Connie Keasling (2019) - Hall of Fame - Murray State University Athletics

Connie Keasling

Induction:
2019

Connie Keasling - Tennis (1984-87 & 1991-22)

Photo Gallery

Coach Keasling enjoyed a coaching career with women's tennis in two spans (1984-87, 1992-11) that totaled 22 years.
Her teams won five OVC championships and had another five-second place finishes.
Her teams made the first four NCAA appearances in program history (2001, 2002, 2003, 2007).
Under her guidance, the Keasling's program produced four OVC Player of the Year winners (Sally Henley, 1987), Melissa Spencer (2003 & 2004) and Anna Lask (2007).
Keasling had 73 student-athletes come through her program at Murray State and during one 10-year period, every player graduated and won an OVC Championship.
Her teams also performed at a championship level in the classroom with 42 OVC Commissioner's Honor Roll winners and five OVC Medal of Honor winners.
The Racers had 28 ITA Scholar-Athlete Award winners and the program had two NCAA APR awards.
Her teams were also known for their sportsmanship on the court, as her teams earned four OVC Team Sportsmanship Awards and an ITA National Team Sportsmanship honor (2006-07).
Keasling's 22 seasons was the fourth-longest tenure of any coach in Murray State history when she retired in 2011.
Joined Nita Head (1967-82) as the only women's tennis coaches to be inducted into the MSU Hall of Fame.
At her induction in 2019, she was the 17th head coach to be inducted into the MSU Hall of Fame and the third women's head coach following Nita Head in 1987 and Margaret Simmons in 1994.
Keasling played tennis and basketball at East Tennessee State and graduated in 1980.
She earned a master's of science in physical education in 1981 from Eastern Kentucky.
In 2021, Coach Keasling was inducted into the OVC Hall of Fame.
Keasling is Murray State's 13th inductee into the OVC Hall of Fame and the ninth head coach and the first inductee since former AD Mike Strickland was inducted in 2017.
Keasling is the third MSU woman to be inducted following former MSU president, Dr. Kayla Stroup in 1997 and Coach Margaret Simmons in 2014.