24 to watch in 2024: For Transylvania’s Juli Fulks, how do you follow up perfection?
The Lexington Herald-Leader is profiling 24 individuals this month that you should be keeping an eye on in 2024. The selected group represents a cross-section of industries, political parties, missions and the state itself. We believe each is notable for their contributions to Kentucky, as well as their plans for the next 12 months.
Who: Juli Fulks, national championship-winning Transylvania University women’s basketball coach.
Background: After coming to Transylvania in 2014 from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon, Fulks has built Transy women’s hoops into an NCAA Division III titan. Her success has been fueled by the use of positive motivational techniques in tune with the sensibilities of modern college athletes and an adherence to advanced statistical analysis as the basis for formulating game strategies.
Through Jan. 2, Fulks was 222-38 overall as Transy coach and Transylvania was 71-1 over the past three years. Last season, Fulks led Transy to an undefeated (33-0) Division III national championship. As of this writing, the Pioneers’ overall winning streak stood at 44 games.
Why 2024 will be notable: How do you follow up on perfection? That is the coaching challenge facing Fulks and a veteran Transylvania roster that returns four starters from last season’s national championship team. Trying to produce a worthy encore to a season without blemish is a coaching test few face.
Cheer up, Lexington, Ky. Yes, your Wildcats are gone, but your 32-0 Transylvania Pioneers Women will play equally undefeated Christopher Newport for the Division 3 title this coming Saturday. Pioneers coach Juli Fulks may be the best-kept superb coaching secret in America.
— Bob Ryan (@GlobeBobRyan) March 21, 2023
Why do you think she will be successful? “I think the way Juli coaches — her leadership, her values — really play well to someone who’s in this position,” said Transylvania athletics director Holly Sheilley. “Year in, year out, she doesn’t change. ... The way she coaches, her leadership style, is always constant. I think that plays in a lot to her ability to be successful in this season.”
Why is 2024 such an important year for you and your organization? “On some levels, we know what we did (last year) was amazing and unprecedented in some ways. So that helps take off the pressure (on this season),” Juli Fulks said.
“But, on the other side, we have a group of student-athletes who really want to have another chance to win a national championship. So I think the pressure that I feel from them to make sure we are doing the best coaching job we can do to give them their best chance, that pressure is there every year.”
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