When Carolyn Peck took over the Purdue women’s basketball program in 1997, the team was at a crossroads. As the third coach in three seasons, the 31-year-old former assistant was tasked with stabilizing a program brimming with talent but desperate for leadership.

As we continue our Women’s History Month coverage at BET.com, we spotlight the woman who, in 1999, became the first African-American coach to win an NCAA Division I women’s basketball national championship.

Peck, a native of Jefferson City, Tennessee, was no stranger to the spotlight. A standout at Vanderbilt, she was the program’s first All-America candidate and led the Lady Commodores to their first NCAA Tournament bid in 1984. By the time she graduated, she was the school’s No. 6 all-time scorer, eventually earning her a spot as an SEC Great representative.

However, her impact on the sidelines would prove even more monumental. At just 33years old, she led the 1998-99 Boilermakers on a historic run, ending the season on a staggering 32-game winning streak. Along the way, her squad took down coaching legends like Pat Summitt, C. Vivian Stringer, and Sylvia Hatchell. The season culminated in a victory over Duke to secure the first national title in Big Ten women's basketball history. To this day, Peck remains the youngest coach in NCAA history to win a women’s Division I national championship.

The 1999 campaign earned her U.S. Basketball Writers AssociationCoach of the Year honors and served as a cornerstone for the visibility of Black coaches in the sport. The ripple effects of breaking that ceiling are still felt nearly 30 years later as more Black women ascend to the top of the coaching ranks.

Peck’s career continued to evolve beyond the college game. She served three seasons as the head coach and general manager of the WNBA’s Orlando Miracle before returning to the sidelines at the University of Florida for five years. Today, she remains a prominent voice in the sport as a basketball analyst for ESPN, where she continues to provide expert insight into the game she helped revolutionize.