Wednesday afternoon, it was Becky Burleigh’s turn to be stunned.
Her talk with the current Gator team during a spring season seminar was interrupted by two Florida Athletics Hall of Fame soccer players – Danielle Fotopoulos and Sarah Yohe Cohen.
The two who provided both of Florida’s goals in 1998 NCAA College Cup action shared the ‘why’ they were crashing Burleigh’s talk.
Burleigh is part of the UF Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2024 as an Honorary Letterwinner.
Burleigh with the Gators:
Synonymous with the program she took from start to NCAA champions in four seasons, Burleigh’s teams consistently challenged for national and Southeastern Conference titles. Florida’s 14 team titles leads the SEC and the program earned NCAA Tournament berths 22 times in her 26 seasons with the Gators.
Burleigh’s teams achievements:
- 22 NCAA Championships’ berths (1996-2001; 2003-2017; 2019)
- Two NCAA College Cup appearances (1998, 2001), winning 1998 NCAA title
- 14 SEC team titles (1996-2001; 2006-2010; 2012-13, 2015)
- 12 SEC Tournament titles (1996-01; 2004; 2007, 2010, 2012, 2015-16)
The 1998 NSCAA/adidas National Coach of the Year after leading the four-year old Gator soccer program to that season’s national title, Burleigh also was tabbed as the SEC Coach of the Year five times (2012, 2010, 2008, 2000 & 1996). Twenty-two Gators claimed 37 United Soccer Coaches All-America honors and Danielle Fotopoulos was the 1998 Honda Award winner as national player of the year. SEC Player of the Year accolades were claimed by 11 players 15 times.
In 31 seasons of coaching which includes five seasons at Berry in Georgia, Burleigh’s career numbers for winning percentage and wins still stand among the NCAA leaders after the 2023 season:
| Winning Percentage (Division I) | 0.745 | No. 8 |
| Wins (Division I) | 513 | No. 4 |
| Wins (All Divisions) | 513 | No. 8 |
Her 26 wins in 1998 marks a career high in single-season wins.
Florida Athletics Hall of Fame:
Burleigh enters Florida Athletics Hall of Fame as an Honorary Letterwinner. This includes coaches and athletic officials (after retirement) who were not letterwinners/athletes at the University of Florida, yet have rendered outstanding service to the intercollegiate athletic program through personal…
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