Story Courtesy of Buffalo Sports Information
BUFFALO, NY – Syracuse University announced today that it will honor four Orange alumni with jersey retirements during the upcoming 2021-22 academic year, including University at Buffalo women's basketball head coach Felisha Legette-Jack.
When she took off the Orange uniform for the final time in March 1989, Legette-Jack owned the Syracuse women's basketball career records for points, rebounds, field goals made and attempted, and free throws made and attempted. More than 30 years later she remains in the top 10 in career points, rebounds, and field goals made and attempted and the mark she made on the program is undeniable.
In her first year, Legette-Jack earned BIG EAST Conference Freshman of the Year honors after helping lead the Orange to their first BIG EAST Championship. An honorable mention All-American and All-BIG EAST First Team selection as a sophomore in 1985-86, Legette-Jack averaged a double-double with 15.8 points and 10.1 rebounds per game, leading the Orange to a 19-10 record, including a 12-4 mark in the BIG EAST. She followed that up by earning honorable mention All-America and All-BIG EAST Second Team honors following a junior season in which she averaged 13.0 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. After missing the 1987-88 season due to a knee injury she returned to the court and earned All-BIG EAST honors. She was one of 15 players named to the BIG EAST Conference Silver Anniversary Team in 2004. In 2011, she was named a Syracuse University Letterwinner of Distinction.
Legette-Jack has accumulated a 177-107 overall record at Buffalo and became the all-time winningest coach in program history with the Bulls win at Kent State on January 25, 2020. She went over the 300 career win plateau with a win at Ohio on February 29, 2020 and currently owns a 318-270 career head coaching record across 19 seasons as head coach.
The Syracuse, NY native has led UB to eight straight winning seasons for the first time since the Bulls joined the MAC in 1998. She led Buffalo to their most historic season in program history in 2017-18, finishing with a program-best 29-6 overall record and 16-2 MAC mark while collecting their first NCAA Tournament victories and advancing to the Sweet 16 for the first time in school history. The Bulls have produced four 20+ win campaigns in the last six seasons and are the only team in the MAC to win at least 19 games in six of the last seven campaigns. Buffalo has also recorded 10 or more MAC wins in six of the last eight seasons under Legette-Jack.
