Trudi M. Lacey served two seasons (1986-87 and 1987-88) as head coach for the Francis Marion women’s basketball program posting a 53-12 record.
She left Francis Marion to take the head coaching position at the University of South Florida.
In her second year, she guided Francis Marion to a 23-6 record, including a 13-2 mark in NAIA District Six play, and an appearance in the District Six championship game. She would serve as head coach of the “Home” team at the district’s annual post-season All-Star Game.
The 1982 graduate of North Carolina State University (Business Administration) became one of only a handful of college coaches to ever win 30 games in their first season. The Lady Patriots recorded a 30-6 mark, won the District Six title, and Lacey was named the South Carolina “Coach of the Year” by the South Carolina Association of Sportswriters. Francis Marion, which was ranked seventh in the final regular-season NAIA Top-20 poll, lost to North Georgia College 111-100 in the NAIA Bi-District XI championship game.
Prior to coming to Francis Marion in September of 1986, the Clifton Forge, Va., native spent two years playing professional basketball in Europe. She played in London, England, during the 1984-85 season and in Vincenza, Italy, the following year. While in London, she also served as a basketball development officer.
Her coaching experience includes one year as an assistant coach at N.C. State (1983-84), one year as a graduate assistant at James Madison University (1982-83), five months as a student assistant coach last N.C. State (1982), and one year as an assistant coach at Manhattan College (1981-82).
As a player at N.C. State, Lacey appeared in 130 career games. She is still highly ranked on several Wolfpack Women career lists, including scoring (1,957 career point), rebounding (1,051), steals (237), and assists (335). N.C. State recorded a 105-30 mark during her four years. A four-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection, Lacey was named to the American Women’s Sports Federation First-Team All-America Team following her sophomore and junior seasons. Following her senior campaign, she was a Wade Trophy Finalist and was named to the Basketball Weekly Second-Team All-America Team.
Lacey was a finalist at the United States Olympic Trials in 1984, and twice participated in the World University Games in 1981 and 1983. As a member of the U.S. National Select Team in 1977, 1978, and 1982, she visited such places as Bulgaria, China, Holland, Hungary, Japan, Korea, Romania, Sweden, Taiwan, and the Soviet Union. She also played on the 1979 Athletes in Action team that toured Italy and Yugoslavia.
