DALLAS – The late Joan Joyce, who was FAU’s head softball coach for 28 years and an icon in the sporting world, has been inducted into the Conference USA Hall of Fame, as announced by C-USA on Monday.
The induction marks the 21st Hall of Fame to include Joyce as a member, following a legendary career in the sporting world. Joyce passed away on March 26, 2022. She built the FAU softball program from the ground up after taking over the reins of the team leading up to its inaugural season in 1995.
The Owls, under Joyce’s tutelage, instantly became a contender and won eight consecutive Atlantic Sun Conference Championships from 1997-2004. Joyce tallied a career coaching record of 1,002-674-1 and became only the 27th coach in NCAA Division I history to reach the thousand-win plateau. Joyce led FAU to 12 total conference championships and 11 NCAA Tournaments. The Owls posted a 102-71 record in nine seasons of Conference USA play under Joyce.
The legacy of Joan Joyce goes well beyond the coaching ranks, as she is widely considered as one of the best softball pitchers of all time. She pitched professionally for the Raybestos Brakettes and holds some eye-popping statistics and accomplishments, including 150 no-hitters, 50 perfect games, 15 All-America selections, along with the record for most consecutive all-star team selections (18) and wins in a season (42). Joyce tallied a record of 753-42 as a pitcher.
She was such a dominant pitcher, that two of the greatest hitters ever to walk the Earth could not hit her. Perhaps her most widely-known accomplishments were striking out both Ted Williams and Hank Aaron.
A natural athlete, Joyce’s talents extended well beyond softball. She was also a professional golfer, playing on the LPGA Tour for 19 years. Joyce is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for lowest number of putts in a single round (17) for men or women. In addition to her FAU softball coaching duties, Joyce served as the Owls’ head women’s golf coach from 1996-2014.
Joyce was also a standout on the hardwood in basketball and volleyball, having competed for national teams in both sports.
Despite her seemingly endless list of accolades, Joyce’s ability to teach and coach the sports she loved might have been her biggest legacy. During her time at FAU, Joyce was a leader, role model and mentor to 247 student-athletes on the softball team as well as 100 student-athletes on FAU’s women’s golf team.
Joyce was a pioneer for women’s athletics and an icon in the sporting world. She leaves behind a legacy and impact that will be felt for decades to come. The posthumous induction into the Conference USA Hall of Fame is another well-deserved accolade for the illustrious Joan Joyce.
