Sharon Fanning-Otis always thought she would retire in her mid-50s.
As one season turned into another and she slowly approached her 60th birthday, Fanning-Otis realized there probably never was going to be a perfect time to step away from the game she loved.
On Monday, Fanning-Otis made a decision that has been years in the making when she announced she will retire as Mississippi State University’s women’s basketball coach at the end of this season.
“There is never a good time as you look at retirement with your team or with your staff and how it affects people,” said Fanning-Otis, who will be 59 on Dec. 15. “I felt this opportunity at this point in time would allow the administration to time to get the work done and to find the right people to be in here. It just seemed like the right time to communicate with the administration and to make this decision.”
Fanning-Otis met with MSU Director of Athletics Scott Stricklin on Monday to inform him of her decision. She met later in the day with her team to tell them that her 17th season at MSU, and 37th overall as a coach, would be her last.
Fanning-Otis, the all-time winningest women’s basketball coach in MSU history (281 wins), is 608-457 in 36 years as a head coach. MSU is 14-13 and 4-10 in the Southeastern Conference with two regular-season games remaining prior to the SEC tournament on March 1-4 in Nashville, Tenn.
Earlier this season, Fanning-Otis became just the 14th Division I head women’s basketball coach to reach the 600-win mark. She also has served as head women’s basketball coach at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and the University of Kentucky and Mississippi State. She started her coaching career as a graduate assistant women’s basketball coach with Pat Summitt at the University of Tennessee.
After this season, Fanning-Otis will move into an athletic development position in the Bulldog Club.
“I want to thank Sharon for her devotion to our women’s basketball program for nearly two decades and for the accomplishments she has guided our program to during that time,” Stricklin said in a statement. “She has a great heart for people, and her work ethic and dedication to Mississippi State has taken our women’s basketball program to successes never attained prior to her arrival. The timing of Sharon’s announcement gives us the opportunity to begin looking for our next women’s basketball coach. As always, we’ll identify a hard-working, intelligent coach who can move this program forward.”
Fanning-Otis, who has one year remaining on her contract, said an opportunity to work in the athletic department in a fundraising capacity went along with the whole discussion of her retirement. She said she didn’t know if that position would be available or what would transpire if she decided to continue to coach. She said the timing of the opportunity to take a role in the athletic development seemed to fit, and it will allow her to remain active in building support for women’s basketball and other sports at MSU.
“I don’t think when you’ve coached 37 years it is easy to say you’re not going to do something like that,” Fanning-Otis said. “It is a bittersweet feeling in a way when you think about what you’ve done. It is what you do, it is not who you are. I don’t think it has defined me. It is what I am known for. It is tough, yet I am excited because I am still going to be in athletics and involved in things with people and because Mississippi State is really a special place. I want to give back as much as I can and help this program in any way I can.”
In 2008-09, Fanning-Otis led MSU to a 23-10 finish and a trip to the second round of the NCAA tournament. In 2009-10, she guided MSU to a 21-13 record and the program’s first appearance in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament. In all, MSU has advanced to six NCAA tournaments and five Women’s National Invitation Tournaments.
Last season, a 13-17 finish snapped a string of four consecutive postseason appearances.
“For almost four decades, Sharon has been passionate about teaching and coaching the game of women’s basketball,” Summitt said. “Whether it was as a graduate assistant at the University of Tennessee or head coach at Tennessee-Chattanooga, Kentucky or Mississippi State, she has always been devoted to her university, the players and the game.
“Over the years, our teams have enjoyed great competitions against each other. You always knew Sharon and her squad were going to give you a 40-minute battle.
“I watched her set a standard at Mississippi State by developing All-America, All-SEC and SEC All-Academic student-athletes while taking her teams to the NCAA tournament.
Sharon has been a great friend and colleague. I know she is going to thoroughly enjoy her retirement. My best to Sharon and (her husband) Larry as they embark upon this new chapter in their lives.”
Said University of Georgia coach Andy Landers, “I respect Sharon’s decision and I’m happy for her. Selfishly, I’m sad because I’ve known Sharon for the past 37 years and have always admired and respected the manner in which she has coached her basketball teams and represented her universities. Not only has Sharon done a great job at Mississippi State, but she’s always had a sincere interest in what was best for the Southeastern Conference and women’s basketball. I truly admire that.”
Fanning-Otis also earned the praise of her players. Mary Kathryn Govero, who completed her MSU career last season and is the girls basketball coach at Starkville Christian, thanked Fanning-Otis for setting a positive example and teaching her countless life lessons.
“Coach Fanning has devoted her life to sharing her love of basketball with young women, and has taught many so much more than the Xs and Os of basketball,” Govero said. “I am so blessed to have a coach that gave a player like myself a chance to achieve her childhood dream of playing Division I basketball in the SEC. More than growing as a basketball at MSU under coach Fanning, I grew as a person, and am forever thankful to her for the opportunity she gave me by believing in me. I wish her God’s richest blessings in this next phase of her life. She deserves the best. I hope she can look back and enjoy all she has been able to accomplish as a head coach.”
Seniors Danielle Rector and Diamber Johnson expressed surprise after learning Fanning-Otis planned to retire. Johnson said Fanning-Otis told the players there were a lot of things she missed out on, and even though she doesn’t have kids, she has a lot of grandkids and that she would like to devote more time to her husband, Larry, and spending time with her family.
Regardless of the situation, both players said Fanning-Otis remained positive and encouraged everyone on their team to do their best on and off the court.
“She always reminded us, how bad do you want it? Our effort has been there and she’s always bringing out the positive and reminding us,” Johnson said. “You did this bad but, at the same time, you did this and you did that, so build off of that. She always reminded us of the positive things while we still had to worry about the things that were hurting us. She always tried to make us stay positive and keep fighting like we have been.”
Said Rector, who has been in the program five years, “Coach has always tried to get us to reach our potential. She has focused on us growing up not just as basketball players but as young women and for us to focus on our future and our careers. Since I want to be a coach, I have been aware of the hours she puts in in the office and outside of practice watching film and studying to help the team. I think it will help make me successful as a coach in the future.”
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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