TO COACH IS TO TEACH

While Dr. JoAnne Graf served as head coach of the softball team in the early 1990s, she also attended classes. Dr. Graf, who received a bachelor’s degree from FSU in 1975 and a master’s degree from North Carolina-Greensboro in 1977, earned her doctorate in athletic administration from FSU in 1992. Education had always been integral to Dr. Graf’s values as a coach, as she stressed the importance of balancing schoolwork with softball workouts. “Kids who work hard and achieve in the classroom will help a team on the field by being a smart player,” she said. After her coaching retirement in 2008, Dr. Graf taught sports management in Florida State’s School of Education.