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A RESOLUTION honoring Transylvania University women's basketball Head 1
Coach Juli Fulks, 2024 Women's Basketball Coaches Association National Coach of the 2
Year. 3
WHEREAS, Juli Fulks, the head coach for the Transylvania University women's 4
basketball team, was recently named by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association 5
(WBCA) as the 2024 National Coach of the Year for the National Collegiate Athletic 6
Association (NCAA) Division III level; and 7
WHEREAS, the award is presented annually as the Pat Summit Trophy, named for 8
the late legendary University of Tennessee coach, to a head coach based on their team's 9
latest success and improvement from the prior season, their fulfillment of their team's 10
potential, and their professional manner and attitude; and 11
WHEREAS, this marks Juli Fulks' first Pat Summit Trophy, after previously 12
winning five Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) Coach of the Year 13
awards, including the three awarded in the previous three seasons; and 14
WHEREAS, prior to becoming the head coach of Transylvania University women's 15
basketball team, Juli Fulks began her collegiate coaching career as an assistant coach at 16
her alma mater, Defiance College, later assuming the helm at Lewis & Clark College in 17
2004. She inherited a team with a record of only five wins and 20 losses, and guided the 18
program to a tenure-best 25 wins and four losses in both of her final two seasons at the 19
program, along with two Northwest Conference Championships and three NCAA 20
Division III National Tournament appearances; and 21
WHEREAS, on June 20, 2014, Juli Fulks announced she had accepted an offer to 22
become the sixth coach in women's basketball program history for the Transylvania 23
University Pioneers, taking charge of an already historically successful program; and 24
WHEREAS, Coach Juli Fulks has led the program to a staggering 242 and 39 25
record under her tenure to date, including an amazing 88 wins and two losses over the 26
previous three seasons; and 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 24 RS BR 2501
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WHEREAS, under her tenure at Transylvania University, Head Coach Juli Fulks 1
has led the Pioneers to six HCAC Regular Season Championships, six HCAC 2
Tournament Championships, and seven NCAA Tournament Division III Tournament 3
Appearances, including defeating Christopher Newport to capture the 2023 National 4
Championship for the first national championship in the history of the school, which also 5
capped off a perfect 33 and 0 season; and 6
WHEREAS, after securing the 2024 HCAC Tournament Championship, Fulks' 7
Pioneers again secured an automatic bid to the 2024 NCAA Division III Championship. 8
They also again entered the national tournament undefeated, with 27 wins and no losses. 9
After breezing through the first four rounds, the Pioneers fell in the Final Four to fellow 10
undefeated foe, and eventual champion, the New York University Violets, ending the 11
longest active winning streak in any NCAA sport regardless of division at 64 wins; and 12
WHEREAS, Juli Fulks embodies the basketball winning tradition that our 13
Commonwealth is so proud of and showcases excellence on a national stage, and her 14
recognition as Coach of the Year by the WBCA deserves to be commemorated in this 15
manner; 16
NOW, THEREFORE, 17
Be it resolved by the Senate of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of 18
Kentucky: 19
Section 1. The members of the Senate join Senator Reginald Thomas in saluting 20
the Juli Fulks, Head Coach for the Transylvania University women's basketball team, 21
upon the occasion of her being named the 2024 WBCA National Coach of the Year, 22
applauding the outstanding work she has done with the Pioneers, and wishing her good 23
fortune in all future endeavors. 24
Section 2. The Clerk of the Senate shall transmit a copy of this Resolution to 25
Senator Reginald Thomas for presentation to Juli Fulks. 26