June 15, 2009
KNOXVILLE -- The first lady of Louisiana Tech Lady Techster basketball took her rightful spot in the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame Saturday night when former coach Sonja Hogg was inducted as part of the Class of 2009 in a ceremony in Knoxville, Tenn.
Hogg, who was hired in 1974 by then Tech President Dr. F. Jay Taylor as the inaugural head coach for the program, is the fifth member of the storied Louisiana Tech women's basketball program to be inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, joining Leon Barmore, Kim Mulkey, Janice Lawrence and Pam Kelly.
"This type of honor is about more than just one person," Hogg said. "It took a lot of people to make it happen, and I'm grateful and appreciative to all of them."
Hogg, who is also being inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in Natchitoches June 27, was one of the pioneers in the women's game. During her 11-year head coaching career at LA Tech, she not only coined the nickname of Lady Techsters while teaching in the College of Education, but she helped put the university on the map.
From 1974 through 1985, Hogg led Louisiana Tech to a mark of 307-55 and six straight Final Four appearances (1978-84) while leading the Lady Techsters to the 1981 AIAW National Title and the 1982 NCAA National Title. Her 1981 team posted a perfect 34-0 mark on their way to the program's first of three national championships.
"She was a class act," said current Techster head coach Teresa Weatherspoon, who was recruited by Hogg. "She taught us a lot about the game of basketball but she also taught us how to be ladies off the court. She made this program unique is so many ways from the name Lady Techsters to the sleeves on the uniforms.
Weatherspoon said she remembers Hogg's visit to her home in Pineland, Texas like it was yesterday.
"When she walked into my home, I thought `I've got to be a part of what she was all about,'" Weatherspoon said. "She was selling a program that was real, and players simply wanted to be a part of it. She was classy back then and to this day she hasn't changed."
Many of those same players were on hand in Knoxville for the induction including Weatherspoon, Kelly, Angela Turner, Julie Wilkerson and Ann Pendergrass.
Hogg led the Lady Techsters to a national record winning streak of 54 games during the two national championship seasons before Old Dominion snapped the streak with a 61-58 victory - the lone loss by LA Tech during the two years.
She coached five All-Americans, four Academic All-Americans and two Olympians, both of the latter being in 1984 and both being already enshrined Louisiana Sports Hall of Famers (Mulkey, Lawrence-Braxton).
Hogg also coached four NCAA post-graduate scholarship recipients. She was Louisiana Coach of the Year in 1981 and 1982, the Sugar Bowl Coach of the Year in 1982. Hogg coached two Wade Trophy recipients, a Naismith national Player of the Year, a national Small Player of the Year, and a Broderick Cup recipient.
"I've had a lot of time to reflect back on so many of the enjoyable moments we've had and the people we've been associated with over the years," Hogg said.
