Archive: April, 2009
Mel Greenberg, Inquirer Sports Columnist
(Guru's note: This is an AP story moved last week that I'm posting because I didn't see reference to it at the usual venues that normally don't miss a thing, unless the Guru missed them not missing it. :) )
By MICHAEL MAROT
AP Sports Writer
INDIANAPOLIS — Colleges and universities may finally have a
formula for producing more racially diverse coaching hires.
Mel Greenberg, Inquirer Sports Columnist
By Mel Greenberg
PENNSAUKEN, N.J. - Although the Guru promised you 24 hours ago where the next dateline would occur because of the new site of the annual Women's Big Five awards banquet, the location for this post should really be listed at nearby Cherry Hill, since the Guru is composing this at one of his remote locations that contains a very strong wifi network.
The Guru actually has a longer-than-print version of all the women's awards elsewhere in Philly.com, but if this is your first stop -- a quick recap. Even more detail with statistics can be found, hopefully by now, at the Big Five web site.
Mel Greenberg, Inquirer Sports Columnist
By Mel Greenberg
PHILADELPHIA - Well, if the New York Football Giants and Jets can play in New Jersey, then why not the Big Five women.
That will be the situation Thursday night - not in game action - but in terms of the scene of the the annual awards reception, which, for the first time, will originate across the Delaware River in the Garden State in nearby Pennsauken where the event swill occur at The Savoy, formerly known as the Woodbine Inn.
Mel Greenberg, Inquirer Sports Columnist
(Guru's note: This is the Associated Press coverage of Connecticut victory parade Sunday in Hartford celebrating the Huskies' unbeaten season and sixth NCAA women's basketball title.)
By PAT EATON-ROBB
ASSOCIATED PRESS
HARTFORD, Conn. — Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma told the fans
who turned out at Sunday’s parade for his national champion Huskies
not to expect another 39-0 season next year.
“The only reason I say that is because if we play every game and
win ’em, I think we can go 40-0,” he said to thunderous applause.
Mel Greenberg, Inquirer Sports Columnist
By Mel Greenberg
The headline over this post says what it says because the Guru orginally wanted to write "Happy Ending" in terms of Penn's impending official announcement coming early Friday that Holy Family's Mike McLaughlin is the Quaker's new women's basketball coach. He will succeed Pat Knapp, whose five-year deal was not renewed last month.
The Guru originally wanted to use the "Ending" terminology because of the long aspiration of the Father Judge and Holy Family graduate to land a Big Five women's job. Along the way, McLaughlin enjoyed solid success during his entire 14-year era coaching the Tigers in Northeast Philadelphiaas it transformed from an NAIA program into a Division II powerhouse.
Mel Greenberg, Inquirer Sports Columnist
(Guru's note: Here is the full Associated Press coverage of Thursday's press conference in Raleigh introducing Kellie Harper as the new coach at N.C. State)
RALEIGH, N.C. — Kellie Harper didn't need anyone to remind her about the pressure of following Kay Yow at North Carolina State. There were reminders everywhere she looked Thursday, from the banners hanging in Reynolds Coliseum to Yow's name on the court.
But she's not going to shy away from the Hall of Famer's legacy.
We have some breaking news here on the blog.
Mel just called me with confirmation that the University of Pennsylvania has hired Holy Family head coach Mike McLaughlin to take over its program.
McLaughlin had been the head coach at Holy Family, a Division II program in Northeast Philadelphia, since 1994, compiling a record of 407-61. That included to the Division II NCAA Tournament in each of the last five seasons.
Mel Greenberg, Inquirer Sports Columnist
By Mel Greenberg
Who says Connecticut women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma can't keep a secret.
As the Huskies came down the stretch of the season through the Big East and NCAA tournaments to complete a perfect season, Auriemma had aready accepted the Olympic head women's coaching position making him and not former Temple coach Dawn Staley the one with Philadelphia roots to guide the United States' efforts toward a gold medal at the 2012 games in London.
Mel Greenberg, Inquirer Sports Columnist
(Guru's note: Changing date of meeting from Wednesday in original post to Thursday)
By Mel Greenberg
North Carolina State will be going outside the Wolfpack family to hire a successor to Hall of Fame women’s basketball coach Kay Yow, who died in late January after a lengthy battle with breast cancer.
Mel Greenberg, Inquirer Sports Columnist
By Mel Greenberg
SECAUCUS, N.J. – Two days after her Louisville team was topped by unbeaten Connecticut in the NCAA championship, Cardinals 6-foot-1 forward Angel McCoughtry won the prize yesterday as the No. 1 pick of the WNBA draft with her selection by the Atlanta Dream.
“It’s been very busy and hectic but it’s well worth it,” the native of Baltimore said after her pick by the Dream, who won just four games last summer in their first WNBA season.. “But I’d rather be busy than not doing anything at all.”
Click here for Mel's list of All-Decade players from Philadelphia-area schools.
Other contributors
Jonathan Tannenwald is a producer with Philly.com. In addition to covering the local college scene, he spent two years as the Washington Mystics beat writer for Women's Hoops Guru. He also writes his own blog, Soft Pretzel Logic, which covers men's college basketball, football, and other sports.Kathleen Radebaugh is a recent graduate of St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia. She covered women's basketball for the school's newspaper, The Hawk, and served as sports editor her sophomore year. She was also a four-year member of the varsity crew team.
Erin Semagin Damio covers the University of Connecticut and the WNBA's Connecticut Sun for the blog, and contributes other features. The Storrs, Conn., native also attends Northeastern University, where she is a coxswain on the varsity crew team.
Acacia O'Connor is based in Washington, D.C., where she reports on the Mystics and the college basketball scene in the nation's capital. A graduate of Vassar college, she played on the varsity women's basketball team and was editor of the student newspaper.
Click on any of the contributors' names above to e-mail them.
Reach Mel at poll416@gmail.com.
