Title IX pioneers: NC State's Kay Yow put courage on display as the world watched
The day before the NC State's women's basketball court at Reynolds Coliseum was named in honor of coach Kay Yow, she was carried off of it on a stretcher.
But you'd never know it by watching her on the sideline the next day.
You'd never know her fight, her weakened state or the depths of willpower she summoned to see her team roll over a UNC squad coming off a Final Four and ranked No. 2 in the country as she took chemotherapy treatments and harsh drugs to fight their side effects while breast cancer attacked her body.
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"I don't know that I'm worthy of it, but I certainly am honored and humbled and grateful to be a part of it," Yow said of the court dedication in February of 2007. "Spending 32 years in Reynolds Coliseum have meant a lot to me. I think of her as a grand old lady, one of my best buddies."
To many, Yow was the grand lady. She'd become a fan favorite by winning 700 games, an Olympic gold medal, four ACC Tournament titles and reaching the Final Four as in a three-decade career as a coach. She became a nationally beloved figure by sharing the way she handled cancer, keeping a positive attitude in the face of unspeakable fear and loss — all while the sporting world watched.
"Kay Yow was the best of the human spirit on display," Yow's longtime associate head coach Stephanie Glance told ESPN. "She left us a lot of wisdom on how to live life.
"She would talk about how we have little or no control over what happens to us; the thing we have control over is how we respond to it," Glance said. "Kay would say, 'Attitude is completely a choice.' "
Yow was hired from Elon in the summer of 1974, two years after Title IX became law. She coached the Wolfpack women’s basketball team, as well as volleyball and softball teams. Her dedication and leadership helped build a foundation that would turn NC State women's basketball into a national powerhouse, creating opportunities for female athletes and inspiring young girls to find success in athletics.
She pioneered the growth of the women's game from humble beginnings and set the stage for where it is now.
Glance often became Yow's voice during the 2007 season. The latter would help her mentor to her feet sometimes when numbness in her toes made standing difficult.
A nurse traveled with the NC State women's basketball team during its NCAA Tournament run to the Sweet 16 that season. Yow would coach until a month before her death in January of 2009 at age 66.
"I think about how she lived and the consistency with which she lived every day with positive energy," Glance said. "In our lifetime, we aren't going to meet many people who live like that."
Sports editor Monica Holland can be reached at mholland@fayobserver.com. You can follow her on Twitter @monicaholland1.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: NC State coach Kay Yow was Title IX pioneer in early days of women's basketball
