Nancy Fahey, a member of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, led the Illini program for five seasons from 2017-18 through 2021-22. Fahey was named Illinois' head women's basketball coach on March 22, 2017, and announced her retirement from coaching on March 4, 2022. Prior to her time in Champaign, Fahey spent 31 years at Washington University in St. Louis, where she guided the Bears to an NCAA record five Division III National Championships.

In her first season at Illinois, Fahey (pronounced: FAY) coached the Orange and Blue to a 9-5 non-conference record, which marked the best start to the season since Illinois also earned nine non-conference victories in the 2014-15 campaign (9-3). Illinois won four of its last five games leading up to league play, with the streak marking the most consecutive victories for the Orange and Blue since the start of the 2015-16 season. Under Fahey’s guidance, Illini junior Alex Wittinger garnered second-team All-Big Ten honors, and also matched the school record for single-season offensive rebounds (125). Wittinger earned the program’s second-ever triple double during the 2017-18 campaign, and set a new single-game record for blocked shots (11).

With Fahey's guidance, the 2018-19 Illini squad opened her second season with a 7-0 record on Lou Henson Court for the first time since the 2006-07 season. The Orange and Blue began the 2018-19 campaign with an 8-3 (.767) start in non-conference play. Wittinger continued her record-setting ways in Fahey's second season, becoming Illinois' all-time blocked shots record holder. She was honored by the Big Ten Conference as a second-team All-Big Ten selection, and was also named to the Big Ten All-Defensive Team following the 2018-19 campaign. 

In her third season at the helm of the Illini program, Fahey’s 2019-20 squad continued to show steady improvement, again posting a strong start highlighted by the Illini’s Braggin’ Right victory at rival Missouri (58-51) in the non-conference finale. The win over the Tigers moved Fahey’s squad to 9-2, the program’s best non-conference record since the 2006-07 season. While injuries affected the team’s size and depth against bigger teams in Big Ten, the Illini captured a home win over Minnesota, and a road victory at Penn State to finish with 11 wins, the program’s most victories over the previous five seasons. The team showed year-over-year improvement in a number of statistical categories, and finished the year as the No. 2 team in the Illini record book with 210 three-pointers made. Petra Holešínská, one of six graduation seniors in the class of 2020, earned All-Big Ten honorable mention accolades, while freshman forward Kennedi Myles set Illini freshman records for rebounds (251) and double-doubles (8).

The 2020-21 season brought a new set of challenges as the Fighting Illini played a shortened non-conference slate to lead into an expanded Big Ten schedule due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Illini found success early with wins in two of three non-conference games to open the year. And after battling through some midseason injuries and the growing pains that come along with a relatively youthful roster, the Orange and Blue captured wins over three Big Ten foes coming down the stretch, including the first Big Ten Tournament victory of Fahey’s tenure, a 67-42 win over Wisconsin in Round 1. The Illini’s big tournament win over the Badgers came four days after a 72-64 win over Minnesota on Senior Day at State Farm Center. The Illini also captured a thrilling home win over Purdue on Feb. 9, behind freshman guard Aaliyah Nye’s dagger three-pointer to give the Illini their final lead with less than a minute to play. 

In Fahey's final year as head coach, the 2021-22 Illini continued to battle through the ups-and-downs of the ongoing pandemic. The Illini posted a 5-6 non-conference record, including a single-digit home setback vs. No. 25-ranked Florida State in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. Following the holiday break, the Illini were stalled by a COVID-19-related pause that caused the postponement of three Big Ten games. That stretch was the first of two pauses, plus another weather-related cancellation - that led to the Illinois schedule undergoing major shits and the team ultimately losing four games during the year. As a result, the team played just five games in a 45-day stretch from late December through early February. To make up for the stoppages, several games were rescheduled into a dense February slate that saw the team take on the bulk of their Big Ten schedule - eight games - in the final 21 days of the regular season. Still Fahey and the Illini persevered and recorded a first-round win over Wisconsin at the 2022 Big Ten Tournament before bowing out in Round 2 vs. Nebraska. The sophomore duo of Aaliyah Nye and Kendall Bostic earned honorable mention All-Big Ten while etching their names into the Illini record books. Nye made 69 three-pointers, giving her 96 for her career to take over the No. 8 spot in the Illini single-season charts, while climbing into a tie for 13th on the career list. Bostic led the Big Ten in rebounding at 11.4 boards per game and her 308 total rebounds and 94 offensive boards ranked sixth and tied for 15th in a single season in Illini history.  

During her tenure in St. Louis, Fahey led the Washington University Bears to 737 victories and is the only coach in NCAA Division III history to win five national championships. Fahey led the Bears to four-straight NCAA Division III titles from 1998-2001, and added a fifth national championship in 2010. Her teams advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 29 of 31 years, and won at least 19 games in each of her last 30 seasons on the job, including two 30-win campaigns. Fahey guided WashU to an 81-game winning streak from the 1997-98 season to 2001, which stands as the second-longest winning streak in NCAA women's basketball history.

Under Fahey's direction, Washington University garnered 23 University Athletic Association (UAA) titles, including each of her last four seasons. Her squads made 10 Final Four appearances, and finished as the NCAA Division III Runner-Up four times (1994, 2007, 2009 and 2011).

Fahey became the fastest coach in NCAA women's basketball history to reach 600 wins, doing so in her 706th game during the 2011-12 season. She was named UAA Coach of the Year 20 times, and was recognized as the NCAA Division III Central Region Coach of the year 14 times, while earning four NCAA Division III National Coach of the Year nods. She entered the 2019-20 season ranked seventh among all active NCAA coaches with an .812 (756-125) career winning percentage.

Fahey's student-athletes have been successful not only on the court but also in the classroom. She has coached 20 All-Americans and 10 Academic All-Americans.

The first NCAA Division III representative to be inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in Knoxville, Tenn., Fahey was also inducted into the Washington University Sports Hall of Fame in 2012, the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2014 and the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame in 2016.

Fahey has served three assignments with USA Basketball, most recently working as the lead clinician for the 2016 USA Basketball Women's U17 World Championship Team Trials. Fahey was the lead clinician at the 2015 USA Women's U16 National Team Trials and an assistant coach for the 1995 U.S. Olympic Festival South Team.

At Washington University, Fahey also held the position of Assistant Director of Athletics, and she is a member of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame Board of Directors.

Prior to her tenure at Washington University, Fahey coached at Johnsburg High School in McHenry, Ill., where she guided the Skyhawks to two regional championships, a sectional final, two 20-win seasons and was named the 1986 coach-of-the-year by the Northwest Herald.

Fahey is a 1981 graduate from Wisconsin, where she was a four-year letterwinner. She started two years at point guard for the Badgers, and served as a captain her senior season. She graduated with honors.

Fahey Head Coaching Record

Updated March 4, 2022