DENVER – Title IX, the groundbreaking law prohibiting sex-based discrimination at schools that receive funding from the federal government, went into effect just over 50 years ago – on June 23, 1972.
 
MSU Denver has for decades been a leader in providing equal opportunities for women in intercollegiate athletics. Today is the second installment of a 52-part tribute by Roadrunners Athletics to pioneers and leaders in intercollegiate athletics at MSU Denver.
 
Each Thursday, a key female figure in Roadrunners athletics history will be recognized.
 
Today's profile is on groundbreaking athletic director Joan McDermott.
 
Not only was she one of few female athletic directors when she took over the Roadrunners' program, she also turned MSU Denver into an athletics powerhouse with her prescient head-coaching hires while presiding from 1999 to 2015. MSU Denver won two national titles in each in both men's basketball and women's soccer and was a consistent national force in those sports as well as volleyball, softball, women's basketball and men's soccer under her watch.

She also spearheaded the effort that led to the construction of the Assembly Athletic Complex for men's and women's soccer, baseball, softball and tennis. The facility is one of the finest outdoor venues in NCAA Division II.

A native Californian, McDermott first came to MSU Denver as both softball and volleyball coach in 1988. She was 50-37 coaching softball (the program was disbanded after the 1990 season, one year after McDermott left) and she led the Roadrunners to NCAA Tournaments both seasons as volleyball coach while compiling a 69-23 record.
 
McDermott returned to MSU Denver in 1996 to coach three more seasons of volleyball, going 67-41 with two more trips to the NCAA Tournament before moving into administration.
 
A two-time national athletic director of the year honoree, McDermott joined the MSU Denver Athletics Hall of Fame in 2021.