COACH OF THE PEOPLE

When it came to the spotlight, Dr. JoAnne Graf preferred to shine it on her players. FSU paid tribute to Dr. Graf for her 25 years of service during the 2003 season, but she deflected to the team’s seniors instead. “It’s their day, not mine. They deserve the attention,” she said. Dr. Graf’s quiet demeanor but ceaseless support impacted players for generations, including 3B/P Lesley Palmer (right), who was named ACC Tournament MVP that year. “That’s just the way I am. This game is for the players, not the coaches or the fans or anyone else,” Dr. Graf had said a decade earlier. “After we win a game and we know we’re going to the College World Series, I just sit back for a couple of minutes and watch the kids pile up on one another. I watch the joy and excitement … those moments don’t happen very often.”