Billie Moore was a women’s basketball coach who coached the first U.S. Olympic women’s basketball team to a silver medal in 1976.
- Died: December 14, 2022 (Who else died on December 14?)
- Details of death: Died at her home in Fullerton, California of multiple myeloma at the age of 79.
- We invite you to share condolences for Billie Moore in our Guest Book.
Legendary coaching career
Moore was the daughter of a basketball coach and played for a local industrial team in her youth. She began coaching as an assistant at Southern Illinois University in the 1960s before being hired as head coach for the Cal State Fullerton Titans. She led the Titans women’s basketball team to five Final Four appearances, including one championship victory. While coaching at Cal State, Moore was hired as an assistant coach for the U.S. women’s basketball team, helping guide them to a gold medal at the 1975 Pan American Games. Promoted to head coach, Moore took the team to a silver medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. She became UCLA’s head coach in 1977, remaining there until 1993. Moore was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002. Among the notable players she coached were Pat Summitt (1952–2016) and Nancy Lieberman.
Tributes to Billie Moore
Full obituary: USA Today
