Linda Burdette-Good

Linda Burdette-Good was inducted into the inaugural College of Applied Human Sciences Hall of Fame in the fall of 2025. She was previously inducted into the College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences Hall of Fame in 2019.

A native of Parkersburg, W.Va., Burdette-Good earned both her bachelor’s (1971) and master’s (1973) degrees from West Virginia University. After a one-year coaching stint at Fairmont State, she became WVU’s second gymnastics coach in 1975, a position she held for 37 seasons until 2011. She also served as a faculty member in the College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences, teaching a wide range of courses and serving on key committees.

During her career, Burdette-Good guided the Mountaineers to four national championship appearances, 10 conference titles, and a 644-263-4 (.709) overall record. She produced 35 winning seasons, including 14 years with 20 or more victories, and none of her teams after 1981 posted a losing record. Her programs included 13 All-Americans, 17 NCAA individual qualifiers, and eight NCAA Regional event champions. She coached WVU’s first female All-American, Shari Retton, and mentored Kristin Quackenbush, a six-time All-American and the program’s only AAI American Award winner.

Her accolades include three Regional Coach of the Year honors and five Conference Coach of the Year awards. Burdette-Good was instrumental in the formation of the East Atlantic Gymnastics League, serving as its first chair, and she also served on the NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Committee and as chair of the NCAA Regional Advisory Committee. She emphasized academic excellence as much as athletic achievement, with her teams earning 86 NACGC/W Scholastic All-America honors, five CoSIDA Academic All-America honors, and 644 EAGL All-Academic awards.

Burdette-Good’s contributions were recognized with induction into multiple halls of fame, including the WVU Sports Hall of Fame (2013), the WVU Cheerleader Hall of Fame, the Mid-Ohio Valley Sports Hall of Fame, and the Mountaineer Legends Society (2017).

She passed away in 2023 at the age of 74.