One night.
Two prestigious awards presented in her honor at about the same time in different states.
It’s a situation few in her profession get to experience and perhaps one that Joan Cronan might never have imagined.
While she accepts virtually the David Williams Significant Historical Achievement Award in her home state of Tennessee, Cronan will be present in Natchitoches on Saturday, as a recipient of the annual David Dixon Leadership Award when she is inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame.
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It will also be a homecoming of importance for Cronan, who grew up in Opelousas and later coached women’s volleyball, basketball and tennis at Northwestern State.
The uniqueness of receiving almost simultaneously two Hall of Fame awards associated with her successes college athletics, is perhaps something few in her profession experience, Cronan said this week from her home in Knoxville.
“I don’t think that has happened very often, especially in this profession. I guess you could say it’s doubling your pleasure by doubling the honors,” Cronan said.
Cronan pointed out her acceptance for the Historical Achievement Award has already been taped for Saturday’s virtual series of presentations.
Back to Natchitoches where it all got started
Returning to Natchitoches and reuniting with friends from Opelousas and Northwestern State only enhances her Saturday experience, Cronan pointed out.
“Receiving both of these awards really makes (Saturday) a special night for me. I’m just thrilled to be honored in the state and going back to Natchitoches where college athletics really started for me,” Cronan said.
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Cronan joins former Opelousas High athletic director and football coach Mel Didier and 1972 Olympic gold medal winner Rodney Milburn as the city’s only individuals to be installed into the state’s Sports Hall of Fame.
Ironically Didier was coaching at Opelousas at the same time Cronan was attending high school there.
Didier’s induction however centered more around his role as a major league scouting director for several teams.
Milburn became a pre-integration high school track legend at J.S. Clark before attending Southern University, qualifying for the Olympics and setting a world’s record time in the low hurdles.
The induction for Cronan is one of many since she arrived at the University of Tennessee as the school’s women’s athletic director in 1983.
Since then Cronan has been inducted into the Women’s College Sports Hall of Fame, the National Association of Collegiate Athletic Director’s Hall of Fame, the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Hall of Champions, the LSU Hall of Distinction, the Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame. and others.
The annual Dixon Award is presented to individuals who have played a decisive role as a sports leader or administrator that benefits Louisiana on a national or international level.
The Dixon Award criteria seems appropriate for acceptance by Cronan who has promoted women’s collegiate sports for four decades. She is now women’s athletic director emeritus at Tennessee.
Cronan expects to drive to Natchitoches with Lera, her younger sister and eventually meeting several friends from her high school days in Opelousas, as well as Cronan’s two daughters.
“We’re bringing a Cajuns’ invasion up to Natchitoches. Phyllis and Mickey Guidry, Ken and Jeanie Cannon, Linda and Mark Tate, Karen and Butch Siegel who I grew up with (in Opelousas) are planning to be there along with (Knoxville sports radio personally) Jimmy Hyams who is going home to Natchitoches,” Cronan said.
Cronan said former Opelousas High ’ coach Ann Hollier would be another special invited guest, but Hollier won’t be able to attend on Saturday due to health reasons.
Hollier was assisted by Cronan in 1966 when the two coached Opelousas to the school’s only state champion girls’ basketball team.
“Ann Hollier was very important in my life as a great head coach and mentor to me. We both stayed in coaching and after we won the championship, I took two of our players from OHS (Fern Martin and Pat Tauzin) with me to play on my Northwestern basketball team,” said Cronan.
Opelousas also played an indelible role for her Cronan has said in several publications. It was there in the city’s baseball program, that she decided there was a need to do more for females who wished to participate in athletics.
Cronan has pointed out in several published articles that at age 12, she was denied a chance to play youth league baseball because she was a girl. Softball, Cronan has said, was not an option she wanted to pursue.
She helped promote the early years of women’s sports at Northwestern, six years before the onset of Title IX.
“We were barely funded, but we managed to play a full season in all three (women’s) sports and give women’s athletics a start. Later with Title IX, things began to get much better and I am proud of what women have been able to accomplish since then,” said Cronan.
