June 14, 2006
CONWAY, Ark. - UCF head women's basketball coach Gail Striegler is one of 10 former athletes and coaches to be inducted into the University of Central Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame, the college announced on Tuesday. The induction ceremony will take place on Sept. 16 prior to the UCA-Missouri State football game.
"It is privilege to receive this honor and I want to thank everyone who made it possible," said Striegler. "I have learned something from every place I have been whether I was a player, assistant coach or head coach and the foundation of that knowledge came from those days at Central Arkansas."
UCA bestowed the honor on Striegler for her accomplishments as two-sport athlete at the university, as well as her achievements as a coach.
A four-year letterwinner in basketball, Striegler captained the Sugar Bears and earned All-Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference and NAIA All-District 17 honors in 1989. She was also a standout thrower for the UCA track and field team, winning league titles in the discus and shotput and earning all-conference recognition all four seasons.
After receiving her bachelor's degree in kinesiology from UCA in 1990, Striegler served as a graduate assistant at the University of Arkansas, where the team posted a 28-4 record en route to an appearance in the NCAA Sweet 16. She also worked as an assistant coach at Northwestern State for three seasons before moving to Stephen F. Austin in 1995. During her tenure as SFA, the Ladyjacks advanced to the NCAA Tournament five times.
Striegler became the head coach at UCF in June 1999. She guided the Golden Knights to three consecutive Atlantic Sun regular season championships from 2003-05 and earned the A-Sun Coach of the Year award in both 2002 and 2005. During her tenure, she has coached 12 all-conference honorees, including 2005 A-Sun Defensive Player of the Year Celeste Hudson.
When the Golden Knights began competing in Conference USA in 2005-06, the team posted over a half-point improvement in its grade-point-average, recording a combined average of 3.4.
Joining Striegler in the UCA Hall of Fame Class of 2006 are former National Football League star Tyree Davis; Clyde Bell; Gene Hobbs; John Hutchcraft; Mike Malham, Sr.; Ronnie Mallet; Don Nixon; Mike Painter and Sonya Stephens.