SMSU Athletics Hall of Honor
Deb Denbeck (head volleyball coach, 1986-2002) served as the head volleyball coach at SMSU for 17 seasons and left as the program’s all-time winningest coach with 308 career victories. During her tenure, she led SMSU to a pair of NAIA national tournament appearances (1991, 1993), one Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference championship (2001) and one NCAA tournament appearance (2001).
A two-time NSIC Coach of the Year (1999, 2001), Denbeck coached seven All-America players, 43 all-conference honorees, four NAIA All-America Scholar-Athletes and five NSIC Scholar-Athlete Award recipients.
Denbeck also had success off of the volleyball court as in 1994 she was named interim head softball coach at SMSU and led the Mustangs to an NSIC championship as SMSU finished with an overall record of 32-16, which included a perfect 10-0 mark in conference play.
Outside of coaching, Denbeck also served as the director of women’s athletics at SMSU from 1986 until 1993, at which time the university combined its men’s and women’s athletic department.
