Felisha Legette-Jack: The First 365
March 28, 2022. One year ago today, Felisha Legette-Jack stepped foot on campus as the ninth head coach in Syracuse University women’s basketball history. It was a moment 38 years in the making – one that finally led her home.
In 1984 Legette-Jack enrolled at Syracuse as a first-year student and led her team to a BIG EAST Conference title and the first NCAA Tournament appearance in program history while being named BIG EAST Freshman of the Year. The hometown hero went on to earn All-America honors and graduate as the all-time leader in points and rebounds at Syracuse.
She began her coaching career at Westhill High School in the suburbs of Syracuse and entered the college ranks as an assistant at Boston College for two seasons from 1991-93. She returned to The Hill as an assistant coach under Marianna Freeman for seven seasons but in 2000 Legette-Jack departed for Michigan State where she helped build the Spartans into a Final Four program, a fruit of her labor she watched from the sidelines after taking the head coaching job at Hofstra in 2002.
The significance of March 28, 2022 was delayed but not denied for Legette-Jack. Twice during her time as a Division I head coach, the Syracuse job opened but her opportunity didn’t come.
During her 20 seasons as a head coach, she led her team to the postseason nine times between Hofstra, Indiana and Buffalo including a Sweet Sixteen appearance with the Bulls in 2018. She built her resume while changing the lives of young women from all over the world with her leadership and humility.
Then, a year ago the call she dreamed of her whole life happened and Legette-Jack was announced as the next head coach in Syracuse women’s basketball history on March 26, 2022. Two days later she was formally introduced at a press conference at the Carmelo K. Anthony Basketball Center.
She got right to work in her first week on the job, locking in assistant coach and former college teammate Sue Ludwig as a member of her staff – a dream the two had since they played together in Manley Fieldhouse. Over the next few weeks Legette-Jack added a group of transfers and two freshmen to a roster that retained just four players from the 2021-22 season. She got out in the community, the community in which she grew up in, and built connections around campus.
By the time Novemer hit, Legette-Jack and her team were ready to battle.
November 3, 2022 – The First Test
The Orange played an exhibition game against Division II neighbor LeMoyne at the JMA Wireless Dome. Although it was an exhibition and did not count towards the wins and losses of the first-year head coach, the Orange escaped with a narrow 73-70 win over the Dolphins. Skepticism of what Syracuse could do in the first season of the new chapter set in, but Legette-Jack and her team didn’t falter.
November 7, 2022 – The First Win
Syracuse cruised to a 79-56 win over Stony Brook to secure the first win under Legette-Jack. Four Orange scored in double figures and SU was led by an 18-point performance from Dyaisha Fair. The Orange used a 22-7 second quarter to run away from the Seawolves and improved to 1-0 for the 16th straight year.
November 21, 2022 – The First Loss
Syracuse had its first loss of the FLJ Era on November 21 when the Orange gave up an 18-point halftime lead to lose to Penn State on the road, 82-69. It was a pivotal moment in Legette-Jack’s first season with the Orange who were still coming together in just their fifth game of the season despite the backcourt of Dyaisha Fair (20 pts, 6 ast) and Teisha Hyman (19 pts, 6 ast) having stellar performances.
December 18, 2022 – The First ACC Win
Syracuse earned a 67-58 home win over Wake Forest to secure the first ACC win of the season. The Orange were led by a 25-point performance from Fair while graduate student Asia Strong added a double double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
January 1, 2023 – The First Home Loss
After a 9-0 home start, the best since the 2020-21 season, the Orange suffered a heartbreaking two-point loss to then-No. 6 NC State, 56-54. It was the first home loss of the season for Syracuse and moved the Orange to 1-2 in ACC play.
February 9, 2023 – The First Ranked Win
After a series of close games against top-25 ACC opponents earlier in the season, the Orange earned the first ranked win of the FLJ Era on Feb. 9, defeating No. 14 North Carolina 75-67 at the JMA Wireless Dome. Dyaisha Fair (23 pts) and Georgia Woolley (20 pts) led the Orange offensive while Dariauna Lewis had a double double adding 14 points and 15 rebounds. It was the first win over a top-25 opponent for SU since the Orange defeated Ohio State, 97-91, on Dec. 1, 2021.
February 22, 2023 – The Regular Season Finale
Syracuse cruised to a 30-point win in the regular season finale, 85-55, over Pittsburgh on Senior Day. The Orange outscored Pitt 24-12 in the final frame and all 11 available players saw minutes in the win. Syracuse finished the regular season 14-3 at home, its most wins in 12 years.
March 2, 2023 – The ACC Tournament
In what many deemed a “must-win” game for the Orange at the ACC Tournament in Greensboro, Syracuse suffered its worst loss of the season, 83-58, to 8-seed NC State in the 8/9 matchup at the Greensboro Coliseum. With the Orange on the bubble, Syracuse was sent home to await their postseason fate.
March 12, 2023 – Selection Sunday
Syracuse was listed as one of the “next four out” according to ESPN Bracketologist Charlie Creme on Selection Sunday. The Orange gathered as a team to watch the selection show where they learned they narrowly missed the NCAA Tournament field of 68. Later that night Syracuse accepted the automatic qualifer bid for the Women’s NIT making Legette-Jack the first head coach in program history to guide their team to the postseason.
March 15, 2023 – The First Postseason Win
Syracuse hosted Kent State (21-11) in the first round of the WNIT. A familiar opponent for Felisha Legette-Jack and her staff after spending the last 10 seasons facing KSU in the MidAmerican Conference (MAC) while at Buffalo. The Orange cruised to an 84-56 win in front of the Orange faithful improving SU’s home record to 15-3. It was the first postseason win at home since the Orange defeated Fordham in the first round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament.
March 24, 2023 – The Final Game
The season came to an end in the Super 16 of the WNIT after one of the most thrilling games of Legette-Jack’s first year at Syracuse. Columbia defeated the Orange 88-82 after a fast-pace, high-energy back and forth battle at Levien Gymnasium in New York City. Syracuse finished the season 20-13 overall just two days shy of the one-year anniversary of FLJ being named head coach.
Syracuse improved eight wins from the year prior (11-18) and had the second-biggest improvement in the Atlantic Coast Conference going from four wins in 2021-22 to finishing 9-9 in 2022-23. The core of Legette-Jack’s roster will return next season including All-ACC First Team and All-Defensive Team guard Dyaisha Fair who announced she will use her fifth year of eligibly on March 22.
The future is bright for the Orange with Felisha Legette-Jack at the helm. The Syracuse native and one of the best to ever wear a Syracuse uniform and play under the lights at Manely Fieldhouse and the Carrier Dome is just getting started as the head coach of her alma mater.
Tickets are on sale now for the 2023-24 season. To purchase, visit cuse.com/tickets or call the JMA Wireless Dome Box Office at 888-DOME-TIX.
