“Try to do your very best in everything, every day, both on and off the court,” advises Carolyn Peck, the keynote speaker for the 2013 Hoop Shoot National Finals. “No matter what you’re doing—from schoolwork to making your bed—strive for excellence.”
Whether as a player at Vanderbilt University, the head coach for the 1999 NCAA champion Purdue Boilermakers, or in her current role as a basketball analyst for ESPN, Peck practices what she preaches.
Peck’s basketball journey began in Jefferson City, Tenn., where she won Tennessee’s Miss Basketball title as a high school senior. From there, she headed to Vanderbilt, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications while averaging 10.6 points per game for the Commodores.
Following graduation in 1988, Peck worked as both a marketing consultant and in pharmaceutical sales before launching her coaching career in 1993.
She paid her dues as an assistant at Tennessee, Kentucky and Purdue, before taking the head-coaching reins for the Boilermakers in 1997. In 1999, she guided Purdue to a 34-1 record and the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship. Her efforts earned her Coach of the Year titles for the Big Ten Conference and the nation.
Peck then took her talents to the expansion Orlando Miracle of the WNBA, serving as the team’s first head coach and general manager. In her second season, the Miracle reached the playoffs.
Peck left the hard court in 2008, but you can still find her on the sidelines. Today, she analyzes women’s and men’s college and professional basketball for ESPN. She also served as an analyst for NBC’s coverage of last summer’s Olympic Games.
This weekend, Peck’s journey intersects with those of our 72 finalists, fellow travelers on the road to excellence. We’re honored to have her with us.
Through the Elks National Hoop Shoot Free Throw Program, the Elks National Foundation offers youth the opportunity to engage in healthy competition, connect with their families and community, and succeed both on and off the court. In 2013-14, the ENF allocated $692,750 to fund this program. For more information on the Hoop Shoot, click here.