Juli Fulks

Juli Fulks enters her tenth season as head coach of the Transylvania women’s basketball team for the 2023-24 season. The Pioneers capped the 22-23 season with a National Championship! The Juli Fulks era at Transylvania has witnessed an annual realization of championship aspirations, the latest coming in her most recent season of 2022-23 when the Pioneers won their fifth consecutive Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament Championship, adding to Transylvania’s ongoing dynasty in HCAC women’s basketball.

Fulks orchestrated a true masterpiece of a 2021-22 season, one that saw the program set numerous records as years of growth came to fruition. The Pioneers defeated #7 Tufts and #3 John Carroll on their way to a perfect 21-0 regular season where they were ranked as high as #2 in the nation in the coaches’ poll. The group roared into the HCAC Tournament, outscoring their three opponents by just under 100 total points and clinching their fourth straight HCAC Championship.

Already having put together an incredible season, Fulks guided the Pioneers even further to wins over Washington & Jefferson, Southern Virginia, and Mary Hardin-Baylor all on home floor in the NCAA Tournament. The team’s unforgettable run reached the Elite Eight, ending with an overall record of 27-1.

Fulks’ team took home the 2022 Pioneer Team of the Year, with her staff earning the Coaching Staff of the Year award from the department. Fulks was also named the Coach of the Year for women’s basketball in both the HCAC and the 8th Region.

Developed by Fulks, junior Madison Kellione was chosen as the 2022 Pioneer Athlete of the Year from a Female Sport, also earning First Team All-HCAC, D3 Hoops Team of the Week, and All-Region First Team honors. Overall the team had 4 All-HCAC selections with two seniors named to the All-HCAC Academic Honors list, along with Kellione earning CoSIDA Academic All-American distinction.

In 2020-21 Fulks adeptly led the Pioneers through a pandemic-laden season, steering the Pioneers to a 14-6 overall record, including a 3-0 run through the HCAC Tournament which culminated in a 69-65 win over Hanover in the tournament championship game. Fulks once again illustrated her ability to guide her programs towards peaking at the right time with Transylvania winning eight of its last nine games to close out an inspiring season, in which no NCAA Tournament was held.

A season which began with uncertainty contained a wealth of achievements; Fulks won her 300th career game as a head coach on January 16th, 2021 in a 65-60 win at Anderson, and her 150th game at Transy in the HCAC Tournament Semifinals on March 6th, 2021 in a 62-59 victory against Anderson. Under Fulks, five Pioneers earned postseason All-HCAC recognition, while sophomore Maddie Kellione was named the HCAC Tournament Most Valuable Player and was later selected to the D3Hoops.com All-Region Second Team. Fulks’ student-athletes were high performers on and off the court once again as senior Zenoviah Walker was the HCAC’s nominee for the prestigious NCAA Woman of the Year award.

Fulks leads the Pioneers into the 2022-23 season in pursuit of an unprecedented fifth straight conference tournament title, and fourth straight NCAA appearance. While no regular season standings in the HCAC were tabulated during an uneven pandemic season, Fulks’ Pioneers also enter this season as three-time reigning HCAC regular season champions dating back to 2018-19.

Under Fulks, the Pioneers won their second straight Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference regular-season and conference tournament titles. In the first two seasons of Transylvania’s conference championship runs, the Pioneers made back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Tournament while posting a combined record of 52-6 over the two most recent full campaigns.

Fulks’ teams and student-athletes have not only displayed their mastery on the court since her time at Transylvania, but also in and beyond the classroom.

In the 2019-2020 season, Fulks’ program produced another HCAC title, an NCAA Tournament appearance, and a Jostens Award Trophy Finalist in senior Shelby Boyle, who was one of 10 women’s basketball players at the Division III level nationwide to earn the prestigious award which recognizes elite play combined with elite academic and community service. Boyle was the second Jostens Trophy Finalist under Fulks since her arrival in the summer of 2014.

The Pioneers have etched new standards of excellence under Fulks, who have won 20 games or more in five of her six seasons at Transylvania and carries an overall winning percentage of .686 and 295 career victories in 16 seasons as a head coach.

The 2019-20 season was another championship procession authored by Fulks as Transylvania produced an overall record of 25-3, including a 17-1 record in HCAC regular-season play. The Pioneers reeled off a 19-game win streak as they soared to a ranking as high as number 5 in the country in the WBCA Top 25 poll and 7th in the D3Hoops.com Top 25.

Fulks’s Pioneers peaked at the right time in 2019-20 as Transylvania defended its HCAC conference title by winning both tournament games by a combined 59 points, stamping a ticket to its second consecutive NCAA Tournament and third in the last six seasons.

In 2019-20 Fulks’ program produced a steady amount of individual success in addition to team achievements in 2019-2020: along with her Jostens Trophy Finalist recognition, Boyle captured CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team honors and was named to the All-HCAC First Team along with fellow senior Ashton Woodard. Junior Zenoviah Walker joined in the postseason accolades earning All-HCAC Second Team honors while freshman Kennedi Stacy vaulted her way onto the HCAC All-Freshman team.

A superb 2019-2020 season followed a record-setting year for the Pioneers in 2018-2019 in which the Pioneers made their first-ever NCAA Sweet 16 appearance. In 2018-19, Transylvania set new records for win totals (27) and win percentage (.900). The Pioneers, who ended the season ranked #17 by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association and #16 by the D3Hoops.com Top 25 poll, also furnished the nation's leader in three-point shooting, senior Celia Kline, who hit 100 triples on the season and ranked second in three-point percentage at 48.1 percent.

In the 2018-19 season, the Pioneers captured the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference regular-season title with a record of 17-1 and won the HCAC Conference Tournament in the midst of a 22-game winning streak, the longest of Fulks’ career. In honor of the season’s accomplishments, Fulks was recognized for the second time in her career as the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference’s Coach of the Year.

Over her time at Transylvania, Fulks has established the Pioneers as the premier team in the HCAC with a combined record of 93 wins against just 15 losses. Transylvania has also soared to elite status in the Great Lakes’ region during Fulks’ tenure in Lexington, furnishing an overall record of 137-31. (.815).

In her first season at Transy, Fulks took the Pioneers to new heights, guiding the team to its highest national ranking in school history at 13th. Fulks began the 2014-15 season with immediate momentum as Transy posted a record of 25-3 overall and a perfect 18-0 record in HCAC play, becoming the first undefeated team in HCAC regular season history.

The 2014-15 edition of the Pioneers not only captured the regular season conference championship, but also earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament. The Pioneers produced two selections to the D3Hoops.com Great Lakes All-Region Second Team, senior guard Nicole Coffman and junior guard Katelyn Smith. Those two players were also named to the All-HCAC First Team as Smith captured the conference MVP award in 2015.

In 2015-16, Fulks and the Pioneers completed another strong run through HCAC play, overcoming injuries to multiple key players to capture third place in the conference with a 14-4 record and advancing to the conference tournament semifinals. Smith again repeated as the HCAC conference MVP and was selected to the 2016 D3Hoops.com Great Lakes All-Region Second Team, while senior guard Shawn Kolani was named to the All-HCAC First Team and freshman guard Kristen Hayes was named to the conference's All-Freshman Team.

Fulks surpassed the 200-career win mark on February 13, 2016 with a 75-67 win against Defiance. That season, the Pioneers led the conference in 3-pointers made per game and free-throw percentage, and ranked second in field-goal percentage, 3-point field goal percentage, assists per game, and turnovers per game. Transylvania ranked first in field-goal percentage during conference play.

2016-17 brought another exciting season as the Pioneers posted another 20-win season despite possessing a roster with zero seniors. They advanced all the way to the conference tournament championship game before falling to Rose-Hulman. Junior Rachel Cox and sophomore Celia Kline were both named to the All-HCAC First Team, freshman Shelby Boyle was named to the HCAC All-Freshman team, and sophomore Kristin Hayes received All- Sportsmanship team honors.

The 2017-18 season led to many exciting moments both in the HCAC and nationally. The 21-6 team advanced to the HCAC conference tournament game and saw senior Rachel Cox named the HCAC MVP and All-HCAC First Team for her efforts. The plentiful HCAC awards also included Shelby Boyle (So.) being named All-HCAC Second Team, Celia Kline (Jr.) and Ashton Woodard (So.) being named to All-HCAC Honorable Mention, and senior Carlee Clemons receiving the All-Sportsmanship award.

Nationally, the Pioneers were leading the country for much of the season in team free-throw percentage before finishing the regular season ranked third at 78.4 percent. The efficient Pios ranked third nationally in three-pointers made, hitting 244 on the year and were top-25 in three-point shooting percentage, solidifying their reputation as one of the premier offensive machines in Division III. Transylvania showed its might on the other end of the floor as well, ranking fifth in blocked shots with 6.4 rejections per contest.

Prior to her time at Transylvania, Fulks coached at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon for 10 years, where she built an unheralded program into an annual national contender in the Northwest Conference.

Fulks took over at Lewis & Clark prior to the 2004-05 season, inheriting a team which had posted a 1-15 conference record. In her first season at the helm, Fulks led her team to an 8-8 record in Northwest Conference play and a 12-12 overall mark for one of the 20 most-improved seasons in the nation.

Under Fulks's guidance, Lewis & Clark found their place atop the Top-25 USA Today rankings for three consecutive seasons from 2011 to 2013, ranking as high as fifth nationally in 2013 on the way to a 25-4 season.

Following the 2011 season, Fulks was named NWC Coach of the Year while Lewis & Clark guard Kristina Williams earned NWC Player of the Year honors. Fulks's Pioneer squad accumulated continued success, recording three-straight NCAA tournament appearances, three 20-win seasons, and two Northwest Conference Championships.

A native of Dola, Ohio, Fulks was a member of the 1997 Capital University team that reached the Final Four after capturing the Ohio Athletic Conference title.

After graduating with a degree in biology, she later earned a master's in education from Defiance. Fulks remains the all-time leading scorer at Hardin Northern High School with more than 1,600 career points.