Annual look at WBB Coaches gender and length of service

[KnightBridgeAZ]

Each year I do a spreadsheet on the Power 4 and Big East Women's Basketball Coaches.

It looks like there are 10 "new" Power 4 coaches, and none in the Big East. In terms of tenure at their current school, in the Power 4 Bill Fennely at Iowa State has been around the longest, since 1995 (well short of Geno, of course). In the other conferences, we have Brenda (2002), Dawn Staley (2006) and Jeff Walz (2007). In terms of wins, again none are close to Geno's 1230, but the Power 4 leaders in each conference are Wes Moore (859) in the ACC, Fennely (800) in the Big 12, McKeown (777) in the B1G and Mulkey in the SEC (754). There are 10 additional coaches with over 500 wins among the Power 4 and Big East.

Of the 68 P4 teams, 49 of the coaches are female 72%. The Big 12 is evenly split, while the other 3 are heavily tilted female. The Big East has one more male coach than female. I don't think of this as a huge deal but I think there are players who have a preference for playing for a male or female coach.

Interestingly, I also list the coaches in the P4 for Football, Men's Basketball, Softball and Volleyball. While slightly over half of women's Volleyball coaches are male, 78% of softball coaches are female.

One other interesting factoid - 10 schools in the P4 don't play softball, but only one doesn't play Women's Volleyball, That would be Oklahoma State.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

Just found an additional mildly interesting factoid - as I also do the Arizona and Rutgers opponents.

Rutgers will be playing 3 500 game winners from the "mid-major" ranks - Tricia Fabbri that I'm sure you all know has 544 wins. Carla Berube has 505 (many at the Division II level, but the NCAA accepts their other divisions as part of your record). Also, Rutgers plays FDU which is coached by Stephanie Gaitley, who has 727 wins across the 6 programs she has led.

 

[Bigboote]

I was thinking "Joe McKeown is still at Northwestern? What are they thinking?" I thought he'd retired, which is sorta true, as he did announce, but it's at the end of the upcoming season. Nice guy, and I like his daughter as an announcer, but I think he lost his touch several years ago.

 

[CL82]

Here is a list of most wins by college coaches:

1	Geno Auriemma**	40	1,250	165	.883	UConn(1985–)
2	Tara VanDerveer**	45	1,216	271	.818	Idaho (1978–80), Ohio State (1980–85), Stanford(1985–95, 1996–2024)
3	Pat Summitt **	38	1,098	208	.841	Tennessee(1974–2012)
4	Barbara Stevens **	43	1,058	291	.784	Clark (MA)(1977–83), Massachusetts(1983–86), Bentley(1986–2020)
5	C. Vivian Stringer **	50	1,055	426	.712	Cheyney(1971–83), Iowa (1983–95), Rutgers(1995–2022)
6	Sylvia Hatchell **	44	1,023	405	.716	Francis Marion(1975–86), North Carolina(1986–2019)
7	Muffet McGraw **	38	936	293	.762	Lehigh (1982–87), Notre Dame (1987–2020)
8	Andy Yosinoff	47	929	319	.744	Emmanuel (MA) (1977–)
9	Tom Shirley	43	905	386	.701	DeSales(1981–89), Jefferson(1989–)
10	Jim Foster*	40	903	347	.722	Saint Joseph's(1978–91), Vanderbilt(1991–2002), Ohio State(2002–13), Chattanooga(2013–2018)

​

 

[CL82]

But if we sort the same data by length of years coaching, we get this:

5	C. Vivian Stringer **	50	1,055	426	.712	Cheyney(1971–83), Iowa (1983–95), Rutgers(1995–2022)
8	Andy Yosinoff	47	929	319	.744	Emmanuel (MA) (1977–)
2	Tara VanDerveer**	45	1,216	271	.818	Idaho (1978–80), Ohio State (1980–85), Stanford(1985–95, 1996–2024)
6	Sylvia Hatchell **	44	1,023	405	.716	Francis Marion(1975–86), North Carolina(1986–2019)
91	Chris Gobrecht	44	626	662	.486	CSUF (1979–1985), Washington(1985–1996), Florida St.(1996–97), USC (1997–2004), Yale(2005–2015), Air Force(2015–2024)
95-T	Robert Skinner	44	613	586	.511	Paine (1980–1991), Albany St. (GA)(1991–2024)
4	Barbara Stevens **	43	1,058	291	.784	Clark (MA)(1977–83), Massachusetts(1983–86), Bentley(1986–2020)
9	Tom Shirley	43	905	386	.701	DeSales(1981–89), Jefferson(1989–)
26	Harry Perretta	42	783	489	.616	Villanova(1978–2020)
39	Joanne Bracker *	42	736	403	.646	Midland (NE)(1970–2012)
54-T	Connie Tilley	42	693	312	.690	St. Norbert(1977–2019)
57	Yvonne Kauffman	42	689	328	.677	Elizabethtown(1970–2012)
1	Geno Auriemma**	40	1,250	165	.883	UConn(1985–)
10	Jim Foster*	40	903	347	.722	Saint Joseph's(1978–91), Vanderbilt(1991–2002), Ohio State(2002–13), Chattanooga(2013–2018)
12	Lisa Bluder	40	884	396	.691	St. Ambrose(1984–90), Drake (1990–2000), Iowa(2000–2024)
31	Michael Durbin	40	766	294	.723	Wittenberg(1985–86), Saint Benedict(1986–)
70-T	Nancy Funk	40	663	353	.653	Messiah(1977–86), Johns Hopkins(1986–2017)
18	Curt Fredrickson	39	846	306	.734	Northern State(1977–83, 1985–2018)
25	Michael Miller	39	784	258	.752	Messiah(1986–)
28	Joe McKeown	39	777	432	.643	New Mexico State (1986–89), George Washington(1989–2008), Northwestern(2008–)
32	Glenn Wilkes Jr.	39	762	348	.686	Rollins (1986–)
35	Dixie Jeffers	39	744	287	.722	Rio Grande(1983–86), Capital (1986–2022)
43	Judy Blinstrub	39	719	330	.685	Babson(1984–2023)
87	Kathleen Delaney-Smith	39	630	434	.592	Harvard(1982–2020, 2021–2022)
108	Naomi Graves	39	600	440	.577	WPI (1985–91), Springfield(1992–)

​

 

[CL82]

Just a quick note for any visiting Lady Vol fans, Geno had more wins than Pat prior to coaching his 38th year.

 

[Vowelguy]

Just a quick note for any visiting Lady Val fans,

Lady Val sounds like someone who owns a “house” just outside Knoxville.

 

[Zarathustra]

But if we sort the same data by length of years coaching, we get this:

5	C. Vivian Stringer **	50	1,055	426	.712	Cheyney(1971–83), Iowa (1983–95), Rutgers(1995–2022)
8	Andy Yosinoff	47	929	319	.744	Emmanuel (MA) (1977–)
2	Tara VanDerveer**	45	1,216	271	.818	Idaho (1978–80), Ohio State (1980–85), Stanford(1985–95, 1996–2024)
6	Sylvia Hatchell **	44	1,023	405	.716	Francis Marion(1975–86), North Carolina(1986–2019)
91	Chris Gobrecht	44	626	662	.486	CSUF (1979–1985), Washington(1985–1996), Florida St.(1996–97), USC (1997–2004), Yale(2005–2015), Air Force(2015–2024)
95-T	Robert Skinner	44	613	586	.511	Paine (1980–1991), Albany St. (GA)(1991–2024)
4	Barbara Stevens **	43	1,058	291	.784	Clark (MA)(1977–83), Massachusetts(1983–86), Bentley(1986–2020)
9	Tom Shirley	43	905	386	.701	DeSales(1981–89), Jefferson(1989–)
26	Harry Perretta	42	783	489	.616	Villanova(1978–2020)
39	Joanne Bracker *	42	736	403	.646	Midland (NE)(1970–2012)
54-T	Connie Tilley	42	693	312	.690	St. Norbert(1977–2019)
57	Yvonne Kauffman	42	689	328	.677	Elizabethtown(1970–2012)
1	Geno Auriemma**	40	1,250	165	.883	UConn(1985–)
10	Jim Foster*	40	903	347	.722	Saint Joseph's(1978–91), Vanderbilt(1991–2002), Ohio State(2002–13), Chattanooga(2013–2018)
12	Lisa Bluder	40	884	396	.691	St. Ambrose(1984–90), Drake (1990–2000), Iowa(2000–2024)
31	Michael Durbin	40	766	294	.723	Wittenberg(1985–86), Saint Benedict(1986–)
70-T	Nancy Funk	40	663	353	.653	Messiah(1977–86), Johns Hopkins(1986–2017)
18	Curt Fredrickson	39	846	306	.734	Northern State(1977–83, 1985–2018)
25	Michael Miller	39	784	258	.752	Messiah(1986–)
28	Joe McKeown	39	777	432	.643	New Mexico State (1986–89), George Washington(1989–2008), Northwestern(2008–)
32	Glenn Wilkes Jr.	39	762	348	.686	Rollins (1986–)
35	Dixie Jeffers	39	744	287	.722	Rio Grande(1983–86), Capital (1986–2022)
43	Judy Blinstrub	39	719	330	.685	Babson(1984–2023)
87	Kathleen Delaney-Smith	39	630	434	.592	Harvard(1982–2020, 2021–2022)
108	Naomi Graves	39	600	440	.577	WPI (1985–91), Springfield(1992–)

​

I would be interested (in 5 years) to compare the W vs L ( winning percentages)
between GENO and Tara when they are both at 45 years of service! I have no
urge to see him match C. Vivian Stringer at 50 years!!

 

[CL82]

Lady Val sounds like someone who owns a “house” just outside Knoxville.

Or a somewhat obscure Rolling Stones song. (IYKYK)

My phone apparently rejects the phrase "Lady Vol". I guess it could've been worse. It could've interpreted that phrase as "Lady Vole".

 

[CL82]

I would be interested (in 5 years) to compare the W vs L ( winning percentages)
between GENO and Tara when they are both at 45 years of service! I have no
urge to see him match C. Vivian Stringer at 50 years!!

Whenever you compare people, even people who coached in the same era, it's always a challenge to "equalize" statistics. I guess one way to do an equalized comparison would be to go back to Tara's for 40th year and compare compare it to Gino's current statistics.

(But I'm not feeling that ambitious.)

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

Whenever you compare people, even people who coached in the same era, it's always a challenge to "equalize" statistics. I guess one way to do an equalized comparison would be to go back to Tara's for 40th year and compare compare it to Gino's current statistics.

(But I'm not feeling that ambitious.)

Answering @Zarathustra, Geno has the highest winning percentage, its another tracked stat. He passed Leon Barmore, who had the record before him, many, many years ago.

For coaches, it really is impossible to "equalize". Eras are not the same, but Geno's long career has encompassed a number of eras. By those of us who are not particularly UConn fans, we see Geno as the best due to the factors of - winning percentage, National Championships, recruiting prowess, production of players for the next level, success over a lengthy period, sheer longevity, undefeated seasons, as well as running an really nice style of play.