Susan Robinson Fruchtl returned to her alma mater in the fall of 2021 as a Major Gifts Officer for Athletics after many years of coaching women’s basketball on the college level and then moving to athletics administration. Robinson Fruchtl, one of the best women’s basketball players in Penn State history, graduated in 1992 with a B.S. in Exercise and Sport Science. After playing professionally in Japan, Susan began her collegiate coaching career back at Penn State in 1993 as an assistant coach with the Lady Lions. During her time as an assistant, Susan completed her M.Ed. in Higher Education at PSU. After two stints at Penn State as an assistant and coaching high school basketball in the Pittsburgh area, Robinson Fruchtl began her collegiate head coaching career at Saint Francis University (PA) in 2007 where she led the Red Flash to two NCAA Appearances in five years. Susan was then hired as the head coach at Providence College in 2012 where she spent four seasons building the program. In 2016, Susan returned to Saint Francis to serve as the Director of Athletics for the Red Flash until 2020. Robinson Fruchtl fell in love with the development and alumni world of college athletics which led her to pursue a position as the Director of Development & Advancement for Saint Joseph’s Catholic Academy in Boalsburg, PA in 2020 and eventually at Penn State in the Fall of 2021. Susan and her husband, Tony Fruchtl also a Penn State alum, live in the State College area.
Major highlights of Susan’s Penn State playing career:
Set numerous records while scoring over 2000 points and grabbing over 1000 rebounds. Was a member of Penn State’s first nationally ranked #1 Team.
2017 NCAA Silver Anniversary Award Recipient
Top 100 Penn State All-Time Great Penn State Athletes (Penn Stater Magazine, 2019)
Top Twenty All-Time Great Penn State Athletes (Town and Gown Magazine, 2010)
GTE-CoSida Academic All-America First Team, 1992 (honored the top five collegiate women’s basketball players in terms of academic and athletic success)
Kodak Women’s All-America First Team, 1992 (honored the top ten collegiate women basketball players)
Margaret Wade Trophy, 1992 (the collegiate women’s basketball national player-of-the-year award honoring community service, academic and athletic success)
Major highlights of Susan’s Penn State playing career:
Set numerous records while scoring over 2000 points and grabbing over 1000 rebounds. Was a member of Penn State’s first nationally ranked #1 Team.
2017 NCAA Silver Anniversary Award Recipient
Top 100 Penn State All-Time Great Penn State Athletes (Penn Stater Magazine, 2019)
Top Twenty All-Time Great Penn State Athletes (Town and Gown Magazine, 2010)
GTE-CoSida Academic All-America First Team, 1992 (honored the top five collegiate women’s basketball players in terms of academic and athletic success)
Kodak Women’s All-America First Team, 1992 (honored the top ten collegiate women basketball players)
Margaret Wade Trophy, 1992 (the collegiate women’s basketball national player-of-the-year award honoring community service, academic and athletic success)