Givers Gain with Sylvia Hatchell

Two Feet In with Coach Heather Macy

Sylvia Hatchell solidified her place among the legends of basketball when she was chosen for induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a member of the class of 2013. You can reach out to coach at [e-mail]. Also check out her Blueberry Farm: Former UNC Women’s Basketball Coach Sylvia Hatchell has a very special blueberry patch near Black Mountain, NC. On this land, Hatchell keeps a blueberry patch with 250 blueberry bushes and invites visitors to the “pick your own” patch. Pickers are encouraged to make a donation to UNC Lineberger on an honor system based on how much they pick. All proceeds and collections from the blueberry patch go directly to UNC Lineberger, where Hatchell was treated for leukemia in 2013 and 2014. Blueberries are full of powerful antioxidants, vitamins C and K, and dietary fiber, making them one of the American Institute for Cancer Research’s top foods that fight cancer. The blueberries at the patch are generally available from early July through mid-August each summer. Four years later, Hatchell achieved another monumental milestone when she became only the third women’s basketball coach in history to reach 1,000 career victories, joining former Tennessee legend Pat Summitt and Stanford’s Tara VanDerveer. Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski is the only men’s coach among Division I basketball coaches to hit the 1,000 mark, and Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma got his 1,000th victory on the same day as Hatchell on Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2017. Hatchell’s career record of 1,023-405 places her third among active women’s coaches by total victories, trailing only Vanderveer and Auremma, and stands fourth in the history of the sport when you include Summitt, the all-time victories leader and long-time friend of Hatchell. Hatchell became the ACC’s all-time wins leader in women’s basketball, passing former Virginia coach Debbie Ryan, with an 83-62 victory over UNCG on Dec. 14, 2018. In 33 seasons in Chapel Hill, Hatchell has amassed a 751-325 mark with the Tar Heels. Beyond the sheer magnitude of wins, Hatchell’s credentials are sterling. She was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2004, has been named national coach of the year three times and has led teams to at least 20 wins 31 times, fourth-most nationally. While Hatchell keeps impressive company in many categories, she is also part of an exclusive club that features just one member. When UNC defeated Louisiana Tech to win the 1994 NCAA Championship, Hatchell became the first and only coach to lead teams to national championships at the AIAW, NAIA and NCAA levels. Those titles - the first two coming at Francis Marion - are the crown jewels in one of the most decorated coaching careers in women’s basketball history.