Hall of Fame
Sue Hebel guided the Azusa Pacific women’s basketball program for 17 years and was the founder of the university athletic training program that she started in 1984.
Under Hebel’s guidance, the Lady Cougars had 12 winning seasons, including five 20-win campaigns. During the 1985-86 season, she coached Azusa Pacific to a program-best 30-5 record and the program’s second appearance in the NAIA Championship Tournament in Kansas City, Mo. The prior year, she led Azusa Pacific to a sixth-place showing at the National Christian College Tournament in Illinois.
In her early 20s, Hebel took over the Azusa Pacific program in 1976-77 and guided the Cougars to victory in 27 of her first 32 games spanning two seasons. She was named NAIA District 3 Coach of the Year three times. Along with her 1985-86 squad, Hebel’s 1980-81 team qualified for the NAIA Tournament, the first women’s basketball tournament sponsored by the NAIA, and finished fourth overall. After the formation of the Golden State Athletic Conference in the summer of 1986, Hebel guided the Cougars’ the GSAC co-championship in 1989. She coached five All-Americans who collected eight honors from 1982 to 1990.
Twenty-six records from the Hebel era still stand in the Cougar annuals of women’s basketball, including the longest winning streak in program history (17 straight in 1986) and the largest margin of victory (Azusa Pacific defeated Westmont 114-20 in 1978).
Hebel played basketball at Biola College where she established several school records (since broken) and led the Lady Eagles to two league titles and one AIAW playoff berth. Since her graduation from Biola in 1975, Hebel has played and coached American teams that toured the Far East, Asia and Europe during the summer months. She is a fitness advocate and has competed in biathlons and triathlons throughout Southern California.
The personal Hebel, who had a doctorate in education from BYU, arrived at Azusa Pacific in the fall of 1976. Upon her retirement from coaching following the 1992-93 season, Hebel remained at the university as an associate professor in Kinesiology.
Hebel 17-Year Coaching Record
Season Record Career
1976-77 15-1 15-1
1977-78 14-6 29-7
1978-79 20-10 49-17
1979-80 17-11 66-28
1980-81 19-14 85-42
1981-82 14-12 99-54
1982-83 11-14 110-68
1983-84 13-16 123-84
1984-85 23-12 146-96
1985-86 30-5 176-101
1986-87 14-16 190-117
1987-88 21-10 211-127
1988-89 21-10 232-137
1989-90 18-12 250-149
1990-91 9-20 259-169
1991-92 8-18 267-187
1992-93 17-9 284-196
