Gretchen James was one of the first 5 women inducted into the Athletic Coaches Hall of Fame. Coach James was inducted in the sport of archery which no longer exists under the AIA umbrella. Her archery teams dominated the sport during its existence. Gretchen was the first coach from Arizona recognized as the Coach of the Year by the National High School Athletic Coaches Hall of Fame in 1979. She was inducted into the National High School Athletic Coaches Hall of Fame in 2006.