#321 Sherri Coale, Hall of Fame University of Oklahoma Women's Basketball Coach, on Essential Questions to Ask Your Athletes, the Importance of 1 on 1 Time with Athletes, and her New Book Rooted to Rise

Sherri Coale was one of the most accomplished and impactful head coaches in University of Oklahoma history in any sport, is retiring after a transformative 25 years at the helm of the OU women's basketball program. Coale retiring after 25 years, more than 500 wins, 3 Final Fours, 9 Sweet 16s and 10 conference championships. Owner of the most wins in OU women's basketball history and a member of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, Coale was a four-time Big 12 Coach of the Year and directed the Sooners to 10 Big 12 championships (six regular season, four tournament) and 20 postseason appearances, including 19 consecutive NCAA Tournaments. She finished her collegiate career with a 513-294 (.636) overall record and a 253-167 (.601) mark in Big 12 play. Nine of her squads that qualified for the NCAA Tournament advanced to the Sweet 16 or beyond. Three of them barreled their way to the Final Four (2002, 2009, 2010), with the 2001-02 Sooners advancing to the national championship game. All told, her teams registered 31 NCAA Tournament wins, good for 15th most among Division I women's basketball coaches. Her three Final Four appearances are tied for eighth most in history.

Her new book about her journey in sports and life is called Rooted to Rise. a collection of essays about people—some have achieved extraordinary worldly success, and some have led what society might label "ordinary lives." But the stories are far less about what her people have done and far more about who they are, or were, or always will be through the impact they had on those around them. As Coale writes: "The people I write about in Rooted to Rise are my people. But everybody has some. I hope you recognize and remember yours through the stories of mine."

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