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As Head Coach Lori
Culler heads into her twenty-second year at the Forester helm,
several distinctions have become the norm for the women’s basketball
program.
On the court,
Culler’s teams have been distinctly successful on a number of
levels. Her teams, which have won an average of 17 games during her
21 years, have posted 14 winning seasons. Seven squads brought home
a Mid-Central Conference (MCC) title, including five teams that went
undefeated through conference play, and two teams were crowned NCCAA
National Champions in 1991 and 1992. Culler also guided her 1993-94
team to the program’s first appearance in the NAIA National
Tournament. Twenty-two times her players have earned NAIA and/or
NCCAA All-America honors, and on 39 occasions players have received
MCC All-Conference honors, including Amy Bechtel, who was a MCC
Player of the Year.
The success of
Culler’s teams has led to her own recognition. Throughout her
coaching career, Culler has been acknowledged as Coach of the Year
at the NCCAA and NAIA District level. She was named the Mid-Central
Conference Coach of the Year seven times and NCCAA National Coach of
the Year twice. Last season Culler notched the 350th
victory of her career in a very memorable 106-92 win over Olivet
Nazarene University on November 18, the same day she was inducted
into Huntington University’s Athletic Hall of Fame. Heading into
the 2007-08 season, Culler’s career record stands at 362-249.
Because of Culler’s
commitment to the concept of the student-athlete, it is not
surprising that her teams have had notable success in the classroom
as well. Eleven years ago, the Women’s Basketball Coaches
Association (WBCA) began publishing a Top-25 Team Honor Roll. Last
year’s team made the program’s ninth appearance on the list. The
Foresters placed 15th within the NAIA with their 3.367
team grade point average. Fifteen individual players also have been
recognized as NAIA or NCCAA All-America Scholar-Athletes and a
remarkable 96% of her scholarship players have earned their
degrees.
Culler also has
given back to the sport with her involvement in various activities
at the conference, regional, and national levels. During her 21
years, Culler has served as chair of the MCC and NAIA Region VIII
women’s basketball committees; she was the conference rater for 12
years and served terms on the NAIA Division II Women's Basketball
National Tournament Committee and the Francis Naismith-Pomeroy
Selection Committee. Culler also is an active member of the WBCA.
During her playing
career as a Forester, 1982-1985, Culler scored 1307 points and was
the third women’s player to join Huntington’s 1000 Point Club. She
was a member of the 1984 NCCAA national championship basketball team
and received NAIA Academic All-American and Honorable Mention
All-American honors. Culler is a 1986 graduate of Huntington
College and earned her MS in Athletic Administration from Ball State
University. She currently serves as Sports Information Director and
Coordinator of Athletic Eligibility.
CULLER
YEAR-BY-YEAR |
| SEASON |
RECORD |
HONORS |
| 1986-87 |
21-12 |
MCC Coach of the Year |
| 1987-88 |
20-11 |
|
| 1988-89 |
19-11 |
MCC Coach of the Year |
| 1989-90 |
26-5 |
MCC Coach of the Year |
| 1990-91 |
27-4 |
MCC Coach of the Year,
NCCAA National Coach of the Year |
| 1991-92 |
24-8 |
MCC Coach of the Year,
NCCAA National Coach of the Year |
| 1992-93 |
26-4 |
MCC Coach of the Year |
| 1993-94 |
19-8 |
|
| 1994-95 |
11-16 |
|
| 1995-96 |
14-16 |
|
| 1996-97 |
11-18 |
|
| 1997-98 |
19-10 |
MCC Coach of the Year |
| 1998-99 |
18-11 |
|
| 1999-00 |
14-13 |
|
| 2000-01 |
11-16 |
|
| 2001-02 |
7-19 |
|
| 2002-03 |
13-16 |
|
| 2003-04 |
16-13 |
|
| 2004-05 |
12-16 |
|
| 2005-06 |
18-11 |
|
| 2006-07 |
16-11 |
|
| 21 Yrs. |
362-249 |
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Joe Grogg - Assistant
Coach

Joe Grogg returns
for his third season as an assistant for the Foresters. He brings a
variety of coaching experiences to the position. Grogg, who
graduated from Huntington College in 1976, assisted Forester men’s
coach Keith Spahr from 1974 to 1978. From 1985-1994, he served as
an assistant coach in the boys’ program at Jay County High School.
In 1995, Grogg took on his first head coaching responsibilities as
boys’ coach at Adams Central High School. During his four-year
stint, the Flying Jets continued to improve and eventually reached
the Sectional final in his final season. Most recently, he assisted
Huntington North Viking boys coach, Eric Foister for two years.
After taking some
time off to watch his daughter Jamie, a 2005 Forester grad, complete
her playing career, Grogg has returned to his alma mater to again
pursue a favorite pastime. His coaching responsibilities mainly
include recruiting and help with practices. Currently Grogg teaches
biology and chemistry at Huntington North High School. He, and his
wife, Diana, live in Huntington and are the proud grandparents of
Isaac Ryan Grogg, born to Jeremy and Roxanne Grogg in February of
2006.
Joanne Green - Assistant
Coach

Joanne (Miller)
Green returns for her 14th season as an assistant coach. Green
provides assistance with practices and recruiting. During Green’s
years as an undergraduate at Huntington College, she excelled both
as a student and as an athlete. As a result of her athletic
prowess, Miller received NAIA Scholar-Athlete and NAIA Honorable
Mention All-American honors as well as NCCAA All-American honors.
Green was also a member of the 1991 and 1992 NCCAA national
championship teams. She was named MVP at both national
tournaments. She finished her stellar career at Huntington as the
women’s all-time leading scorer with 1906 points. Green’s
outstanding basketball career was recognized last fall with her
induction into Huntington University’s Athletic Hall of Fame.
As a student, Green
earned Dean’s List honors in each of her eight semesters at
Huntington and was inducted into the Alpha Chi National Honor
Society. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BA in psychology in
1993. She also earned her MS in student personnel administration in
higher education from Ball State University in 1996.
Green is currently
employed part-time at Huntington University’s Merillat Complex and
also works at EmbroideMe part-time. Green, her husband Mark and
stepson Tyler reside in Columbia City. |