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Cindy Russo Inducted to FIU Athletics Hall of Fame

Cindy Russo FIU Athletics Hall of Fame

Photo by FIU Alumni


MIAMI, FL – Former FIU Women’s Basketball head coach Cindy Russo has been inducted into the 2025 FIU Athletics Hall of Fame. Russo spent 36 of the program’s first 41 years as head coach.

Some of her most notable achievements include guiding the FIU Panthers to 22 consecutive winning seasons (1981-2003) and achieving 20-win seasons on 18 occasions. Her teams appeared in six NCAA Division I Tournaments, seven Postseason Women’s National Invitation Tournaments (WNIT), and two NCAA Division II Tournaments.

Background

Cindy Russo was born in Portsmouth, Virginia, on September 7, 1952. Russo attended Old Dominion from 1972 to 1975, where she played college basketball. After graduating, she became an assistant coach at her alma mater. Two seasons later, she started her head coaching career at FIU in 1977. In 1978, she earned her master’s degree in physical education from FIU. Following one season, she went on to coach at Lamar for two seasons from 1978 to 1980, where she went 40-22.

Her Legacy At FIU

Cindy Russo returned to FIU permanently in the summer of 1980. She and her coaching staff were among the first in NCAA women’s basketball to recruit players internationally.

Russo’s induction to the FIU Athletics Hall of Fame is not her first rodeo. She was inducted into the Athletic Sun Conference Hall of Fame in 2016. Florida International University was always a contender in the TAAC/ASUN division under her guidance. The Panthers won eight regular-season titles, including seven consecutively.

Several of Cindy Russo’s players achieved some impressive accolades, including three Trans America Athletic Conference Players of the Year, five tournament MVPs, seven All-Americans, and 26 All-Conference selections. The greatest player she arguably coached is Jerica Coley, who finished her career with 3,107 points (ninth all-time in NCAA history).

Russo coached some remarkable teams in her time at FIU. The 1991-92 squad gained attention nationally after making the program’s first postseason appearance. Russo’s team in 1994 became the first in FIU history to participate in the NCAA Tournament. The greatest season in the program’s history came in 1997-98 when they held a 29-2 record, advancing to the second round of March Madness.

In January 2015, Cindy Russo decided to retire from her head coaching position. She was awarded the Distinguished Alumna award in 2016.

Russo finished her career at Florida International University as a seven-time Coach of the Year winner. The Panthers had a 250-77 record (128-14 in NWSAC/TAAC) in the TAAC. Under her leadership, FIU had a 667-386 record and 17 postseason appearances. She’s 48th on the all-time Division 1 women’s basketball wins list with 707.

I am deeply honored and incredibly excited to be inducted into the FIU Athletics Hall of Fame. When I began my journey as a very young head coach, FIU was also a young and growing university — we truly grew up together! I want to extend my sincere gratitude to the FIU administrators for their unwavering support of the women’s basketball program throughout my 36-year tenure. A special thank you to all my assistant coaches, and especially to Associate Head Coach Inge Nissen, for your dedication, loyalty and hard work over the years. I look forward to celebrating this special moment at the FIU Athletics Hall of Fame Banquet on September 12 on campus.

– Cindy Russo

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