IS LEARNING THE PRINCETON OFFENSE
(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.
On Wednesday, the second Black Coaches and Administrators women’s
basketball hiring report card showed a record number of nonwhite
coaches (nine) were hired in 2007-08, thanks in part to search
committees that have become more inclusive.
The BCA has long contended that adding minorities to those
committees would produce better results, and now there’s evidence it
does work.
Fourteen of 16 schools graded by the BCA received A’s for the
hires they made before the 2008-09 season. Colorado State, which
promoted assistant coach Kristen Holt, was the only school to get an
F. And Idaho, which made a coaching change last April, was not
included because of an oversight by the BCA.
“I think the institutions deserve a lot of credit for doing what’s
right, having a diverse pool of candidates and a diverse search
committee,” said Paul Hewitt, the Georgia Tech men’s basketball coach
and president of the BCA. “That’s all you can ask for.”
Overall, these were the best results of any report compiled by the
BCA, which has been grading college football since 2004. There are
seven black coaches in the Football Bowl Subdivision, which will soon
have 120 full-time members.
Women’s basketball is the only other sport, so far, that has been
tracked by the organization.
Clearly, the women’s game is progressing faster than football.
The number of nonwhite hires in women’s basketball surpassed last
year’s total of seven and there are now 24 minority coaches nationally
— 20 black women, three black men and one Hispanic.
Ball State, Navy, North Texas, Temple, UCLA and Western Michigan
received straight A’s in the four categories — the number of contacts
with the BCA, the composition of the search committee, the number of
minority candidates interviewed and the length of the search. Alabama,
which received a B, was the only school other than Colorado State not
to receive an overall grade of A.
Schools were asked to mail, e-mail or fax the data to the Insitute
for Diversity and Ethics in Sport and were then given a month to amend
the data, if necessary.
Grades are calculated by adding the number of points, which
correlates to a letter grade. For instance, if a school contacts the
BCA twice, conducts 30 percent of its on-campus interviews with
nonwhite candidates and has a search committee in which 30 percent of
the members are minorities, the school would receive an A, or five
points, in each category. Schools that hire a nonwhite candidate also
receive 2.5 bonus points that is added to the overall grade.
Colorado State received its poor grades because the school did not
conduct an external search after firing former coach Jen Warden in
March 2008.
Yet while the percentage of blacks and Hispanics interviewed
dropped from 45 percent in the 2008 report to 38 percent this year,
the percentage of minorities on search committees increased from 30 to
35 percent over the same period.
The result: More black and Hispanic coaches (56 percent) were
hired last year than the previous year (36 percent).
“I think it (the search committee) has something to do with it,
without a doubt,” BCA executive director Floyd Keith said. “There is
definitely a correlation between opportunities presented to people of
color when more people of color are included in the search.”
The BCA still has some concerns, though.
Keith pointed to statistics that show nonwhites account for 22.6
percent of all men’s basketball coaches, compared with 13.6 percent in
the women’s game, and there remains a 10-point disparity between men’s
and women’s basketball when calculating the percentage of black and
Hispanic players against the percentage of nonwhite coaches.
But he believes this year’s grades are promising and sustainable.
And, Hewitt contends, that the changes made in women’s basketball
could help in other sports, such as football, too.
“Schools should be commended for doing the right thing,” he said.
“I think the fact you have different points of view on the committee
ensures that you will hire a candidate who can handle the many
different complexities of coaching.”
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.
Temple's Tonya Cardoza claimed the Big Five coach of the year award after the Owls and St. Joseph's tied the City Series competition at 3-1 to share the title. Her team also finished second in the Atlantic 10 and earned a sixth-straight NCAA bid.
Villanova's Laura Kurz, as expected, was named player of the year, while Temple freshman Kristen McCarthy won the rookie of the year award. La Salle's Morgan Robertson won the most improved honor, and Villanova's Siobhan O'Connor won the sportsmanship award.
Big Five first-team honors went to Penn's Carrie Biemer, Kurz, Robertson, and Temple's Shenita Landry and the Owls' LaKeisha Eaddy.
Second-team honorees were Saint Joseph's Brittany Ford and the Hawks' Mariame Djouara, La Salle's Margaret Elderton, and Villanova's Maria Getty and O'Connor.
Not mentioned anywhere else in the other stories were the academic awards.
So to get a little smarter, the all-Academic team, with one representative from each school, consisted of:
La Salle's Robertson (Political Science and Psychology, 3.87 GPA)
Villanova's Getty (Finance, 3.75)
Penn's Anca Popovici (Economics and German, 3.59)
Temple's Eaddy (Sport and Recreation Management, 3.18)
and St. Joseph's Mary Kate McDade (Business, 2.77)
Kurz in discussing her award afterward, added, "When I transferred her (back from Duke), I was looking forward to getting an opportunity to play in the Big Five. It's such a competitive rivalry. Every single game in the Big Five is a nail-biter, so it's just fun to be a part of that and get the experience of playing in that atmosphere."
In accepting Temple's share of the Big Five title, Cardoza was joined by her players at the podium and paid tribute to her predecessor Dawn Staley, whose team had won the previous four titles outright each at 4-0.
"Dawn Staley set the bar high," Cardoza said.
Hawks coach Cindy Griffin noted, "I just want to say we appreciate everything the Big Five has done for St. Joe's and the city of Philadelphia. And I know there was a stretch where it was a little iffy as to whether we were going to continue or even continue the dinner, so I give you guys a lot of credit for continuing this tradition.
"It's important and important in the women's game and we're just excited to be part of it and we look forward to many more."
Cardoza rolled her eyes in surprise at her table when she was announced as the winner of the coaching honor.
Two of her longtime friends Connecticut assistant coach Jamelle Elliott and Staley were both thrilled to learn of the former Virginia star's honor who had been on the Huskies staff 14 seasons before taking the Temple job.
"That's really tremendous," Elliott said. "I can't believe she didn't tell me."
The Guru then related that the winners were not told in advance of their awards.
Staley, from South Carolina where she is now coaching the Gamecocks, said, "That's well-deserved. She did a great job with the team this season. She didn't know a lot about the Big Five rivalry before she got there but I'm sure she knows all about it by now and each of the teams."
During the conversation Staley also said to correct some earlier Guru speculation that she did not turn down the Olympic job prior to Connecticut's Geno Auriemma's appointment because of the demands of building the Gamecocks' program.
"I would never, ever, turn down anything from USA Basketball," Staley said, but also added, "Geno has certainly earned it. You look at the job he has done with Connecticut and his work speaks for itself."
-- Mel
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.
The Herb Good Club banquet, wich features the men's awards, has already been held at the same place, while the annual Philadelphia Sportswriters Association hosts their event in Cherry Hill. So there is a history for having Philly events across the creek.
Thursday night's ceremonies will feature five individual awards -- player, coach, and rookie of the year, along with most improved and sportsmanship.
The first and second fives will be revealed as will the all-academic team.
Unlike the men's proceedings, none of the winners have been announced in advance.
Some individuals are prohibitive favorites, while in other situations there is some close competition.
If Drexel were in the Big Five,. player of the year could be more competitive because junior forward Gabriela Marginean would be eligible. The native of Romania led the Dragons to their first Colonial Athletic Association title and first NCAA tournament appearance.
But with the scoring sensation out of the running, Villanova senior Laura Kurz, the former Germantown Academy star who tranferred back home from Duke two years ago, appears a strong favorite.
Though the Wildcats only went 2-2 in the city - ending Temple's 18-game Big Five win streak and beating Penn in the final minute -- Kurz statistically dominated all the local players while being the top scorer and rebounder on the Wildcats.
She's already been named to the Big East first team and as the conference's co-most improved player after helping the Wildcats finish tied for fourth in the conference and returning to the NCAA tournament for the first time in five years.
Temple, under first-year coach Tonya Cardoza, the former Connecticut assistant who replaced Dawn Staley, extendied its City Series title streak tio five, though the Villanova loss dropped the Owls into a tie with St. Joseph's for the City Series bragging rights.
Select members of the media get to vote along with Big Five coaches and sports information directors, who are not allowed to vote for their own players.
Shenita Landry would be the best challenger to Kurz from the Owls, but in reality Cardoza got the job done in her rookie season with a committee effort in which different players stepped up to lead along the way.
The other three schools struggled in their overall records, otherwise Penn's Carrie Biemer, or La Salle's Morgan Robertson or Margaret Elderton, might be in the hunt. St. Joseph's was like Temple in that the Hawks also had a rotation of contributions as opposed to one person being the night-after-night goto. That person could have been Sarah Acker, last year's freshman of the year who was sidelined with a hip injury this season and recently decided not to return to active duty.
Robertson, the junior from Amarillo, Texas, seems the frontrunner for most improved after filling the vacancy in the post left by the graduation of former Explorers star Carlene Hightower.
Sportsmanship honors could go to most anyone -- each team nominated a player to the ballot -- such is the nature of the local competition, which usually spills over into the Northeast after the season in the Philadelphia Department of Recreation's NCAA Summer League.
There were several outstanding newcomers and thus either Temple's Kristen McCarthy or St. Joseph's Mariame Djouara seem worthy candidates with a few others in the mix.
A core group exists ahead of all the candidates for the two teams of five, but it is just a matter on who lands on which squad. One of the unknowns is the reference point each voter draws from. Many give precedence to the Big Five games as a major factor while others start with overall season perfomance and then drill into the Big Five action, if necessary, to separate the contenders.
It is in that regard that the biggest supsense of the night -- and it might not be known until the finish if it is the last award -- is the coach of the year.
In one corner is Villanova's Harry Perretta, who has won the award four times previously in his three decades on the Main Line. Overall performance seems to make him a frontrunner and he could have had this baby wrapped up with a Big Five sweep had not the Wildcats lost to La Salle in overtime in the very first game of the season and to St. Joseph's in triple overtime in one of the most exciting City Series games ever played after regulation.
Hey, it was 40-40 before the first overtime and the Guru actually considered leaving Philadelphia U., which St. Joseph's was using as one of its temporary homes during the renovation of Hawk Hill, to go down the street to a famous steak sandwich place knowning he wouldn't miss any action.
In the overall category, Perretta guided the Wildcats to a fourth-place tie in the rugged Big East and Villanova also registered several upsets of nationally-ranked teams, including two over conference rival Notre Dame.
Cindy Griffin, in getting the Hawks into the Big Five title picture, would earn some votes except St. Joe's was so erratic outside the local court wars.
Cardoza had the difficult task of not only replacing Staley, but taking on a team that had graduated its star point guard in Ashley Morris and sizeable center in Lady Comfort.
Temple struggled on its usual tough non-conference schedule and the head-to-head loss to Villanova could be the difference for some in tilting to Perretta. But the Owls did sweep their co-champ in the Hawks and impressed down the stretch by sweeping the top of the Atlantic Ten on a five-game streak that included an upset of nationally-ranked Xavier.
In fact, Cardoza, who was a teammate of Staley's at Virginia in the late 1980s-early 1990s, had become the frontrunner for the Maggie Dixon Award the WBCA gives to the top coaching newcomer until Ball State found a way to shock Tennessee in the NCAA tournament's opening round.
Furthermore, Ball State won its division and then the overall title in the Mid-American Conference while the Owls came up just short by comparison in the Atlantic Ten. And then Ball State went one round further than Temple in the NCAA tournament.
The odds say Perretta, but one can never count out those who served time as a player or staff member to Geno Auriemma.
Hitting the Ground at Penn
New Penn coach Mike McLaughlin has been busy getting organized since becoming the Quakers coach a week ago, though his official start date on the contract is May 1.
No word yet on candidates for his staff, but he said earlier this week, "First, I want to name a recruiting coordinator and I've already talked to several people. And then that second person will likely be someone I already know and are comfortable with in that they know me and my style and I know them."
No word yet on any names to succeed McLaughlin at Holy Family. Another local Division II job in the Central Atlantic College Conference remains open at University of the Sciences.
The Guru returns in 24 hours when the dateline to start the post will say Pennsauken, N.J.
-- Mel
(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.
A crowd estimated by police at 25,000 lined downtown streets on a
sunny afternoon to celebrate the programs’ sixth national championship
and third perfect season in 14 years.
Richard Machia, of Bristol, said he’s attended every victory
parade since UConn won its first championship in 1995.
“I wouldn’t miss it,” the 62-year-old said. “With the recession
the way that is, this shows there is some good in the world.”
The Huskies dominated women’s basketball this season, going 39-0
and beating opponents by an average of better than 30 points. They
capped the season on April 7 in St. Louis with a 76-54 victory over
Big East rival Louisville, moving them closer to arch rival
Tennessee’s eight championships.
This was the first chance for many Connecticut fans to celebrate
that win. Victor Rodriguez, of Hartford, took his 10-year-old
granddaughter to the parade.
“This team put us on the map,” he said. “Geno is God.”
The players climbed on to the top of a double-decker bus and
followed bands, politicians and even the state’s Siberian husky club
for the 50-minute parade, which ended with a rally at the Statehouse.
“Seeing all those faces, it was amazing,” senior guard Renee
Montgomery said. “It was an unbelievable feeling. I couldn’t believe
that all those people came out just to see us.”
But the crowd was well short of the 300,000 people who in 2004
celebrated the duel championships won by the UConn men and women.
“Maybe we’ve just gotten used to it. People are a little spoiled
maybe,” said Joy Mouland, of Rocky Hill, who took her 16- and
10-year-old daughters to see the Huskies. “I think (this team) really
portrays young women in a positive light. They are good students. They
are good athletes. They are very positive role models today.”
Gov. M. Jodi Rell said the women gave the state a happy diversion
from all the bad economic news of the winter. There was almost no
grumbling over the price tag for the event, estimated at about
$50,000.
The Hartford Business Improvement District’s executive director,
Michael Zaleski, said organizers raised about $40,000 from private
donors and received in-kind donations, including use of the bus.
Auriemma told the crowd that as good as the celebration made the
state feel, he also enjoyed it for another reason.
“The one thing that we get a kick out of, all of us, is that
whenever we have these parades,” he said, “the doctor’s offices in
Tennessee are filled with people who get sick.”
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.
However, it is also a happy beginning in that McLaughlin reportedly received rave reviews from the Penn players iuvolved during his campus visit last week for the official interview.
Holy Family will make its statement regarding McLaughlin's exit after Penn sends out its release Friday.
Meanwhile, one Big Five athletic director praised McLaughlin when told of Penn's choice.
"I'm happy he is getting a chance here in town at a Big Five school," Temple athletic director Bill Bradshaw said. "I talked with him during our search process last year for Dawn's successor and he is a guy who is terrific with a great record. All he does is win."
As for McLaughin's successor with the Tigers, former La Salle women's basketball coach John Miller, who led the Mount St. Joseph's High girls team to a state title a year ago, could become involved at Holy Family.
Miller has said some of his best years in coaching have been during his current job.
McLaughlin, who had confirmed he applied for the Penn job, said Miller's name was high on his list as a recommendation for a successor at Holy Family if he should land the Quakers' position.
"I would definitely go in and recommend John if he has an interest," McLaughlin said. "If it turns out I'm leaving, I want to make sure the program is left in good hands and he certainly is capable."
The Guru is not going to spend too much time on this news at the moment in that there is a print story over in the Inquirer print section on the web and another will occur with reaction for Saturday's editions, although if print space is minimal, more in-depth coverage will be provided here.
Incidentally, the daily transaction wire indicates that Jennifer Wasson, a former assistant on Knapp's staff, has landed an assistsant position at Troy.
N.C. State Hires Harper
North Carolina State introduced Western Carolina's Kellie Harper Thursday as the successor to Kay Yow, the Wolfpack's Hall of Fame coach who died in January after a lengthy battle with cancer.
Full Associated Press coverage of the press conference is listed right below this post.
It appear's that former assistant Stephanie Glance's chances to succeed Yow had been doomed for some time in that Yow made her wishes for Glance known to athletic director Lee Fowler several years ago, but he did not take any action when Yow approached him.
Given all the controversy, Harper appears to have struck the right chords accepting the job as a next-generation mentor who was a star on Pat Summitt's Tennessee teams in the late 1990s.
It appears by their comments, the N.C. State players are willing to move forward in the wake of their disappointment over Glance being bypassed.
It is hoped the coaching community, who overwhelmingly supported Glance, will do likewise in not holding a grudge against Harper.
The Guru says this because he remembers the flap, deservedly so, when Marianne Stanley left Southern Cal in a salary dispute and all forms of boycotting the Trojans were being discussed.
However, When former USC super star Cheryl Miller was hired at her alma mater to fill the vacancy, not many kind words were said of Miller's taking the job at her alma mater
Incidentally, the USC job is vacant again with the exit of Mark Trakh. If the Los Angeles Sparks' Michael Cooper lands the position -- the Los Angeles Times reported there have been discussion -- the guess is that Stanley, now an assistant on the WNBA team, would be elevated next year if she desires, given her past experience in the pro league.
Atlantic Ten Freshman Jinx At St. Joseph's
Hawks coach Cindy Griffin confirmed that center Sarah Acker, who was sidelined her sophiomore season with a hip injury, will not resume her career, at least not at St. Joseph's, if anywhere.
Acker is the second Hawks star to receive Atlantic Ten freshman of the year honors in recent seasons and then no longer play at St. Joseph's. Hillary Klimowicz departed several seasons ago to the College of New Jersey where she concluded her career last month in the Final Four with the Lions and was named the NCAA Division II player of the year.
DelleDonne and Auriemma -- Together Again or Not?
Although no public statement has been made, signs and off-the-record coments continue to indicate that Wilmington's Elena DelleDonne may soon return to the sport of her national acclaim, which occurred when she played for Ursuline Academy.
DelleDonne had accepted a scholarship to play at Connecticut but then left the campus after less than 48 hours at summer school almost a year ago and then annouced in late August she would enroll at Delaware to play volleyball, which she had played her senior year in high school.
In announcing her decision at a well-attended press conference at Delaware, DelleDonne cited "burnout" from years of pressure to be the best.
DelleDonne went on to make the Colonial Athletic Association all-freshman team and the Blue Hens went on to repeat as conference champions.
However, her name has since disappeared from next season's volleyball roster on Delaware's web site.
Neither Blue Hens basketball coach Tina Martin nor anyone else associated with the basketball program has made any comment public, private or otherwise to date regarding DelleDonne's status.
But an athletic department source not associated with the basketball team recently indicated DelleDonne, who had been touted early in high school as an Olympic star of the future, may soon return to basketball, although the source did not flat out say it would be at Delaware.
The Guru brings this up at the moment in terms of the news out of Storrs this week with the appointment of Huskies coach Geno Auriemma as the next Olympic coach.
Imagine this scenaro: DelleDonne returns, her passion fully rekindled and she begins fulfilling all those expectation that were built from almost the day she first touched a basketball.
In the process, she is eventually mentioned as prime Olympic material as her junior year approaches. The selection committee would certainly want to take a look if DelleDonne has gold medal desires.
That would put her on a reunification/collision course with Auriemma.
Remember, the Olympic coach can recommend what types of players he or she would like to have for positions but the committee names the roster.
In 1996, Stanford's Tara VanDerveer was not ga-ga over former UConn star Rebecca Lobo when VanDerveer was the USA coach and Lobo was named to the team as much for marketing material at the time.
VanDerveer's stance did cause unhappiness in Storrs at the time but the friction created has long since gone by the wayside and the two teams will begin a nonconference series this season.
At the moment, DelleDonne's intentions for next season not withstanding, this is just fantasy entertaiument. But as we saw almost 12 months ago, fantasy at times has a way of evolving into reality so stay tuned.
-- Mel
(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.
"Kay Yow is and will always be a legend," Harper said shortly after being introduced as the Wolfpack's new women's basketball coach. "You obviously know that when you step foot on this campus. I respect what she has meant to this university, to this program. I can't be her. I wish I could. She's been tremendous.
"I have to be me. And that is, in my opinion, the best way that I can honor her."
The hiring of Harper represents a significant change in direction for the program Yow led for more than three decades before her death in January after a long fight against cancer. Yow had hoped for longtime assistant coach Stephanie Glance to get the job. The school conducted a search that ultimately focused on the 31-year-old Harper, who has spent the past five years at Western Carolina and was part of Tennessee's three straight national championship teams from 1996-98.
Harper compiled a 97-65 record while leading the Catamounts to two NCAA tournament bids and a pair of Southern Conference championships. N.C. State gave her a five-year contract with a base salary of $247,000.
Harper takes over one of the Atlantic Coast Conference's most traditionally successful programs, but one that has slid in recent years while nearby rivals Duke and North Carolina have become powerhouses.
"This team and staff has got to work hard to get where we want to go," Harper said. "But we are accepting that challenge. We want to consistently compete for and win championships. We want to beat our neighbors who wear various shades of blue. The bottom line: we want to win and make you proud."
Harper met with her players shortly before the news conference. The team immediately asked to see her Tennessee national championship rings.
Nikitta Gartrell, who will be a senior next year, said the team is ready to give Harper a chance even though they spent the past few weeks hoping Glance would get the job.
"We can't control anything that happens in the offices," Gartrell said. "We just take what we're given. We're just taking this thing day by day and welcoming coach Harper as one of our own."
Athletics director Lee Fowler said Yow's wish for Glance to follow her made the search a sensitive issue for some, but ultimately it was about finding the best coach for the job. He said he interviewed about a half-dozen candidates.
"We told (Yow) exactly what was going to happen — that (Glance) would be considered and we promised her she'd be in it until the finals," Fowler said after the news conference. "But she would have to compete like everybody else and the best coach would be hired. So she knew that. Whether she was happy with that, I don't know, but that was two years out ... She was the only assistant that we interviewed.
"Stephanie and I were very open with each other throughout the whole process. She knew that her not being a head coach was not a good thing for her because other people had been head coaches."
Glance issued a statement Thursday afternoon thanking the school and Wolfpack fans for their support.
"I am saddened today that I will not have the opportunity to be the next head coach for the women's basketball," she said. "I am most grateful for the lessons learned from the legendary Coach Kay Yow! These will stay with me for a lifetime! I wish her successor the best."
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.
He succeeds Pat Knapp, who was 48-90 in five seasons at the Palestra, including 28-42 against Ivy League opposition.
I'm sure Mel will be on here later with more information.
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.
Auriemma's former longtime assistant Tony Cardoza, who became Staley's successor, learned of Auriemma's appointment Tuesday when word gushed out in advance of Wednesday's official announcement that wil occur at Connecticut.
"I think it's tremendous," Cardoza said Tuesday night during the annual postseason dinner for the Temple men's and women's teams. "I'm excited for him. I can't wait to call him."
Asked whether she had a chance to be one of Auriemma's assistants with the U.S. squad, Cardoza smiled and crossed her fingers.
In reality, a USA Basketball committee names the staff, athough Auriemma will get to submit his own list of candidates in addition to others that the committee will consider.
The most recent guidelines called for the entire staff to consist of two persons from the collegiate world and two from the WNBA.
When the U.S. won the gold last summer in Beijing, China, Anne Donovan, who had been a WNBA coach, was the head coach and the WNBA Connecticut's Sun Mike Thibault was an assistant along with Staley and Texas' Gail Goestenkors.
Auriemma, who grew up in Norristown, is the first collegiate coach since Stanford's Tara VanDerveer, who spent a year away from the Cardinal in 1995-96 to help the Americans recapture the gold at the Atlanta Games.
The world is different now and Auriemma likely will not have to temporarily leave Storrs since there will not be a year-long tour in the manner of the '96 squad that also had an extra mission to build interest toward establishing pro women's basketball in the United States.
But there are some question as to the behind-the-scene events that led to Auriemma's appointment, which, understandably, he is most deserving.
Since the conclusion of the games in China, inquiring media had been told by USABasketball types that the oversight committee for the next quad had to be named first before action would occur in choosing Donovan's successor.
Staley had been considered the favorite, though Thibault was also a worthy candidate.
But in light of the time line, the new committee was not in place when Auriemma was chosen.
And in terms of Staley, did she alert USABasketball on her own that she didn't wish to be considered this time because of the work it was going to take to build her new program at South Carolina?
Or for the same reason was she offered and then turned it down prior to USA going in Auriemma's direction?
Meanwhile, the previous rule stated the Olympic head coach had to be a WNBA head coach at the time of selection.
That rule was changed, obviously, and a USABasketball source said that the action is never publicly announced.
One wonders also whether Auriemma's appintment is an insurance policy toward stability heading into the London games.
Since 2000, the governing accent in USABasketball had been tilted in favor WNBA personnel on the senior national committee and in staffing the premium competitions.
However, in these days of economic downturn one can hear musings from inside the league in which some WNBA types now refrain from talking about the long-range state of things.
Auriemma's appointment does provide that if the WNBA's future should suddenly get short-circuited three years down the road from now, the impact would be less as the next games approach.
Furthermore, with the potential for a strong UConn flavor on the court in 2012, it makes sense for Auriemma to be on the sidelines where he would already have past experience in dealing with the individuals on the squad.
Ironically, for now, Auriemma could be gaining a bit of a recruiting advantage over his counterpart Pat Summitt at Tennessee.
In the 1980s, the word used to be that the way to the Olympics was through Knoxville.
However, that road now could clearly weave through Hartford and Storrs.
-- Mel
(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.
Yow, the players and fan base had desired longtime assistant coach Stephanie Glance to be Yow’s successor. Glance has served several stints as interim coach during Yow’s illness and after her passing.
However, several sources familiar with the decision process confirmed that athletic director Lee Fowler has told Glance that she is no longer under consideration to become the permanent coach.
Fowler and Glance met Thursday, according to one of the sources.
WRAL-TV reported later in the day that Glance would not be retained.
Glance could not be reached for comment.
Western Carolina coach Kellie Harper, a 1999 Tennessee graduate whose team won the Southern Conference title, is considered the leading candidate, according to several sources.
Another name that has been mentioned is Tennessee-Chattanooga coach Wes Moore, who was an assistant to Yow in the late 1990s.
An announcement is expected next week.
Yow’s staff has been in limbo since her passing in terms of its future status.
Many prominent coaches, some who were contacted but would not confirm on the record, had refrained from getting involved once it was known Glance wanted the job.
Furthermore, a source indicated the job was not going to pay anything substantial.
Fowler, a graduate of Vanderbilt who became athletic director of the Wolfpack in 2000, will likely face a firestorm of reaction from the Yow faithful as word of his intentions become public.
Some followers of the program who were attending the NCAA tournament in St. Louis felt that perhaps a two-year deal for Glance could enable a smoother transition from the Yow era.
However, it appears that Fowler wants to put his own stamp on the program with the hire directly beholden to him. When Yow announced a month before her death she would not return for the season, there was speculation that when the time came, he would move to someone with Tennessee roots.
Harper’s advantage over Moore would be gender, youth, her residence in North Carolina, and her success at Tennessee where she is best remembered for overcoming a knee injury to help land an NCAA title.
-- Mel
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.”
Rutgers 6-4 center Kia Vaughn was thrilled to be taken eighth overall by her hometown New York Liberty not far from the Scarlet Knights’ campus in New Brunswick, N.J.
Vaughn will reunite with former teammate Essence Carson, who went in the first round a year ago.
“I’m excited,” Vaughn beamed. “I get to stay home in the city I was born in and play with my old teammate and have my family support and Rutgers. I’m ready to take the next step on the big stage.
“She knows the ropes and she’ll take me under wing just as she did when I was a freshman,” Vaughn added of Carson. The duo, along with Washington second-year guard Matee Ajavon, played on Rutgers; 2007 NCAA runnersup.
Other former Scarlet Knights in the WNBA are Chelsea Newton with the Sacramento Monarchs, Cappie Pondexter with Phoenix, and Tammy Sutton-Brown with the Indiana Fever. Newton and Brown both have won WNBA titles.
Texas A&M-Commerce senior guard Britney Jordan, who was once a highly touted freshman recruit at Temple before leaving the Owls, went in the third round to the Los Angeles Sparks as the 35th overall choice.
The native of Peoria, Ill., had been among the top five prospects in the country when she committed to former Temple coach Dawn Staley in 2003.
The downturn in the economy has also affected the WNBA. The demise of the former four-time champion Houston Comets left 13 teams to choose an overall total of 39 players in the three rounds.
Roster sizes have also been reduced from 13 players to 11, making competition for spots much more difficult. Additionally, veterans could be pushed out by younger players who will earn less money under the rookie salary scale.
The first four picks can receive $44,945 for the summer season, which will begin June 6. In the fourth year, which is an option year for teams, they can receive $57,305.
Overall selectees taken 5-8 can initially earn $41,574 with $53,007 in the option year. The remaining first-round choices will start out at $37,080 and could earn $41,277 in their fourth season.
Second-round picks are slotted at $35,700 at the outset, while third-round selectees will begin at $35,190.
Along with the economic reductions, teams will lose one assistant coach next season in 2010.
After McCoughtry won the honor as the No. 1 selection, two Maryland stars and last remaining members of the 2006 NCAA champions were quickly scooped up.
Marissa Coleman, a 6-1 forward, was able to stay local as the overall No. 2 choice of the Washington Mystics where she will reunite with Willingboro’s Crystal Langhorne, who was a high first-round pick a year ago.
Terrapins 5-7 point guard Kristi Toliver, in a mild surprise, went third to the Chicago Sky, ahead of Connecticut star point guard Renee Montgomery, who was taken fourth by the Minnesota Lynx.
“This is all an exciting time,” Montgomery said. “I’m just trying to take it all in.
“Everything was a question mark going into this,” she said of speculation where she might land. “This class is so strong. We have a lot of great players, so it definitely was a question mark.
“I was nervous sitting there, just to see where your future is going to start. Just to see where you’re going to live and who your new teammates are going to be.”
Auburn 6-4 forward DeWanna Bonner went fifth to the Phoenix Mercury, followed by Arizona State 5-8 guard Briann January, who went sixth to the Indiana Fever.
Oklahoma 6-4 center Courtney Paris, who was picked seventh by Sacramento, had been projected as an overall No. 1 pick earlier in her collegiate career. Her twin sister Ashley was taken 22nd overall by Los Angeles in the second round.
Minnesota had another first-round pick off a previous trade and took 6-5 Virginia Commonwealth Center Quanitra Hollingsworth as the ninth pick.
The first round was completed with the Connecticut Sun taking Duke 6-5 center Chante Black, the Detroit Shock taking Pittsburgh 5-10 guard Shavonte Zellous, the Seattle Storm taking California 6-1 forward Ashley Walker, and Los Angeles choosing Purdue 6-2 forward Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton.
The pick of Vaughn was another highlight this week for Rutgers coach C. Vivian Stringer, who on Monday was announced a member of the induction class of 2009 to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass. The ceremonies will occur in September in Springfield, Mass.
“The fact that she will be able to play here in front of our New York-New Jersey fans is just special,” Stringer said at the draft held at the NBA Entertainment studio complex.
“Obviously, there were a lot of picks with the guards,” Stringer continued. “I was nervous hoping that she would end up here or Connecticut.
“With outstanding players around her and good coaching, she has a chance to be on the best centers in the country,” Stringer discussed Vaughn’s potential. “There is nothing she can’t do, nothing she can’t imagine, and no amount of her work she won’t do.
“I just want to be sure that she’s with a program that is going to teach her, really teach her, because she desires to be so good. She’s not lazy. She’s a hard worker. We just didn’t get the ball to her enough. In two years, she’ll dominate.”
New York is coached by Patty Coyle, a former West Catholic star who with her twin sister Mary helped lead Rutgers to a national title in 1982 under the former Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW).
- Mel
