AUBURN, Ala. – Looking back on a half century of progress, Susan Nunnelly quotes a song Loretta Lynn sang in 1978.
"We've come a long way baby."
For her role in advancing women's athletics at Auburn, the Southeastern Conference honored Nunnelly as an SEC Trailblazer Wednesday at the SEC Women's Basketball Tournament in Nashville, part of the conference's celebration of the 50th anniversary of Title IX.
Enacted in 1972, Title IX has had a dramatic and lasting impact on opportunities for women in college athletics.
"I'm very honored," said Nunnelly," one of three SEC Trailblazers from Auburn, along with administrators Dr. Jane B. Moore and Meredith Jenkins, who were recognized posthumously. "We miss them. That's for sure."
Nunnelly enrolled at Auburn University in the fall of 1966, coming to the Plains from Hueytown, Alabama.
"I came to Auburn because I loved it," she said, "and I wanted to have a degree from Auburn University."
A member of the Auburn University Marching Band, Nunnelly played alto saxophone and bassoon. Each day at practice, football coach Ralph "Shug" Jordan would stop by to encourage the band.
She played in the pep band during basketball season, guaranteeing a seat in the Auburn Sports Arena so Nunnelly did not have to camp out in 1968 like many of her fellow students to see LSU star "Pistol" Pete Maravich's first trip to the Plains.
She was working on her master's degree while officiating intramurals and helping with campus recreation when Congress passed Title IX in 1972.
Director of Athletics Lee Hayley worked with women's AD Sandra Newkirk to determine how Auburn would comply.
"We talked about what we wanted to do, and then we took action," Nunnelly recalled. "I always took pride that at Auburn, Physical Education, Recreation and Athletics worked together with everything."
Auburn's cooperation in sharing facilities between athletics, recreation and academics served as an example to other universities, Nunnelly explained.
"I was very proud of Auburn," she said. "Auburn made a significant difference in other programs when they saw that we made it work. Why can't you? One advantage we had at Auburn was that all departments worked together to make it happen."
At halftime of today's game, our favorite PA announcer and the longtime voice of the SEC Tournament - Susan "Nun" Nunnelly - was honored as an SEC Trailblazer!#WarEagle | #LGTW pic.twitter.com/igcU8aj96l
— Auburn Women's Basketball (@AuburnWBB) March 2, 2022
Despite having not played high school basketball – since it was not offered to girls in Alabama at the time – Nunnelly became the second women's basketball coach in Auburn history, leading the Tigers to a 43-20 record over three seasons from 1973-76.
"It was great," she recalled. "They wanted to play and they loved the game."
In those early days, the student-athletes on Auburn's women's basketball and volleyball teams shared uniforms, and Nunnelly's players paid for their own shoes.
"It was pretty challenging, but I wouldn't trade anything for having coached when I did," said Nunnelly, who frequently visited with Auburn men's basketball coaches Bill Lynn and Bob Davis. "I learned the game by talking and watching games."
In 1974, she coached the first Auburn women's basketball game at Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum, but preferred playing in the Sports Arena because of its wooden floor and the impact students and fans could have on the game.
"The Sports Arena kept the crowd close to the court," she said. "A hundred people, that was a big crowd. The fact that they were next to the court made a difference."
Five decades later, her former players still support Auburn's women's basketball program.
"Because they are proud that they laid the foundation," she said. "And hopefully we did do something right."
After three seasons, Nunnelly stepped down as coach to focus on her other Auburn responsibilities: teaching and running intramurals. In 1984, she became Auburn's director of campus recreation.
She became the SEC Officials Coordinator and a member of the NCAA Women's Basketball Rules Committee.
In 1976, she traded her coach's whistle for a public address announcer's microphone, handling PA duties for Auburn women's basketball ever since.
"I knew I wanted to give back," she said. "That's for sure. The Good Lord's been really good to me to give me those opportunities."
In 1987, she became the announcer for the SEC Women's Basketball Tournament, a job she faithfully performed every year until ovarian cancer briefly sidelined her in 2021.
"People all over the world were praying for the Nun," she said.
She retired from Auburn University in 2008, but still teaches an officiating class and greets incoming freshman each summer in her "Fun with the Nun" segment at Camp War Eagle.
"I'm very blessed," she said. "People helped me get where I am. I'm very thankful for that.
"In my career at Auburn, there were a lot of people who pushed me to be better and to give back. That's what I want to do. Give back."
After a lifetime of giving, Wednesday was the Nun's turn to receive. Recognition for the many ways she's blazed a trail for Auburn students, especially women who are student-athletes.
"We do feel like we were part of history," Nunnelly said. "That helped make the athletes now have all of the opportunities they have."SEC Trailblazer Susan Nunnelly
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer