Video Links:
Induction Speech
Hall of Fame Video
1-on-1 with Dee Abrahamson
Dee Abrahamson – Northern Illinois (softball/administration):
The winningest coach in NIU softball history, Dee Abrahamson’s contributions off the diamond and to Northern Illinois Athletics, its student-athletes, the Mid-American Conference and the sport of softball are even more impressive than her remarkable career as a coach which saw her lead the Huskies to a remarkable 416-286-5 career record over 15 seasons from 1980-94, including a trip to the Women's College World Series in 1988.
Following her success on the diamond, Abrahamson left coaching and embarked on a 17-year career in NIU Athletics administration. From 1994-2011, Abrahamson oversaw several different units within the athletics department and rose from assistant athletic director to Senior Associate Athletic Director and Senior Woman Administrator for NIU. She had oversight responsibilities for 12 sports during her tenure, including baseball, volleyball, softball, gymnastics and tennis at different times during the Huskies’ time in the MAC. She also directed the internal affairs units of NIU’s athletic department including personnel, facilities, events, camps, clinics, athletic business, NCAA compliance and information technology.
During her time as an administrator, she helped oversee NIU’s transition back to the Mid-American Conference, served as the athletics liaison for the design and building of the NIU Convocation Center, was involved in the hiring of coaches, NCAA Certification and directed multiple MAC Championships hosted by NIU.
Abrahamson became the NCAA Softball Secretary Rules editor in 1996, a position she held until 2016. She was the co-author of the original NCAA Softball Rules Book, published in 1997. Her responsibilities included all rule interpretations, editing the annual rule book, and educational programs for coaches and umpires.
The National Fastpitch Coaches Association honored Abrahamson in 2007 with the NFCA Distinguished Service Award for her lifetime dedication to the sport of fastpitch; she was only the second person in a 24-year period to receive the award.
Recently announced as a 2019 inductee into the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Hall of Fame in the Pioneer category, she currently serves as an equipment consultant for the NCAA. A nationally recognized expert in softball and bat technology, Abrahamson is also a liaison to the National Federation of High Schools and Amateur Softball Association, which is the National Governing Board for the sport.
Abrahamson came to NIU in 1979 as softball coach from Lincoln Trail Community College, where she won 152 games while founding the women’s athletic program. During her tenure as the head coach of the Huskies, NIU won 30-or-more games seven different times, including a 40-win season in 1993, a mark that still stands as the school record. During the 1988 College World Series season, the Huskies reached as high as No. 10 in the national poll while also recording a 16-game winning streak. She has been inducted into the NIU Athletics Hall of Fame as a coach (2002) and as an administrator (2017).
Abrahamson earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degree from Western Michigan in 1974 and 1975, respectively, where she swam competitively for two years.
