Midland University will host a Celebration of Life for longtime women’s basketball coach Joanne Bracker on Saturday, March 11 from 2-5 p.m. in the Wikert Event Center lobby.
Bracker passed away on February 1 at the age of 77 after a battle with cancer. The public is invited to share stories and celebrate the life of Coach Bracker during the open-house event. Attendees are encouraged to wear Midland apparel.
She accumulated 742 wins during her 42-year career, making her the winningest coach in NAIA history at the time of her retirement in 2012. She guided the Warriors to eight NAIA National Tournament appearances, including a fourth-place finish in 1985. The Warriors finished nationally ranked in 13 of those seasons, ranking as high as No. 3 following the 1982-83 season.
Bracker was inducted into the inaugural class of the National Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999, and is also a member of both the Midland University and Dana College (her alma mater) Athletic Halls of Fame. She was an assistant coach in the 1989 Olympic Festival and was a member of the Olympic selection committee in 1992 and 1996. Bracker also served as national president of NAIA Women’s Basketball Coaches Association.
