FHU women’s basketball coach Dale Neal inducted into NAIA Hall of Fame
Article courtesy of Freed-Hardeman University’s Mathew Barker
BILLINGS, Mont. — Freed-Hardeman Women’s Basketball coach Dale Neal has had many titles throughout his 24 year career with the Lady Lions and Tuesday evening he added one more to the list, as he was named an NAIA Hall of Fame inductee.
The Hall of Fame induction took place Tuesday evening in conjunction with the NAIA Women’s Basketball banquet held at the Billings Convention Center in Billings, Montana. Neal was introduced by former FHU Women’s Basketball Assistant Coach Alissa Hargett as part of the induction ceremony.
The Hall of Fame Award is the highest honor presented by the NAIA. Nominees must have outstanding character and leadership ability, and be held in high esteem by their colleagues, former coaches and athletes. The Hall of Fame consists of an athlete and coach category for each sport and a category for general meritorious service.
“Although receiving an honor like this is not at all what has motivated me to be a coach, it doesn’t make me any less grateful to receive it,” Neal said. “I am both honored and very appreciative to be listed among some of the greatest NAIA coaches in the country. I am keenly aware that coaching 29 NAIA All-Americans, 3 NAIA Players of the Year and 1 NAIA National Tournament MVP is a recipe for a coach going into the Hall of Fame. I have always looked at ‘coaching honors as actually being ‘player honors’ and I am grateful to the 150 awesome young ladies that I have been blessed to coach at FHU.”
Neal is currently in his 24th season at the helm of the Freed-Hardeman University (Tenn.) women’s basketball program and has compiled a record of 668-176 entering Wednesday’s NAIA Tournament opening round game against The Master’s (Calif.).
Few programs in the NAIA have seen the levels of success and consistency that Neal has brought to Freed-Hardeman in his tenure. Over that time frame, the Lady Lions are one of only two programs to have won at least 20 games and competed in the NAIA National Championship every year.
Under Neal’s direction, Freed-Hardeman has been a fixture in both the NAIA Top-25 poll and the NAIA National Tournament. The Lady Lions have made six total appearances in the Fab Four (1999, 2008, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015) and one appearance in the National Championship game (2014).
The Lady Lions have also advanced to the National Quarterfinals four times (2004, 2005, 2006, 2017), won eight conference tournament titles and seven regular-season conference championships. This season marks the 22nd straight appearance the Lady Lions have qualified for the NAIA National Championship out of Neal’s 24 years at the helm.
Neal has been named the Conference Coach of the Year eight times, including earning WBCA/NAIA National Coach of the Year honors in 2014-15 as well as 2016-17. The Lady Lions have boasted 11 Conference Players of the Year and three WBCA/NAIA National Players of the Year. Freed-Hardeman has a total of 29 All-American selections since 1999, including 18 first-team honorees.
Neal is currently the winningest NAIA Active Coach at the NAIA Division 1 level with his overall record of 668-176, a winning percentage of .791.
