Monica Folske joins FSU HOF
Jerry Hoffman
She was notified last week by letter about the Sept. 27 induction ceremonies.
“It’s quite an honor; I am joining an elite group,” Folske said. “I am being honored for the stuff that I used to love to do.”
Folske coached the Bulldogs tennis, softball and volleyball teams. She also is credited with starting women’s basketball at Ferris State.
“I went there really excited about my first full-time coaching job (women’s basketball),” Folske said. “It was an exciting time for me as women’s sports were changing.”
In her five years as volleyball coach, Folske led the Bulldogs to 47 victories and two conference runner-up finishes.
As the first basketball coach, she led the Bulldogs to a 25-19 record in three seasons. She remains the second-winningest coach in school history.
In eight season as softball coach she led the Bulldogs to a 111-87 record with a pair of AIAW National Tournament berths and two 20-win seasons. Folske’s 111 wins are second in school history behind current head coach Keri Becker.
“They brought in a basketball coach, and my feelings were hurt, but I dove into softball and found that it was my true love,” she said. “I found that I had more personal experiences in softball. I was a coach when (CMU Head Coach) Margo Jonker was a player at Grand Valley State, before I started coaching against her.”
She said she was very busy coaching three sports along with teaching physical education.
“I am still in touch with many of my former players,” Folske said. “I have too many memories to share. Something almost always sparks a memory.”
Folske joins Wille Bouyer, Dave DenBraber, John dePourcq, Kurt Hammerschmidt, Terry Kirkpatrick, Gary Waters, Bill McElwain, Walt Piggott and W.C Taggart.
