"We wanted to do this for Nancy to kick off the Year of the Woman series," said current athletics director Bill Hogan. "Nancy is an inspiration, a wonderful professional and very talented."
"When she came up through the ranks she had it very hard. There were only one or two scholarships for all the women's teams and there were a lot of old football coaches who didn't want women around at all. She has had to fight those battles and I think that every young woman who participates in sports should thank people like Nancy," commented Hogan.
The Nancy Gerou women's basketball locker room has been completely renovated. The Redhawks will enjoy a state of the art sound system and projection television, along with new lockers and kitchenette, among the many amenities.
Gerou has held a myriad of roles at SU, including multiple stints as athletics director, beginning in 1987. She ran the athletics department from 1987-93, then took over the helm of the department for a second time from 1996-99 and again in the 2003-04 academic year. After 23 years in various capacities at Seattle U, she announced her retirement this past summer. In addition to the many advancements made in the athletics department during her tenure, she was key in the University reclassifying from Division III to Division II, setting the wheels in motion for their current reclassification process back to the NCAA Division I level.
"Nancy has been a leader and a mentor to so many," said head women's basketball coach Joan Bonvicini. "She was here during the tough times. She has an appreciation for what is means to be a good athletic program. Nancy has a great vision and I think she reflects all the values in the things we want in our program. We are very honored to have her name in our locker room."
The 'Year of the Woman' series will recognize former women student-athletes throughout Seattle U's history. The student newspaper The Spectator will spotlight a different woman each month, leading up to the series' culmination: a tribute dinner where the athletics department will recognize the contributions of Pat Lesser and Janet Hopps. Lesser, a former golfer, and Hopps, a former tennis player, were national champions playing for Seattle U in the 1950s on all men's teams.
"Nancy, Pat and Janet have all been pioneers at Seattle U. It is great that they will be the bookends of our ' Year of the Woman ' series. We are excited to be able to honor other women throughout the year, as well." concluded Hogan.