Southwest State University
Women's Basketball Head Coach
1971-90
Carmen DeKoster came to Southwest State as women's basketball head coach in 1971. She began coaching in the years when Title IX went into effect. The Mustangs played only 13 games her first year and 14 during her second. For a while, women athletes were not offered scholarships. Then, eventually, half-scholarships. Later, the full scholarships would arrive. DeKoster and her SSU teams thrived in that developing environment. On the basketball court, DeKoster's teams tied for conference titles in 1979-80 and 1980-81. In 19 years, DeKoster had a 244-180 overall record. She coached several 1,000-point scorers, and one - Cindy Olson - who went on to play pro basketball for the Minnesota Fillies. Four times, she won state titles in the Minnesota Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) where schools from all levels - from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities to Division II teams to Division III schools such as St. Catherine's - competed in one MAIAW tournament. Carmen's work in women's athletics helped pave the way for greater opportunities for girls and women in sport. Today, Dekoster lives in Okoboji, Iowa.