Springfield, Mass. – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame today announced Carol Stiff as the winner of the 2021 John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award. Stiff, ESPN’s Vice President of Women’s Sports Programming, will be honored at Enshrinement Weekend in September 2021.
The Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award was instituted by the Basketball Hall of Fame’s Board of Trustees in 1973 and is the most prestigious award presented by the Hall of Fame outside of Enshrinement. Named in honor of Hall of Famer John W. Bunn (Class of 1964), the first chairman of the Basketball Hall of Fame Committee who served from 1949-1964, the award honors coaches, players and contributors whose outstanding accomplishments have impacted the high school, college, professional and international game.
“The Basketball Hall of Fame is pleased to recognize Carol Stiff as the recipient of this year’s Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award,” said Jerry Colangelo, Chairman of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. “For several decades, Carol has been at the forefront of advocating for women’s sports media coverage and support, especially basketball. We appreciate her leadership in this space and look forward to honoring her this fall.”
In 30-plus years at ESPN, Stiff has become one of the most influential people in women’s college sports, particularly in basketball where ESPN has held exclusivity on the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament since 1996. She returned to the programming department in 2016, after joining the espnW team in 2013 as vice president, content program and integration. As vice president, women’s sports programming, Stiff leads the company’s efforts in NCAA women’s basketball and the WNBA, as well as integrating women’s sports content across all ESPN platforms.
Stiff previously worked for 22 years in ESPN’s programming department, ultimately advancing to vice president, programming & acquisitions in 2010. She oversaw the acquisition and scheduling of a variety of sports on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU, including NCAA women’s basketball, NCAA championships - the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship, College Football Championship Series, College World Series, Women’s College World Series, lacrosse - WNBA, professional softball and more.
A member of ESPN’s employee committee in support of The V Foundation for Cancer Research, Stiff has been a leader on behalf of the company’s efforts to benefit The Foundation. She was instrumental in the development of the Jimmy V Week and in raising awareness for the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund in partnership with The V Foundation. In 2012, she was a unanimous selection to the Kay Yow Cancer Fund Board of Directors. Stiff is the current president of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame and serves as a member of several professional groups including the Women’s Sports Foundation Board of Governors, Pat Summitt Alzheimer’s Advisory Board, Pat Summitt Leadership Group Advisory Board and the Collegiate Women’s Sports Awards Board of Directors.
Adding to her list of credentials, Stiff will be inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame as a part of the 2021 class. She was also inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016 and the Connecticut Basketball Hall of Fame in 2005. In 2009, Sports Business Journal recognized her as one of the most influential executives leading the way in women’s sports and she was awarded the 2011 WBCA Mel Greenberg Media Award for her commitment to women’s basketball and advancing the role of the media in the game. In 2013, she was recognized by the Alliance of Women Coaches, as well as a WISE Woman of the Year. Stiff was honored as one of Business Insider’s 50 Most Influential People Behind the Scenes in Sports in 2014 and in 2016 Sports Business Journal named Stiff one of 35 “Game Changers” for her role at ESPN, where she serves as a mentor to young executives.
Stiff will be honored with the John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award during the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Weekend September 9-11, 2021. For further details, including ticket information, visit www.hoophall.com/Enshrinement.
Previous John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award Winners
1973 - John Bunn
1974 - John Wooden
1975 - J. Walter Kennedy
1976 - Henry P. Iba
1977 - Clifford B. Fagan
1978 - Curt Gowdy
1979 - Eddie Gottlieb
1980 - Arnold "Red" Auerbach
1981 - Ray Meyer
1982 - Daniel Biasone
1983 - Robert J. Cousy
1984 - Lawrence F. O'Brien
1985 - Lee Williams
1986 - Grady W. Lewis
1987 - David R. Gavitt
1988 - Haskell Hillyard
1989 - George E. Killian
1990 - Pat Head Summitt
1991 - Morgan B. Wootten
1992 - Will Robinson
1993 - Joe Vancisin
1994 - William Wall
1995 - Pete Carlesimo
1996 - Vic Bubas
1997 - C.M. Newton
1998 - Tex Winter
1999 - The Harlem Globetrotters
2000 - Meadowlark Lemon
2001 - Tom Jernstedt
2002 - Harvey Pollack
2003 - Joe O'Brien
2004 - Zelda Spoelstra
2005 - Marty Blake
2006 - Betty Jaynes
2007 - Thomas “Satch” Sanders
2008 - Val Ackerman
2009 - Johnny "Red" Kerr
2010 - Don Meyer
2011 - Brian McIntyre
2012 - Pat Williams
2013 - George Raveling
2014 - Alvin Attles
2015 - Rod Thorn
2016 - Jim Delany
2017 - Michael Goldberg
2017 - Donald “Dee” Rowe
2018 - Harley Redin & Jim Host
2019 - Del Harris & Harry Glickman
2020 - Timothy Nugent
About the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was born, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting, preserving and celebrating the game of basketball at every level – men and women, amateur and professional players, coaches and contributors, both domestically and internationally. The Hall of Fame museum is home to more than 400 inductees and over 40,000 square feet of basketball history. Nearly 200,000 people visit the Hall of Fame museum each year to learn about the game, experience the interactive exhibits and test their skills on the Jerry Colangelo "Court of Dreams." Best known for its annual marquee Enshrinement Ceremony honoring the game’s elite, the Hall of Fame also operates over 70 high school and collegiate competitions annually throughout the country and abroad. For more information on the Basketball Hall of Fame organization, its museum and events, visit www.hoophall.com, follow @hoophall #BunnAward or call 1-877-4HOOPLA.