The history of sports in Northern Kentucky goes back a long way. A very long way. Decades. Centuries.
We know you’ve seen these lists before, but this is a different and unique way of presenting our “50 sports icons in Northern Kentucky” as we’ll provide you one per day over the next 50 days.
Hall of Fames are everywhere in NKY, the Northern Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame, High School Athletic Directors Hall of Fame, NKU, Thomas More and local high schools all have something to recognize their past.
We’ll preface this series by saying this, some of you may disagree with who should or shouldn’t be in the top 50 and that’s fine. Plenty are in the Hall of Very Good, but we feel these 50 are the one’s who stuck out to us.
Sports Editor Evan Dennison spoke and conferred with several local NKY sports history buffs to get their opinions and lists of their own and who should be “locks” for the 50 sports icons. We compiled each list and came up with the 50 of our own (maybe cheated a little by putting families in as one) to present over the next 50 days.
Hope you enjoy as summer time rolls on!
The 17th of the 50 sports icons is Nancy Winstel, the coach who jumpstarted the NKU women’s basketball program into a Division II power.
NANCY WINSTEL
Nancy Winstel’s legacy in women’s college basketball is synonymous with excellence. The Newport native and Northern Kentucky University legend led the Norse to two NCAA Division II national championships—in 2000 and 2008—amassing a remarkable 636-214 record in 29 seasons as head coach. Under her leadership, NKU became a perennial powerhouse, making 20 NCAA Tournament appearances, reaching five Final Fours, and appearing in three national title games.
Winstel’s impact extended beyond wins. A six-time Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Coach of the Year, she was honored as WBCA Division II National Coach of the Year in 2000 after guiding NKU to a 32-2 record and its first national title. That team also strung together 24 consecutive victories. In 2009, Women’s Division II Bulletin named her National Coach of the Decade and ranked her program the best of the 2000s.
A member of NKU’s first women’s basketball team (known as Northern Kentucky State at the time) in 1974, Winstel tallied 787 points and averaged 8.3 rebounds per game during her playing career. After earning her master’s at Indiana University, she coached at Midway College before returning to NKU as an assistant, eventually taking over the head role in 1983.
In total, 64 of her players earned All-Conference recognition, including six GLVC Players of the Year. More than her accolades, Winstel defined a standard for success and mentorship that left a lasting imprint on NKU, the GLVC, and women’s college basketball nationwide. Her 2013 induction into NKU’s Hall of Fame was a well-earned honor for a true coaching icon.
See the 50 sports icons on a day-to-day basis over the next 50 days
— Day 1: Dave Cowens
— Day 2: Shaun Alexander
— Day 3: Homer Rice
— Day 4: Dicky Beal
— Day 5: Jared Lorenzen
— Day 6: Jim Bunning
— Day 7: Tom Ellis
— Day 8: Nate Dusing
— Day 9: Jim Connor
— Day 10: Steve Cauthen
— Day 11: Irv Goode
— Day 12: Stan Steidel
— Day 13: Kenney Shields
— Day 14: David Justice
— Day 15: Morgan Hentz
— Day 16: Eddie Arcaro
— Day 17: Nancy Winstel
— Day 18: Steve Flesch
— Day 19: Donna Murphy
— Day 20: Randy Marsh
— Day 21: Mike Yeagle
— Day 22: Derrick Barnes
— Day 23: Dale Mueller
— Day 24: Dave Faust
— Day 25: Kirsten Allen
— Day 26: The Oldendick family
— Day 27: Martin “Mote” Hils
— Day 28: Nell Fookes
— Day 29: Owen Hauck
— Day 30: Becky Ruehl
— Day 31: Tom Thacker
— Day 32: Sydney Moss
— Day 33: Bob Schneider
— Day 34: The Walz family
— Day 35: John Toebben
— Day 36: Pat Scott
— Day 37: Bob Arnzen
— Day 38: Joan Mazzaro
— Day 39: Frank Jacobs
— Day 40: Adrienne Hundemer
— Day 41: The Draud family
— Day 42: Bill Krumpelbeck
— Day 43: The Molony family
— Day 44: Allen Feldhaus
— Day 45: The Maile family
— Day 46: Maureen Egan Corl
— Day 47: Bill Aker
— Day 48: Maureen Kaiser
— Day 49: John Brannen
— Day 50: Mike Bankemper