Mary Kay Hungate Hometown: Galesburg, Illinois Last College: Illinois State University Position: Deputy Athletics Director/SWA Contact:: usmkh@latech.edu (318)257-4111

Deputy Athletics Director and Senior Woman Administrator Mary Kay Hungate returns for her 25th year as a member of the Louisiana Tech Athletics Department and has proven to be an integral part in the recent emergence of the Tech teams on the playing fields and in the classroom.

Not only does Hungate serve as the sports administrator for men's and women's basketball, women's soccer, softball, women's tennis, women's bowling and women's volleyball, but she is also in charge of NCAA compliance for all of the university's 16 NCAA sanctioned programs.

As one of the top three ranking administrators in the Tech Athletics Department, Hungate serves a vital role in the hiring of coaches. Hungate proved instrumental in the decision by former Tech Kodak All-American and WNBA All-Star Teresa Weatherspoon - who played for Hungate in the late-80s - to return to Louisiana Tech in June of 2008. Weatherspoon was promoted to head coach in February of 2009 and promptly led the Lady Techsters to a 9-2 mark down the stretch and a share of the Western Athletic Conference title.

She also served as the point person in the hiring process of head women's soccer coach Kevin Sherry and head women's volleyball coach Matt Sonnichsen. In 2008 in only his second year, Sherry led the Lady Techster soccer team to the first winning record in the program's history and a share of the title of the most improved team in the country.

Sonnichsen, who was a three-time All-American and two-time National Champion during his playing days at UCLA, begins his second season rebuilding the Lady Techster volleyball program.

Another of Hungate's responsibilities includes overseeing the academic side of the Tech Athletic Department, another area which has improved drastically as proven by the fact LA Tech ranks No. 1 in the state of Louisiana and the Western Athletic Conference in student-athlete graduation rate (Federal Graduation Report).

Louisiana Tech saw seven of its 16 NCAA sanctioned programs earn a perfect 1,000 score on the single year rate in the most recent Academic Progress Rate (APR) while 12 of its programs achieved their highest single year APR rate ever.

Hungate also plays an important role in LA Tech's NCAA Certification process. As a member of the Steering Committee and the liaison between the athletic department and the University's Self Study Committees, she provides the information needed for the committees to write their reports. In 2006, LA Tech completed its second NCAA Certification cycle and once again was certified without conditions.

Hungate joined the Louisiana Tech staff in 1985 as an assistant women's basketball coach and remained in that role for five years. During that time, the Lady Techsters participated in four Final Fours and won the NCAA National Championship in 1988.

In 1990, Hungate made a move out of coaching and became assistant athletics director for academics and compliance as well as senior woman administrator. One of Hungate's early accomplishments as assistant director of athletics was the creation of the Louisiana Tech Athletic Academic Center program.

Hungate has served terms on the NCAA Division I Academics/Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet, the NCAA Division I Interpretations/Legislative Review Subcommittee, the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators Wade Trophy Selection Committee and as an NCAA Peer Reviewer. She has also served on the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Issues Committee since 2004.

She currently serves on the Western Athletic Conference Council, the Conferences' Legislative Review Committee, the Finance Committee and the Code Book Committee. In addition, along with Athletics Director Derek Dooley, she represents the athletics department as an ex-officio member of the LA Tech Athletics Council.

Hungate's professional career began as Women's Sports Coordinator and head volleyball, head basketball and head softball coach at Illinois' Carl Sandburg Junior College. She spent four seasons at the college where she guided the basketball team to a mark of 80-22 which included an 11th place finish in the 1976 NJCAA national tournament.

In 1978 Hungate took over the head coaching position at Richwoods High School in Peoria, Ill., and quickly compiled one of the top prep coaching records in the nation.

During her seven seasons at Richwoods High School, Hungate's team ran up an impressive record of 195-13, including a state-record 63 consecutive victories. Hungate was named the National Coach of the Year by USA Today in 1985. Before coming to Louisiana Tech, Hungate amassed a career coaching record of 275-35.