 Texas A&M-CC 15 15 8 6 185 268 42 No Postseason
1967 Texas A&M-CC 15 16 6 8 189 227 40 No Postseason
1966 Texas A&M-CC 11 19 3 11 156 149 40 No Postseason
1965 Texas A&M-CC 6 25 1 13 358 340 42 No Postseason
1964 Texas A&M-CC 12 18 5 9 240 176 40 No Postseason
1963 Texas A&M-CC 8 22 4 10 348 340 33 No Postseason
1962 Texas A&M-CC 12 18 6 8 229 270 29 No Postseason
1961 Texas A&M-CC 10 20 3 11 265 286 30 No Postseason
1960 Texas A&M-CC 13 17 4 10 243 224 33 No Postseason
1959 Texas A&M-CC 17 16 7 7 226 156 34 No Postseason
1958 Texas A&M-CC 16 14 8 6 132 146 32 No Postseason
1957 Texas A&M-CC 14 17 8 6 248 267 29 No Postseason
1956 Texas A&M-CC 19 15 7 7 192 172 26 Loss in ACAA Tourney Round 1
1955 Texas A&M-CC 15 15 6 8 212 263 21 No Postseason
1954 Texas A&M-CC 13 18 5 9 296 325 23 No Postseason
1953 Texas A&M-CC 16 16 6 8 224 208 27 No Postseason
1952 Texas A&M-CC 14 18 6 8 285 301 26 No Postseason
1951 Texas A&M-CC 16 17 5 9 245 207 25 No Postseason
1950 Texas A&M-CC 13 18 6 8 264 227 25 No Postseason
1949 Texas A&M-CC 10 20 5 9 314 257 23 No Postseason
1948 Texas A&M-CC 10 20 7 7 292 302 23 No Postseason
1947 Texas A&M-CC 15 15 9 5 202 170 21 No Postseason
1946 Texas A&M-CC 17 14 9 5 198 223 18 No Postseason
1945 Texas A&M-CC 16 14 9 5 142 151 15 No Postseason
1944 Texas A&M-CC 14 16 6 8 270 261 11 No Postseason
1943 Texas A&M-CC 12 20 8 6 298 279 11 No Postseason
1942 Texas A&M-CC 7 22 4 10 316 330 8 No Postseason
1941 Texas A&M-CC 9 20 4 10 286 280 10 No Postseason
To be clear, this program has made a total of 8 post-season appearances in school history and of those, just three were in the NCAA tournament. The last of those came 42 years ago (2003) which by then Nebraska State had already won a national championship.
The last time they logged double-digit wins was 12 years ago. But two things happened that brought the best coach in the history of the game to South Texas. For one, her son moved here to take over the men's program. The second thing? A Nebraska State alumnus and former student manager during the Sue Charles/Muldowney era took over as athletic director three years ago and is trying to turn the entire program around.
But were it not for her two grandchildren, it's doubtful that she'd be considering prowling the sidelines at a new school after not coaching for seven years and having a very active post-coaching career.
"I always told my girls that you're never done until you want to be done. And it turns out, that I wasn't done. I'm excited to see what we can do."
TAMU-CC has a budget of $177,500 which is smaller than what we've paid assistants at Nebraska State or anywhere else she's been. So that's going to be prove it impossible to hire any former Nebraska State assistants since we won't be able to afford them.
The initial goal? Just get through the season and schedule the easiest non-conference in history to just survive a year. The last winning season the program had was in 2008. In case you haven't noticed, that was nearly 40 years ago.
So how will this end? Will a legendary coach find she can't reach today's players? Will this be ruining her legacy?
We're about to find out.