Hall of Fame
Joan McDermott made her MSU Denver debut as a volleyball and softball coach, but her biggest legacy is presiding over the RMAC's top programs in 17 years as the athletic director.
She is a two-time NCAA Division II Athletic Director of the Year and headed the campaign for the $16 million Assembly Athletic Complex, which stands as one of the finest outdoor facilities in Division II.
The Roadrunners were two-time national champions in both men's basketball (2000 and 2002) and women's soccer (2004 and 2006) on McDermott's watch, and Roadrunners teams won more than 30 regular-season and post-season RMAC championships during her tenure.
She had a major impact on the hiring of Mike Dunlap as the men's basketball head coach and helped build that program once taking over as athletic director, and her list of legendary coaching hires includes Debbie Hendricks (volleyball), Danny Sanchez (women's soccer), Jen Fisher (softball), Ken Parsons (men's soccer) and Tanya Haave (women's basketball).
McDermott was 136-64 in six years as volleyball coach, leading MSU Denver to two regular-season conference championships and four trips to the NCAA Tournament, and was 50-37 as the softball head coach before embarking upon her pioneering career as a female administrator in collegiate athletics.
