Southern Arkansas University Athletics

Dr. Margaret Downing, a former coach of women’s athletics at Southern Arkansas University, is a 2003 inaugural member of the Southern Arkansas University Sports Hall of Fame.

Downing was the basketball coach for the Lady ‘Riders from 1965 until 1984. In her 19 years as head coach of the SAU women, she led the Lady ‘Riders (the Riderettes at the time) to 225 wins against 163 losses, a winning percentage of .578, the best in school history according to available records.

She led SAU to six conference championships and two conference co-championships during her tenure. In addition to her basketball duties, she guided the Lady ‘Riders to a conference championship in volleyball in 1974.
 
In addition to her basketball and volleyball coaching duties, she also coached the then Riderettes in golf, track and field, swimming, and softball. Downing began coaching at SAU in 1965-66, a career that lasted over an 18-year span through 1983-84.
 
Before arriving for a long and distinguished career at SAU, she coached at three Arkansas High Schools, Monticello, Arkansas High in Texarkana, and North Little Rock, the Tennessee School for the Deaf, and at two colleges, Connecticut State College and Ouachita Baptist University.

Downing was inducted into the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Hall of Fame in 1987.