Hall of Fame
Frankie Porter was named head women’s basketball coach at Anderson College for the 1976-77 campaign, replacing distinguished AU Hall of Fame coach Annie Tribble. Porter guided the Trojanettes to yet another Southern Region II title and advanced to the AIAW Tournament, where they captured their fourth consecutive national championship with a 57-55 win past Peace College.
She captained the 1970-71 University of South Carolina basketball team that finished sixth in the nation in the first-ever AIAW National Tournament and also lettered in tennis at USC. She also served as a graduate assistant coach for tennis and softball, leading the Lady Gamecocks to a stellar 21-2 record and a berth in the 1976 AIAW World Series.
Porter coached the USC women’s basketball team during a transitional time - the 1975-76 season was less than a year after the “Carolina Chicks” took to the court as official members of the USC Athletics Department and the ‘75-’76 academic year also saw the first scholarships awarded to female student-athletes. After roaming the sidelines in Columbia for a season, Porter taught for a year at Hammond School then accepted the head coaching position at Anderson.
She led AC to its 22nd consecutive winning season in 1977-78 with a 17-10 record and coached through 1988, coaching six NJCAA All-Americans and guiding 16 players who went on to play at Division I programs. Porter earned Region X and WCJCC Basketball Coach of the Year in 1986 and was named WCJCC Volleyball Coach of the Year in both 1986 and 1987 after leading AC to a 27-8 record and a 10th place finish in the NJCAA Championship. She served as an assistant coach at the 1985 Olympic Sports Festival and was also an assistant coach for the 1987 National Jones Cup team, which won the gold medal in Taipei, Taiwan.
