Commenter Stu tracks down a forgotten slice of Minnesota sports history, in the form of a person, every week. Everybody seems to enjoy this. We hope that is true. Stu? ----------

The Huntdown

Name: Cheryl Littlejohn Claim to Fame, Minnesota: coached the University of Minnesota's women's basketball team from 1997-2001, compiling a record of 29-81 and a plethora of NCAA violations, including giving money to players, exceeding practice limits and breaking recruiting rules. Claim to Fame, Everywhere Else: was a member of Pat Summitt's first national championship team at the University of Tennessee in 1987. Claim to Infamy, Everywhere Else: shattered the Calipari ceiling for women by running multiple programs afoul of the NCAA, in this case Chicago State in 2003. The latter case led the NCAA to place her under a show-cause order until 2009. She subsequently coached the NWBL's Chicago Blaze before being relieved of her duties there, too. On a positive note, the Blaze were not put on NCAA probation. Where She Is Now: appears to be the driving force behind Executive Coaching, LLC, which offers motivational speaking and diversity training for organizations. She also works with low-income students. Is She on Twitter: yes. Did a Friend of Michael Rand Write About Littlejohn for a 1998 Minnesota Daily Article: yes. How About 2001: also yes. Proprietor Note: Did Michael Rand miss covering Littlejohn by one year, instead covering the final year of the Linda Hill-McDonald era of Gophers women's basketball while at the Minnesota Daily? Yes. Did Hill-McDonald's team go 0-16 in the Big Ten that year? Yes. Is that glossed over on Hill-McDonald's current bio? Yes. Glorious Randomness: Littlejohn was also an investigator for the DEA. On a positive note, the DEA was not put on NCAA probation, either.