So, just how successful has new Fighting Illini coach Nancy Fahey been during her career? Well, when ranked in terms of winning percentage against college men’s and women’s basketball coaches who have coached 29 or more seasons, only UConn’s Geno Auriemma has been more productive.
Of the 870 total games she’s coached since 1986 when she first began at Washington University, Fahey’s teams have won 84.7 percent of the time, just below Auriemma’s 88.1 percent. Among the fabled veteran coaches Fahey’s winning percentage exceeds include Adolph Rupp, John Wooden, Roy Williams, Jerry Tarkanian, Dean Smith and Mike Krzyzewski.